Months of investigation was rolled into a weekend long operation to net more than 28 suspects, but ended up resulting in charges being pressed against more than 40 people for various charges by the Pearl River County Sheriff’s Department.
The operation was conducted on June 3 and 4 and involved assistance from the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics, ATF, DEA, and Mississippi Highway Patrol.
Detective Rob Williams said the investigation into these cases began as a large amount of complaints about suspected drug activity in the county.
Chief Deputy Shane Tucker said their weekend began by providing assistance to the Louisiana State Police, who were looking for 29-year-old David Faust, who was suspected to be hiding at a home located at 181 Ceasar Road. The officers were able to confirm he was inside, but after two hours of knocking on doors, windows and the house, he failed to answer the door, leading the team to request a search warrant.
“So there’s no way they did not know they were there,” Tucker said.
Once the search warrant was acquired, the team made entry, but found that he and his mother, 62-year-old Darlene Graves, were hiding behind two more locked doors, Tucker said. Entry was made to those doors as well and Faust and his mother were both arrested. Faust was charged with a 2014 warrant with the Louisiana State Police for possession of heroin and possession of alprazolam, while Graves was charged with felony hindering prosecution.
Once Faust was in custody, the department then set out to find the 28 suspects on their list. For the most part the suspects were taken into custody without incident, but one suspect, 36-year-old Charlie Smith, of 61 Pittman Rd., Poplarville, fled after being captured. Tucker said he was found Sunday afternoon and arrested for possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute, escape, petit larceny and malicious mischief. Tucker said the additional charges were pressed after the officers cuffed him, and while their attention was turned to deal with another situation, Smith found a way to bring his cuffed hands to the front of his body, and fled on foot into a patch of bamboo, providing him with enough of a head start to lose the deputies. However, later that same night, he was located by Poplarville Police officers, who received a call that he was hiding in someone’s house.
Also arrested as part of this operation were: Melvin P. Wilks, 39, of 734 Home Ladner Rd., Poplarville for sale of a controlled substance; Tadarres A. McKee, 32, of 215 N. Green Ave., for three counts of sale of a controlled substance and two counts of conspiracy to sell a controlled substance; Joshua Smith, 32, of 3370 Jackson Landing Rd., for sale of a controlled substance and possession of a weapon by a convicted felon; Carlos Johnson, 54, 927 E. Canal St., for two counts of sale of a controlled substance and three counts of conspiracy to sell a controlled substance; Scotty D. Dunn, 30, of 2112 Walker St., for sale of a controlled substance and two counts of conspiracy to sell a controlled substance; Jason Blackwell, 36, of 2985 Union School Road for three counts of sale of a controlled substance, three counts of conspiracy to sell a controlled substance and possession of a controlled substance; Keith M. Peri Jr., 31, 92 Buccaneer Circle, Carriere, for sale of a controlled substance and conspiracy to sell a controlled substance; David M. Hunt, 49, 44 Hunt Rd., for sale of a controlled substance and conspiracy to sell a controlled substance; Brandon D. Hilton, 31, 131 Hill View Dr., for two counts of sale of a controlled substance and two counts of conspiracy to sell a controlled substance; Michael J. Irving, 20, 3366 Highway 43 N., for sale of a controlled substance, possession of a controlled substance and possession of marijuana in a motor vehicle; Megan Hendricks, 28, of 136 Cliff Mitchell Rd., for two counts of sale of a controlled substance and two counts of conspiracy to sell a controlled substance; Melvin A. Hakes, 55, of 1416 Palestine Rd. for sale of a controlled substance and conspiracy to sell a controlled substance; Barnett Taylor, 53, of 977 Shirley Dr., for possession of marijuana; Alisha Roberts, 29, of 1416 Palestine Rd., for possession of marijuana; Gene P. Flowers, 56, of 1917 Palestine Rd., for illegal dumping warrant; Patrick S. McCawley, 45, of 10 McCawley Lane, for possession of marijuana and two counts of disorderly conduct; Barry D. McQueen, 48, of 39171 McQueen Rd., Pearl River, La., arrested for a possession of controlled substance indictment; Alejandro Roche, 27, of 105 Village Circle, Poplarville; arrested for a trespassing warrant; JC McCastle, 20, of 143 Eloise St., arrested on a burglary warrant; Phillip Whitaker, 52, of 8432 Amoka Place, Diamondhead, charged with DUI, disorderly conduct, failure to comply with officer requests and carrying a concealed weapon; Starr Alsobrooks, 44, of 15100 Fleming Rd., charged with possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute and conspiracy to transfer a controlled substance; Tommy Frierson, 22, of 88 Beech Rd., Poplarville, arrested for DUI, disorderly conduct, driving while license suspended, no insurance, improper turn, careless driving and possession of beer in a dry county; Elizabeth N. Sullivan, 28, of Victory Lane, Carriere, arrested for warrants for no proof of insurance, expired driver’s license and no child restraint; Kent J. Smith, 34, of 162 Blue Bird Lane, arrested for warrants for no driver’s license, running a stop sign and no seatbelt; Bobbie J. Phelps, 40, of 1300 Osborn Rd., arrested for possession of a controlled substance; Devetta S. Marchetta, 20, of 410 Grover Barrett Rd., for warrants for following too close and no insurance; Shun D. Ellis, 39, of 174 Byrd St., Carriere; arrested for DUI; Eric Cook, 49, of 18 Gateway Dr., charged with DUI, possession of a controlled substance and possession of paraphernalia; Stephanie D. Carter, 39, of 410 Grover Barrett Rd., charged with falsifying a police report and an indictment for a bad check; Avonte E. Bagley, 20, of 3199 Jackson Landing Rd., Apt. D27, charged with possession of marijuana, fleeing from law enforcement, driving while license suspended, careless driving, possession of whiskey in a dry county, child neglect, child restraint violation, improper equipment and providing false information; James R. Rushing, 30, of 10 McArthur Lane, Lumberton, arrested on an aggravated assault warrant; Marc W. Rice, 20, of 13 Diamond Lane, charged with possession of a controlled substance; Shane M. Lamartina, 29, of 88 Herb Lee Fred Spiers Rd., Carriere, arrested for MDOC probation violation; Geraldine D. Kellar, 35, of 112 Ruston Rd., Carriere, charged with disorderly conduct; Kristian Alexander, 56, of 7174 Highway 11 N. Carriere, charged with DUI and shoplifting; Andre Johnson, 52, of 927 E. Canal St. charged with sale of a controlled substance and conspiracy to sell a controlled substance; Douglas E. Hawkins, 43, of 1910 E. Canal St., charged with obstructed tag, driving while license suspended, DUI, and possession of marijuana; LaChrisha B. Martin, 37, of 1049 S. Valley Rd., Poplarville, charged with possession of paraphernalia; Steven W. Moody, 18, of 614 Beech St., charged with possession of paraphernalia; Shane R. Shelhorse, 44, of 303 Transcontinental Dr., Metarie, La., charged with possession of paraphernalia; Katelyn G. Prager, 23, of 5900 Moss St., New Orleans, charged with possession of paraphernalia and Dennis B. Westbrook, 34, of 39 Morgan Seal Rd., charged with DUI second and no tag light.
About 15 suspects are still being sought, Tucker said.