Complaints, surveillance lead to arrests by Sheriff’s Department
Published 7:00 am Tuesday, May 16, 2017
Investigators with the Pearl River County Sheriff’s Department arrested several suspects for various offenses.
A short-term investigation into complaints of the sale and use of methamphetamine resulted in a search warrant being served on April 21, at 26 Billy Coleman Road in Poplarville, the home of Chance Coleman, 28, Sheriff David Allison said.
Surveillance of the home provided investigators with enough evidence to secure the search warrant.
While serving the warrant, the narcotics investigators found Coleman and an unnamed 17-year-old female juvenile at the home, Allison said. In the search, the investigators found half of an ounce of methamphetamine, two bags containing smaller bags of marijuana, two sets of digital scales, empty baggies, and a pipe allegedly used to smoke methamphetamine and marijuana, Allison said. Items seized as a result of the search included five firearms, a television connected to a security system and $1,312 in cash.
Coleman was arrested for possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute while in possession of a firearm, possession of marijuana with intent to distribute while in possession of a firearm and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and the juvenile was arrested for possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute while in possession of a firearm and possession of marijuana with intent to distribute while in possession of a firearm, Allison said. The juvenile was later released to family.
In a separate matter, investigators caught up with three individuals who had been evading law enforcement. The first suspect was found on April 26, after investigators checked into a tip that 32-year-old Daisy Ellis of 28 Springhill Road, Carriere, had been seen in the county. Ellis was later spotted riding down Burgetown Road, a stop was conducted and she was taken into custody for two counts of sale of a controlled substance and two counts of conspiracy to sell a controlled substance, Allison said.
The second suspect was found the next day after the department received a tip that Nathaniel Nunez, 34, 525 Old Kiln Rd., and Gina Mitchell, 29, of 13 Diamond Lane were possibly staying in a home on Oak Drive in Hancock County. Pearl River County Sheriff’s Department investigators worked with Hancock County Sheriff’s Department investigators to surround the home and take the two suspects into custody without incident, Allison said.
Nunez was arrested for a warrant issued by the Mississippi Department of Corrections for failure to abide by his sentencing order and Mitchell was arrested for sale of a controlled substance and conspiracy to sell a controlled substance, the sheriff said.
In a separate case also worked on April 27, investigators conducting surveillance at a business parking lot in north Picayune observed what appeared to be a hand-to-hand transaction between a man and the occupants of a green Chevrolet truck, Allison said.
The man disappeared in the traffic of the parking lot, but investigators conducted a stop on the truck at the intersection of Highway 11 and Highway 43 North. A search of the vehicle located methamphetamine, leading all three occupants, identified as Kevin Schaal, 60 of 9001 Laren Road, Bay St. Louis, Nicholas Schwartz, 27 of 5023 Kennar Street, Bay St. Louis and Katherine Caple, 22, of 11069 Briar Cliff Drive, Picayune to be arrested for possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute within 1,500 feet of a church, Allison said.
While wrapping up that case, the investigators noticed 38-year-old Jessie Mutz, of 20 Callias Lane, pull into a nearby parking lot. Allison said the investigators knew Mutz was a person of interest in a case of a stolen firearm. As Mutz parked his motorbike, the investigators spoke with him and later found him to be in possession of a 9mm Smith and Wesson pistol reported stolen the week prior. Mutz was arrested for possession of a stolen firearm and no driver’s license, Allison said.