Two suspects were arrested for various charges in a routine traffic stop, and a year’s worth of investigation in a separate case led to the successful conviction of a woman on drug charges.
Pearl River County Sheriff David Allison said the stop occurred on March 3, when DUI officers observed a vehicle swerve while traveling in the Nicholson area. The vehicle pulled over at Ace McQueeny Road and Highway 607, where officers found the driver to be 29-year-old Sandra Sanders of 3199 Jackson Landing Road Apt. A, and 20-year-old Marc Rice of 13 Diamond Lane in the passenger seat, Allison said.
A check of Sander’s driver’s license found it was expired.
At that time a narcotics investigator patrolling nearby stopped to provide assistance because the department had heard reports that Rice had been brandishing a pistol and threatening several people.
While the officers searched the vehicle, they noticed Rice would not stand still, turning in circles and acting suspiciously.
As officers approached Rice, he put his hands in the air and announced he had a pistol on his person. Alison said once the weapon was secured Rice was taken into custody for carrying a concealed weapon and Sanders was charged with driving while license suspended.
Rice also had warrants out for his arrest in relation to an ongoing year-long investigation that alleges he was transferring a controlled substance, leading him to additionally be charged for the warrants for two counts of conspiracy to sell a controlled substance and two counts of sale of a controlled substance, Allison said.
“He’s one of the 55 we’re going to pick up,” Allison said.
In relation to a separate case, the charges against 37-year-old Amanda Sue Marshall of 302 Edgewood Drive, Carriere, led to her conviction on Jan. 26, Allison said.
DUring those court proceedings, Marshall pleaded guilty to the charge of possession of precursor chemicals, possession of a controlled substance, leading her to be sentenced to 20 years in the custody of the Mississippi Department of Corrections. Allison said she will serve five in jail, and the remaining 15 in post release supervision. Prior to her plea she was being charged with a total of 15 violations, 10 of which were felonies, including possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute, trafficking a controlled substance, tampering with physical evidence, possession of precursor chemicals, generation of hazardous waste, two counts of possession of a controlled substance, DUI, no insurance, leaving the scene of an accident, careless driving, driving while license suspended, expired tag and public drunk.
Allison said she too was part of the department’s year long investigation into drug activity in the county.