This story has been corrected to show that Michael Shane Penton is not the son of Cinda Thigpen.

Pearl River County Sheriff’s Department narcotics investigators arrested a woman for drug offenses while she was out on bond for a previous felony drug offense that took place earlier that same month.

Sheriff David Allison said that on Aug. 23, narcotics investigators conducted a stop on a vehicle in the 2000 block of Highway 11 South in Nicholson because they were aware that the driver, 44-year-old James Lavigne Jr., of 16 Sam Wallace Rd., Carriere, had an outstanding warrant and a protection order that needed to be served, Allison said.

A check of his record also found that Lavigne was driving on a suspended license. After confirming the warrants were active, Lavigne was arrested, Allison said.

As they spoke with the occupants of the vehicle, investigators learned that 62-year-old Cinda Netto Thipen, of 20 Davis Dawsey Road, was in possession of a distribution amount of heroin. She was arrested for possession of heroin with intent to distribute.

Later that night, a search of her home was conducted where the investigators found a felony amount of marijuana, leading to her additional arrest for felony possession of marijuana with intent to distribute.

Allison said that at the time of her arrest, Thigpen was out on bond for a previous arrest that occurred on Aug. 11, also for drug offenses. Her previous bond was revoked as a result.

According to previous coverage, that arrest was also the result of a traffic violation. During that stop the deputies picked up clues that narcotics could be inside the vehicle, leading to heroin being found on one of the individuals. Thigpen was driving that day, and search of her home led to the discovery of distribution amounts of marijuana and heroin being found. Thigpen was arrested for possession of heroin with intent to distribute and possession of marijuana with intent to distribute that day, previous coverage states.

Allison said that Thigpen is the mother of Richard Alan “Dicky” Thigpen, who pleaded guilty in 2017 to 15 years in prison as a habitual offender while facing a charge of sale of a controlled substance and possession of heroin with intent to distribute, Allison said. “Dicky” Thigpen was 35 at the time of his arrest in 2016, previous coverage states. Michael Shane Penton is a family member who was living at Cinda’s house, when he was arrested in 2018 for drug offenses, the sheriff said. Penton was 39 at the time of his 2018 arrest for possessing methamphetamine, heroin, marijuana, prescription medication, digital scales and packaging material typically used in the resale of narcotics, previous coverage states. That arrest stemmed from a home inspection conducted by agents with the Mississippi Department of corrections with assistance from the Pearl River County Sheriff’s Department personnel.

Allison said  that after “Dicky” Thigpen was incarcerated in the East Mississippi Correctional Facility and Penton was incarcerated in the Mississippi State Penitentiary, it appears as though Cinda Thigpen took over the sale of narcotics out of the Davis Dawsey Road home, or was possibly involved the entire time.

“When it comes to narcotics related crimes, it appears this bunch keeps it all in the family,” Allison said. “We will not sit back and let these drug operations continue.”

Allison said he would like to thank his investigators and patrol deputies for their hard work in fighting the distribution of drugs within Pearl River County and the agents with MDOC for allowing his staff to assist in the home inspections.