Several suspects were arrested by the Pearl River County Sheriff’s Department for drug related and other offenses.
As the result of a two-day investigation by departmental narcotics investigators, enough evidence was gathered to execute a search warrant at the home of 59-year-old Donna Allen of 589 Progress Road in Poplarville on Feb. 15, said Sheriff David Allison.
That investigation showed Allen was attempting to distribute four types of schedule II prescription medications to a person residing in Florida. In the search, the investigators seized 39 pills that have a total street value of $1,170, Allison said.
Allen was arrested for four counts of possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute, the sheriff said.
The next day, agents with the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics, Louisiana Department of Justice and Pearl River County Sheriff’s Department narcotics investigators conducted a joint operation in Pearl River County to locate three suspects that violated the terms of their probation, one of which has been wanted for the violation since 2014, Allison said.
Two of the three people were taken into custody without incident, 36-year-old Joshua D. Jarrell of 792 Henleyfield McNeill Road, and 46-year-old Barney J. Smith of 22 Guy Penton Road, Allison said.
In addition to Jarrell being taken into custody for the probation violation, he was also arrested for a hold with the Louisiana Department of Corrections, and warrants for contempt of court with the Pearl River County Sheriff’s Department for driving while license suspended, DUI and careless driving. Allison said the third suspect, whose identity is being withheld due to the pending investigation, was determined to have left the state with family.
The agents and investigators then spent the rest of the day conducting saturation patrols throughout the county, leading to several more arrests.
Allison said that while they were patrolling the area of Huppo Road, one of the investigators recognized 41-year-old Tami Bray, of an unknown address, standing in the front yard of a home near the intersection of Union School Road. Knowing she was wanted for petit larceny, she was arrested on the warrant, Allison said.
A stop on Dick Kennedy Road for a traffic violation brought the team into contact with 28-year-old Destiny McGuire of 157 Jordan McQueen Road and 30-year-old Wayne Ellis of 28 Springhill Road, who were both in possession of methamphetamine and oxycontin, Allison said. Both suspects were arrested for two felony counts of possession of a controlled substance.
During another stop along U.S. 11 at the intersection of Jackson Landing Road, the team ended up arrested 47-year-old David Spiers of 144 Jasmine Drive for DUI after he was seen to be driving in a reckless manner, Allison said. Spiers was also found to be in possession of oxycontin, leading to the additional charge of possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute.
Another stop in that same area for careless driving found 38-year-old Patricia Michel of 123 Daisy Drive, Nicholson, behind the wheel. Allision said that a check of her record found the department had a warrant out for her arrest on the offense of no driver’s license, leading her to be taken into custody.
Allison said that several other cases were generated as a result of the saturation patrol, but those cases are still under investigation.