By Ben Orcutt -- Daily Staff Writer

FRONT ROYAL — A town man faces a mandatory minimum 25-year prison sentence if convicted on five counts of distribution of cocaine.

George E. Caison Jr., 40, with a last known address of 466 Hill St., was one of five Front Royal residents indicted on drugs charges Tuesday by a Warren County Circuit Court grand jury.

The five were arrested June 20 during 7 a.m. raids on three residences by the Northwest Virginia Regional Drug Task Force, with assistance from SWAT teams from the Warren County Sheriff's Office and the state police, as well as the Front Royal police Emergency Services Team.

Caison, who is being held without bond in the county jail pending a Sept. 16 appearance in General District Court on another drug charge, was indicted Tuesday on five charges of distribution of cocaine between Feb. 5 and May 15, third or subsequent offense.

Assistant Commonwealth's Attorney Nicholas L. Manthos said Wednesday that each of the charges against Caison carries a range of punishment of five years to life in prison, with a minimum mandatory sentence of five years in prison on each count, if convicted.

Manthos said each of the other four defendants who were indicted Tuesday also face preliminary hearings on Sept. 16 on other drug charges.

Theresa Ann Caison, 39, with a last known address of 468 Hill St., was also indicted on Tuesday on seven counts of distribution of cocaine between April 17 and June 11, second or subsequent offense. Each count carries a range of punishment of five years to life in prison, according to Manthos. She remains free on bond pending her next court appearance.

Ricky Tyrone Berryman, 30, with a last known address of 35 Royal Lane, No. 4, was indicted Tuesday on five counts of distribution of cocaine, second or subsequent offense, between May 20 and June 17. Berryman is being held in the county jail without bond.

Latonya Lynne Caison, 37, with a last known address of 35 Royal Lane, No. 4, was also indicted on Tuesday. She is charged with distribution of cocaine on June 10 and again on June 18. If convicted, she faces a range of punishment of five to 40 years in prison on each count, Manthos said. She remains free on bond pending her next court appearance.

Maurice Marcel Berryman, 49, with a last known address of 468 Hill St., was indicted Tuesday on a count of distribution of cocaine on June 17. He also remains free on bond pending his next court appearance.

Manthos said that he preferred not to comment on the relationship of the defendants while the charges against them are pending.

Special Agent Ray Floyd, the task force's coordinator, has said that law enforcement officers recovered an undetermined amount of crack cocaine and marijuana as a result of the June 20 raids.

"It was an ongoing conspiracy that had been brought to the task force's attention," Floyd has said. "It took a couple of months to put it all together."

With the use of confidential informants, the task force made 25 controlled buys of crack cocaine with a street value of $2,500 over a two-month period, Floyd has said.

In addition to uniformed officers from Front Royal and Warren County, K-9 units from both jurisdictions assisted in the raids, along with Shenandoah County members of the task force and Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives agents from Martinsburg, W.Va.

The Northwest Virginia Regional Drug Task Force is comprised of officers from Winchester, Front Royal, the counties of Clarke, Frederick, Shenandoah, Page and Warren, and state police.

* Contact Ben Orcutt at borcutt@nvdaily.com