Five Picayune men arrested in alleged drug-trafficking ring

Published 7:00 am Friday, June 16, 2017

Two years of investigation resulted in the arrest of five Picayune men after being indicted on conspiracy charges.

Patrick “Puppy” Johns, 44; Paul “Soulja P” Simmons Jr., 32; Antonio Irwin, 28; Timothy Jackson, 41; and Dennis Smith, 48 were arrested by the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics Tuesday, according to a departmental release.

The suspects were indicted for possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute and conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance, the release states.

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Methamphetamine, cocaine and marijuana were all involved in the charges, MBN Director John Dowdy said in the release.

The two-year investigation was conducted in conjunction with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the Drug Enforcement Agency, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Pearl River County Sheriff’s Department and the Picayune Police Department, the release states.

The suspects are believed to be part of a drug-trafficking organization and some with gang-related ties, according to the release.

All five suspects have previous drug-related arrests by the Picayune Police Department, according to previous coverage.

They all faced an initial court appearance Wednesday in U.S. District Court in Gulfport, the release states.

 

About Julia Arenstam

Staff Writer

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