DETROIT (WXYZ) — The Detroit Land Bank takes over homes that are abandoned and vacant, and works to keep them from becoming more blighted, but recently, federal agents made a large drug bust inside a home owned by the land bank.
The house on Hanna Street near 7 Mile and I-75 is one of 27,000 owned by the land bank. Agents say Walter Sherrod, the man busted by the feds, was squatting in the home.
The feds have charged Sherrod with possession with intent to deliver drugs and maintaining a drug house and two gun charges.
According to court documents, Sherrod said that inside the home, there were five farms along with marijuana and cocaine. Sherrod also claimed that the house was his primary residence.
Sherrod said, according to court documents, that he bought guns off the street, kept them at the home to protect himself and the drugs after he was shot at. He also told agents that he cut the drugs with baking soda to make more money, and he started selling drugs again after his kids got older.
The Detroit Land Bank tells 7 Action News that they work closely with DPD to monitor any reports of criminal activity by people illegally occupying properties owned by the land bank.
"We also share any complaints of criminal activity we receive from the community with police. In this specific case, we did not receive any complaints are inquiries about this property, and the FBI never alerted the DLBA to suspected criminal activity," the Land Bank said in a statement. "Now that we are aware, we are moving swiftly to investigate the current occupancy status so that we can move forward by securing the property or evicting any remaining occupants."
