3 Busted For Morphine

In WalMart Parking Lot

ONEONTA – An Oneonta father and son, as well as the father’s fiancee, were arrested yesterday after they allegedly sold morphine tablets to an undercover cop in the WalMart parking lot.

On Monday morning, an undercover Sheriff’s Office investigator allegedly paid Eric Wade Ferguson Jr. 20, of Oneonta, $540 for 15 100 mg morphine sulfate tablets during a drug buy in the Oneonta WalMart parking lot.  Ferguson Jr. was immediately arrested for criminal sale of a controlled substance in the third degree, a class B felony.

Police said the investigation found the son was selling narcotic pain medication for his father, Eric Wade Ferguson Sr., 42.  During an interview at his residence, the father was allegedly found to be in possession of his prescribed 100 mg morphine sulfate tablets.   

According to police, he admitted to supplying his son with the tablets sold to the undercover officer, as well as giving them to his fiancee, Linda Lee Clow, 45.  During an interview with Clow, police say she admitted to possessing 37 of the tablets, weighing 6 grams.  Investigators seized all tablets during the investigation.

Ferguson, Sr was charged with criminal sale of a controlled substance in the third degree, a class B felony, and Clow was charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance in the fourth degree, a class C felony.

Town of Oneonta Judge Sean J. Farrell arraigned all of the defendants and remanded them to the Otsego County jail.  The Fergusons’ bails were set at $10,000 each, returnable on March 10, in the Town Court and Clow’s bail was $5,000, returnable on March 3.  If convicted, the father and son each face up to nine years in prison and Clow faces up to five years of incarceration.