Santa Barbara police arrested a Los Angeles-area man last week who they say is a major drug supplier to the Santa Barbara area.
Robert Keith Banks, 46, of Inglewood was arrested last Wednesday in Carpinteria on charges of possession of heroin for sale, transportation of heroin and possession of an unlawful weapon.
“Banks was a supplier of illegal drugs to the Santa Barbara area,” said Sgt. Riley Harwood, adding that more than nine ounces of heroin were seized during the operation.
The man’s arrest came after SBPD conducted a three-month narcotics investigation, beginning last October.
Banks was already wanted on a $20,000 arrest warrant for violation of probation stemming from a previous narcotics case, Harwood said.
The investigation resulted in Banks being contacted and arrested for his warrant in the parking lot of McDonald’s at 1115 Casitas Pass Road in Carpinteria last week.
He was found to be in possession of 9.75 ounces of heroin valued at $9,300, Harwood said.
Banks was also found to be armed with a collapsible police-style baton.
“Investigation revealed that at the time he was contacted, Banks was in the process of transporting heroin from the Los Angeles area to a local drug dealer,” Harwood said.
Banks was booked into the Santa Barbara County Jail. His bail was set at $30,000.
— Noozhawk staff writer Lara Cooper can be reached at lcooper@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.
