Narcotics investigators with the Pearl River County Sheriff’s Department arrested three suspects for drug violations while checking on a community complaint.
Sheriff David Allison said the case began on Aug. 27, while investigators were speaking with an individual about complaints of narcotics activity and a burglary of an unoccupied home at the Liberty Road Trailer Park.
As the officer spoke with the complainant he noticed a vehicle passed and conducted an investigative stop.
Allison said that during the stop the officer came into contact with 46-year-old Richard Kennedy of 1637 U.S. 11, 26-year-old Joey Fountain of an unknown address and 21-year-old Brooke Bennett of 134 Lakeview Dr., Carriere.
As the officer approached the vehicle Fountain was seen to be reaching under his seat. Allison said that even after officers asked him to show his hands he continued to fidget underneath the seat.
Fountain was removed from the vehicle and a safety pat down conducted, where the officer found an unlabeled prescription pill bottle containing four baggies of a substance believed to be methamphetamine, Allison said.
Fountain was taken into custody on the felony charge of possession of a controlled substance and a further check of his person conducted, Allison said.
In that search the officer found several oxycodone pills in his wallet and a pipe suspected to be used in the consumption of methamphetamine under his seat, Allison said. He was charged with another count of possession of a controlled substance.
Allison said a search of Bennet’s purse located a piece of foil containing a brown powder like substance later determined to be heroin, a syringe loaded with a substance believed to be heroin, a number of empty syringes and 16 unidentified capsules that were later sent to the crime lab for testing. Bennett was charged with possession of heroin and possession of paraphernalia and could face additional charges if the pills are determined to be a narcotic, Allison said.
Officers ran all three names through the National Crime Information Center, determining that Kennedy’s license was suspended and that he had a bench warrant out for his arrest for credit card fraud.
Kennedy was arrested for the warrant and driving while license suspended.