Police hand three incidents of precursor purchases and a stolen donation jar

By Jeremy Pittari/Item Staff Writer

Picayune Police officers made three separate sets of arrests where suspects were alleged to be purchasing items to manufacture methamphetamine and made arrests in a commercial burglary case.

The first precursor case officers worked began after call came into the department at about 5:20 p.m. July 22. The caller said that individuals appeared to be purchasing items at Wal-Mart suspected to be used in the manufacture of the drug such as Sudafed pills, camp fuel and aluminum foil , said Chief Investigator Holly Krantz.

Officers responded and using the vehicle description given by the witness stopped the suspect vehicle at Walgreens on Mississippi 43. Three suspects were in the vehicle and identified as Brendon Necaise, 21, of 18121 Fenton Dedeaux Rd., Jon Brent Jordan, 28, of 102 Engman Ave., Bay St. Louis, and Charles Connetti III, 18, of 17211 Kiln Acres Dr., Kiln.

As the officer stopped vechile, he smelled marijuana smoke coming from the car. A search of the car uncovered loose marijuana, empty Sudafed boxes, aluminum foil and camp fuel. All three suspects were taken into custody and taken to the Picayune Criminal Justice Center. After officers brought the suspects to the jail for booking, loose Sudafed pills were found under the patrol car’s back seat, Krantz said.

A search of the suspects also allegedly found methamphetamine packaged for resale in Necaise’s posterior region, Krantz said.

Connetti and Jordan were charged with conspiracy to sell a controlled substance, possession of precursor chemicals and possession of marijuana.

Necaise was charged with possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute and possession of marijuana.

A separate case on July 26, at 11:34 a.m. had officers responding to another report of individuals purchasing items believed to be used in the production of methamphetamine. Again, the officer was dispatched to Wal-Mart where the officer got a description of the vehicle. That vehicle was later found in the parking lot of Rite-Aid, Krantz said. Four individuals in the car were questioned. The suspects told the officer that they were purchasing Sudafed.

A small propane burner and a Wal-Mart bag with a box of Sudafed was seen in the vehicle, along with coffee filters and two additional boxes of Sudafed in a Walgreens bag, Krantz said. Four packs of Energizer lithium batteries, a bottle of R134A refrigerant and a coffee grinder that contained a substance believed to be ground up Sudafed also pills were recovered from the vehicle.

Three of the suspects were taken into custody, Ronald Chris Dressner, 30, of 37 Virgil Mitchell Rd., Nicholson, Rick Madden, 42, of 228 Curly Seal Rd. and Christina Lott, 35, of 22 Broadway Circle. All three were charged with possession of precursor chemicals and conspiracy to manufacture methamphetamine.

Dressner additionally was charged with disorderly conduct and destruction of city property when he attempted to knock out the rear window with his head, knocking the window off its track and leaving cracks in the glass, Krantz said.

The third incident happened on Aug. 8, at about 1:24 p.m. when officers again were dispatched to Wal-Mart on the report of individuals purchasing precursor chemicals. Krantz said one of the suspects was seen getting into a white GMC Jimmy. The driver, Joseph Vaughn, 37, of 135 Poplar Ave., was stopped by the officer in the Wal-Mart parking lot. Vaughn told the officer he was purchasing Sudafed and that another individual was with him at the time. That individual was driving a red pickup.

Officers found the truck on Ridge Road and pulled it over. Hershell Pullens, 54, of 13 Pullens Rd., was behind the wheel, Krantz said. In the truck were two boxes of Sudafed, one in a Wal-Mart bag and the other in a Walgreens bag. Two cans of R134A refrigerant, three more boxes of Sudafed, aluminum foil and a red gas can also were found in the truck.

Both Vaughn and Pullens were taken into custody.

A third suspect in the Jimmy with Vaughn, Laurence Calascione, 34, of 15 Division St., Carriere, was also arrested for his involvement with the purchasing of the items.

All three suspects were charged with conspiracy to manufacture a controlled substance, Krantz said.

In a separate incident, the police closed a commercial burglary case.

On July 21, two suspects, 19 year-old Nicholas Breland, of 501 S. Haugh Ave. and 53 year-old Arthur Henry, of 517 S. Haugh Ave., apparently broke into Cale’s Farm Supply on Seal Street and stole a donation jar. Entry to the store was apparently gained by breaking a window at the rear of the store, Krantz said.

She said an investigation into the matter identified Breland and Henry as suspects.

“They both pretty much admitted to being involved in it,” Krantz said.

Both were arrested on July 31, and charged with commercial burglary.