Picayune Police officers recently arrested three suspects in relation to two separate drug cases. According to a departmental release, all three individuals were in possession of methamphetamine, and two had precursor materials to manufacture more.

On the morning of Feb. 13, Picayune Police Department officers were flagged down and informed that a man was sleeping in his vehicle in front of a gas pump at a local gas station on Highway 43 North. When they arrived, officers approached the man, identified as William C. Smith, 50, of 45 Joshua Smith Road, Picayune, sitting in a white Mitsubishi Montero. When officers checked the vehicle’s tag, it came back as registered to a Chevy pickup truck, the release states.

At that time, they asked Smith to exit the vehicle. While conducting a pat down, officers discovered a needle in his front pocket as well as a black cylinder in his pants pocket containing two bags of methamphetamine. According to the release, during a search of the vehicle officers also found two glass pipes used for smoking methamphetamine between the center console and driver’s seat.

Smith was arrested for felony possession of a controlled substance, possession of paraphernalia and switched tag, the release states.

The next day, officers responded to a call that someone was trespassing at 517 South Haugh Ave. When officers arrived at the address, the property owner said that a man, Marc Winkler, 53, of 113 Meadowood Drive, Picayune, was on his property illegally and wanted him removed. According to the release, after speaking with the property owner, officers noticed a black Ford truck sitting in the driveway with a man, Eric Stockstill, 36, of 138 Shore Crest, Carriere, standing near it. When officers began to walk towards Stockstill, he quickly climbed into the passenger seat of the truck. When officers approached the truck, they noticed a hypodermic syringe hanging out of Stockstill’s front pocket. Officers immediately placed Stockstill under arrest for possession of paraphernalia.

Another officer arrived at the scene and located Winkler around the rear of the house. The officer noticed that Winkler was under the influence of an intoxicating substance, and escorted him to the front of the property. According to the release, officers then obtained verbal consent from Winkler to search the vehicle and located a pack of cigarettes containing a plastic bag of methamphetamine, three packs of pseudoephedrine and one can of butane lighter fluid. Pseudoephedrine and butane lighter fluid are often used in the manufacture of methamphetamine, the release states.

Winkler and Stockstill were both arrested for felony possession of a controlled substance, possession of precursor chemicals, possession of paraphernalia and trespassing, the release states.