A number of traffic stops resulted in narcotic offense charges.

The first traffic stop took place on March 4, where Carolyn Knight, 19, of 66 Shorty Burgess Rd. and Michael Shane Penton, 29, of 1611 Gilcrease Ave., were arrested on Mississippi Highway 43 North for possession of a controlled substance and possession of marijuana.

Deputy Chief David Ervin said the narcotics unit became aware of the two suspects after receiving information from an undercover operative that the operatove had purchased methamphetamine from Knight and Penton. During the transaction, the operative was informed by Penton that he could provide the operative with more methamphetamine and even help the operative sell the drug.

After the transaction, Knight and Penton left the location where the sale occurred. An officer later conducted a traffic stop on the vehicle. As the officer approached the vehicle, he could smell burnt marijuana coming from the vehicle. Knight and Penton were asked to exit the vehicle and a search was conducted, Ervin said.

The officer found a plastic container with plastic baggies containing a white powder substance during the search and also one Hydrocodone pill. A cigarette pack with hand rolled cigarettes believed to contain marijuana, more methamphetamine and rolling papers also was found in the car, Ervin said.

Both Knight and Penton were arrested and charged. Further investigation discovered that Penton allegedly was cooking the methamphetamine in large quantities. An unknown person called Penton’s cell phone during theinvestigation asking to purchase “cake mix” for $50. That suspect also told the officer that she had pseudoephedrine. When the officer requested to meet with the female, she became apprehensive, thinking it was the police. They never heard from her again, Ervin said.

While Ervin could not release an exact weight of the methamphetamine seized, he did say it was a “considerable amount”.

Another traffic stop on March 13, involved the Picayune Narcotics unit pulling over Brandon Wiley 31, of 242 Anchor Lake Rd., according to a press release from the department. Wiley was reportedly inconsistent with the information he gave to officers, prompting further investigation.

Officers found pseudoephedrine and other evidence of previous purchases of the over-the-counter drug in Wiley’s vehicle, the release states. Investigative techniques found that Wiley allegely was purchasing the pseudoephedrine to sell to a friend for the purpose of manufacturing methamphetamine. Wiley was charged with conspiracy to manufacture a controlled substance, the release states.

Two more suspects were charged with similar crimes in a separate incident when another traffic stop found Cheryl Lee Kubiak and Gary Allan Garrison Jr., to be in possession of several boxes of pseudoephedrine. Again, investigative techniques found the two suspects allegedly also were purchasing the drug to be used in the production of methamphetamine by another party, the release states. Kubiak, 26, and Garrison, 22, both of Cain’s Trailer Park, Lot 44, were both charged with conspiracy to manufacture a controlled substance, the release states.

In another traffic stop, 27 year-old Thomas Graves allegedly was found driving with an open beer. A search of the vehicle found a plastic baggy containing a white podwer substance believed to be methamphetamine and a box of pseudoephedrine. Graves, of 2361 Rock Hill Dr., Kiln, was charged with felony possession of a controlled substance and open beer.

Graves’ wife, Amanda Lynn Graves, 25, also of 2361 Rock Hill Dr., Kiln, came to the department later that evening and allegedly became confrontational with officers over money that had been seized from her husband in the arrest, the release states. She was arrested for disorderly conduct and resisting arrest by fighting.

The last reported traffic stop to end in an arrest for narcotics charges involved 31 year-old Jacob Winstead of 504 Ramsey Ave., Gulfport and 42 year-old Timothy Berry of 13380 Gulf Haven Dr., Gulfport. Winstead was first charged with driving without a license and the vehicle was searched, the release states. Officers allegedly found a box of pseudoephedrine apparently hidden in the trunk of the car. During the following investigation, both Winstead and Berry gave inconsistent stories about the presence of the pseudoephedrine, the release states.

Further investigation shows the two apparently purchased the drug to sell to a methamphetamine cook, the release states. Both Winstead and Berry was charged with conspiracy to manufacture a controlled substance.