Picayune Police officers investigated a number of drug related cases over the holidays.

On New Year’s Eve officers were called out to the area of Mickey’s #1 just before 6 p.m. in reference to a fight in progress, said Assistant to the Chief of Police Jeremy Magri.

When they arrived they found the suspect vehicle involved in the call, and two males standing next to it, Magri said. Also, in the passenger side rear seat was a woman who appeared to be nervous and hiding something when the police arrived, Magri said.

Officers asked about the fight, but were told by the males that the altercation was purely verbal and had been resolved without physical violence. Magri said the officers then turned their attention to the woman in the back seat, 18-year-old Nicole Williams of 565 Larow Dr., Carriere, and asked her about the fight. She too confirmed the fight did not turn physical, Magri said.

Williams was asked to get out of the vehicle and about her nervous actions, but Williams denied any wrongdoing, Magri said. Officers asked the driver of the vehicle for consent to a search the vehicle and once it was granted, they found two bottles with a clear liquid and a syringe in the black bag Williams was attempting to hide, Magri said. Investigation determined the bottles contained a controlled substance known as gamma-Hydroxybutyric acid (GHB), which could be used as a date rape drug, Magri said.

Officers took Williams into custody on the charge of possession of a controlled substance and transported her to the Criminal Justice Center for booking. Magri said during booking, officers discovered Williams also had several prescription medications on her, including Klonopins, Xanax and Hydrocodone, leading to additional charges of felony possession of a controlled substance and to two more misdemeanor counts of possession of a controlled substance being placed on her.

Another case on Dec. 21, began as a traffic stop for running a stop sign and no turn signal where officers found 18-year-old Jared Thompson of 1206 Kingsway Dr., behind the wheel, Magri said. As the officer approached the vehicle, the odor of marijuana was detected, Magri said. Also a check of Thompson’s background found he had a warrant out for his arrest for a probation violation, Magri said.

Magri said Thompson was taken into custody on the warrant and an inventory of his vehicle uncovered what the officer found what is believed to be marijuana along with a .25 caliber handgun, leading to the additional charges of possession of marijuana while in possession of a firearm.

On Dec. 28, a stop was conducted on a vehicle with an out of state tag that appeared to be lost. As the officers spoke with the occupants they noticed the passenger, 21-year-old Joshua Garcia was acting nervously, Magri said. Investigation showed he had a bag of a green leafy substance believed to be marijuana, leading to his arrest on the charge of possession of marijuana, Magri said.

A husband and wife were arrested on Dec. 22 on possession of controlled substance charges after an officer pulled over their vehicle, Magri said. The officer making the traffic stop suspected the driver of being under the influence after the vehicle crossed the center line, Magri said. When the officer came into contact with the couple in the vehicle, 54-year-old Ronald Brickeen and 55-year-old Barbara Brickeen, both of 54 Homes Stead Dr., Carriere, he noticed the driver, Barbara, appeared to be intoxicated, prompting the officer to ask her to step out of the vehicle.

Barbara Brickeen was asked if she had consumed any alcoholic beverages or taken any prescription medications, to which she said no to the alcohol but “not yet” pertaining to the medications, Magri said. Barbara Brickeen was then found to have Hydrocodone in her pocket and gave consent for the vehicle to be searched, Magri said. Ronald Brickeen was asked to get out of the vehicle and if he had any contraband on him, Magri said. Ronald Brickeen was found to have a pill bottle on his person containing six Nucynta, two Hydrocodone, two Lunesta and two Lyryca pills, Magri said. Two Nucynta pills also were found in Barbara Brickeen’s purse, Magri said.

Ronald Brickeen was charged with felony possession of a controlled substance for the Nucynta pills and three counts of misdemeanor possession of a controlled substance for the other pills, Magri said. Barbara Brickeen was charged with DUI and felony possession of a controlled substance, Magri said. Also the officer confiscated $1,854 from the couple because the money was in close proximity to the controlled substances, Magri said.

On Dec. 19, officers patrolling the area of Memorial Boulevard observed a vehicle driven by a man not wearing his seat belt, prompting a traffic stop, Magri said. The officer came into contact with 47-year-old Scott Schneider of 141 Robert E. Lee Boulevard, New Orleans, La., Magri said.

During the stop the officer noticed a handgun in plain view and asked Schneider to get out of the vehicle, Magri said. Consent to search the vehicle was given and the handgun was recovered and found to be loaded. In the back seat the officer found an open beer can and a cigarette pack containing a hand rolled cigarette suspected of containing marijuana, Magri said. Schneider was charged with open beer, possession of marijuana in a motor vehicle and taken to the Criminal Justice Center where a search of his person revealed a blue balloon containing an unknown clear substance that has been sent to the crime lab for analysis, Magri said.

An NCIC check also determined Schneider was a convicted felon, leading to the additional charge of convicted felon in possession of a firearm being added, Magri said.