Surveillance and other operations in high crime areas took some alleged drug offenders off the streets.

Several cases worked over the past two months has helped the Picayune Police Dept. net more than 10 suspects for alleged drug activity.

The first case took place on Dec. 22, at about 3:34 p.m. where suspects 33 year-old Demond Wilson of 919 Jackson Landing Rd. and 50 year-old Mark A. Massey of 1210 Kingsway Dr. were arrested. Picayune Police Department Detective Mike Odom said the case began as narcotics units were surveying a high crime area and stopped Wilson for a traffic violation.

As the officer approached the vehicle he could smell what appeared to be burnt marijuana coming from the vehicle. Wilson appeared nervous as the officer spoke with him and when the officer asked him to step out of the vehicle he refused, instead attempting to put the car in gear, Odom said.

The officer pulled Wilson out of the car and searched the car and found several Xanax pills and marijuana in a common area of the car. Neither Wilson nor Massey would claim the contraband and both were arrested. Wilson was charged with possession of a controlled substance, possession of marijuana in a motor vehicle, no turn signal, window tint violation and disorderly conduct. Massey was charged with possession of a controlled substance and possession of marijuana.

On Dec. 28, two more suspects were arrested in a separate incident. Odom said 27 year-old Sandra S. Severin and 40 year-old Alecia Stockstill, both of 208 Dozier St. were charged with conspiracy to sell a controlled substance and felony child neglect.

The case began when the department received a call from a person who said that Severin and Stockstill wanted to sell the person crack cocaine. Phone calls were recorded by the department involving setting up a purchase of the drug by a confidential informant, Odom said. The informant went to the home of the two suspects and got into a vehicle with them. Also in the vehicle was a three year-old child.

The suspects drove the informant to several locations in the city in an attempt to purchase crack cocaine for the informant, Odom said. They were unsuccessful but the fact that the suspects had taken the child to areas to buy drugs brought about the neglect charges. Odom said both suspects had led him to believe that even though the suspects did not find any drugs they had planned to rob the informant.

In another case, two suspects who had allegedly come into possession of liquor stolen by another party decided to sell it at the local Kentucky Fried Chicken. Officers were notified of what appeared to be a drug transaction taking place in the parking lot of the restaurant by a customer on Dec. 30, Odom said. The vehicle was found using the description provided by the concerned citizen and 30 year-old Jimmy Todd Owen of 499 Moeller Rd. and 36 year-old Tiffany Mejia of 499 Spring Court Rd., were found inside.

The officer saw syringes in the car believed to be used to inject crack cocaine and heroin. Owen and Mejia were asked to get out of the vehicle and a search was conducted where officers found used needles, cut coke cans with burnt residue and other paraphernalia used for the injection of narcotics, Odom said. Also found in the car were five bottles of liquor consisting of gin and vodka with the anti-theft devices still attached.

Apparently the bottles were taken from an unknown liquor store in the New Orleans area and the transaction the citizen saw was the selling of three of bottles of liquor, Odom said. Both Owens and Mejia were charged with possession of paraphernalia, possession of bonded whiskey, receiving stolen property and disposing of stolen property.

A loitering case brought about criminal charges when officers attempted to make a group of minors move along, only to have them return. As a result, 18 year-old Roland D. Lee III of 2470 Road 266 was charged with possession of a controlled substance, possession of marijuana in a motor vehicle, disorderly conduct, no proof of insurance, contributing to the delinquency of a minor and a window tint violation, Odom said.

Odom said he was working an off-duty detail at Pine Tree Plaza the night of Jan. 3, when he chased off a group of minors who were parking in the shopping center and causing problems, including Lee. Odom asked the group to leave, which they did for a short time. Lee circled around and came back along with the minors.

Odom walked up again, this time detecting the smell of marijuana. He checked Lee’s vehicle and found Xanax pills in the car seat where Lee was sitting and some marijuana. In the passenger seat was a juvenile. As Lee was taken into custody for the charges, he began to create a scene, Odom said.

The last reported case occurred on Jan. 7, at about 6:32 p.m. at the Hardees’ parking lot. Suspects, 26 year-old Chris Alphonso Jr. of 1504 McKinney Rd., Slidell, La.; 18 year-old Katherine Edwoods of 117 Boswell Rd., Slidell; 37 year-old Becky Nunez of 1731 Chancer Lane, Slidell, and 19 year-old Daniel H. Jenkins of 5004 Wales St., New Orleans were taken into custody.

Narcotics officers conducting an undercover operation at the Heritage Inn observed an alleged drug transaction take place in the parking lot involving the four suspects, Odom said. They moved in and arrested Alphonso, finding an Altoid can containing marijuana. A search of Edwoods’ purse uncovered two plastic bags containing Lorocet and Xanax pills.

Investigation into the suspects’ cell phone text messages showed they all had intended to participate in the drug deal, Odom said.

Alphonso was charged with sale of a controlled substance within 1,500 feet of a church and possession of marijuana. Edwoods was charged with sale of a controlled substance within 1,500 feet of a church, two counts of possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute and possession of marijuana in a motor vehicle. Nunez was charged with sale of a controlled substance within 1,500 feet of a church, possession of a controlled substance and possession of marijuana. Jenkins was charged with sale of a controlled substance within 1,500 feet of a church and possession of marijuana.