Less than a week after he was arrested on multiple drug charges, Howard Leon Hopkins was jailed again Wednesday.

Elizabethtown Police Chief Bobby Kinlaw said Hopkins was arrested at the Bladen County Jail when he went to check on Michael Eugene Gibson.

Gibson was arrested around 5 p.m. March 24 on charges he sold drugs to undercover officers on Feb. 25. The alleged sale took place at Hopkins' 1004 Able Street home.

A short time later, Kinlaw said, Hopkins went to the magistrate's office to check on Gibson and was himself arrested for selling drugs to undercover officers on the same day.

Hopkins, 30, was charged with possession with intent to sell and deliver marijuana, and sale of marijuana. He was placed in the Bladen County Jail under $3,000 secured bond.

Hopkins lives at 1004 Able St., Elizabethtown.

Gibson was charged with possession with intent to sell and deliver marijuana, and sale of marijuana. He allegedly sold the drugs to undercover officers at Hopkins home.

Gibson is 25 and lives at 1208 Gibson St., Elizabethtown.

Hopkins was arrested five previous times in the past two years on stolen goods and marijuana- and cocaine-related charges, records show.

During a March 2002 raid on his home, according to police records, Hopkins was arrested for possession of stolen goods, and possession of marijuana and cocaine for sale.

He was given 30 months of probation in that case, and a six-month suspended sentence, according to court records.

Court records show that Hopkins was also arrested on drug charges twice in June 2002, and August 6, 2003. Those charges were dismissed.

Kinlaw said the Able Street residence has become well-known to police officers.

"We get more complaints on this location than any other in town," said Kinlaw, "and we are going to continue working on it to solve the problem."

"As long as we know drugs are being sold there," he said, "we will continue to target that area."

--30-