The Pearl River County Sheriff’s Department was busy this week.

Tuesday, deputies responded to the scene of a vehicle in a ditch, according to a release from the department. Lead Investigator Chris Lott said dispatch learned about the vehicle in the ditch from a concerned citizen and a deputy was sent out.

The deputy arrived to find Ryan E. Johnson, 27, 14071 Ben St., Picayune, sitting in his vehicle that was in the ditch, the release states. After the deputy asked Johnson to exit the vehicle, the deputy saw some beer sitting on the floor board. Johnson was then charged with possession of beer in a dry county and a search of Johnson and his vehicle was conducted.

The release states that during the search of Johnson’s person, the deputy found an envelope containing methadone in his pocket. During an inventory of the vehicle, the deputy found Lortab in the console of the vehicle and more methadone in the back seat, the release states.

The vehicle was towed and Johnson was charged with two counts of possession of a controlled substance for the methadone and the Lortab, the release states.

Also Tuesday, deputies conducted a traffic stop on McNeill-McHenry Road for careless driving. As the deputy approached the vehicle, he noticed a rifle sitting next to the driver on the seat of the truck, the release states. The driver, Wesley D. Dedeaux, 29, of 2429 Talley Shaw Rd., Perkinston, was asked to exit the vehicle and was patted down for officer safety. During the pat down, the release states that the deputy found a straw that contained a white residue in Dedeaux’s pocket, who was charged with possession of paraphernalia. The serial number on the rifle was run and the deputy learned rifle had been stolen in Stone County. Lott said the rifle will be sent to Stone County to be returned to the owner by a law enforcement agency.

Dedeaux was charged with careless driving and possession of a stolen firearm, the release states.

On Wednesday, deputies served a search warrant on the home of Willie Wiley, 48, of 23 Robert James Rd., Poplarville. The warrant was the product of three months of investigative work, Lott said. During the search, deputies discovered half-an-ounce of crack cocaine, assorted pain pills, three-and-a-half ounces of marijuana, baggies, scales and other items used in the sale of narcotics, the release states.

Also found were building supplies believed to have been stolen from construction sites in the area. Damon Pittman, 27, of 36 Pittman Rd., Poplarville, and Shannon Johnson, 31, of 136 Whitesand Rd., Poplarville, were arrested in conjunction with the stolen building supplies, the release states. Lott said an investigation determined that Johnson and Pittman stole items from construction sites in the Whitesand community and brought them to Wiley who willingly took them knowing they were stolen.

Pittman and Johnson were charged with grand larceny while Wiley was charged with possession of controlled substance with intent to distribute, possession of marijuana with intent to distribute and receiving stolen property.

All suspects are awaiting their initial appearance before the justice court judge, the release states.