Community complaints filed with the Pearl River County Sheriff’s Department resulted in the arrest of several suspects.
On Nov. 1 narcotics investigators with the department and agents with the Mississippi Department of Corrections went to the home located at 52 Woodland Drive in Lumberton in response to complaints that narcotics were being used and sold, said Sheriff David Allison.
When they arrived, they spoke with 44-year-old Melissa Sanders, who lives at that address, and 43-year-old Bradley Holston of 122 Baxterville Road, Lumberton, Allison said.
A search of the property was conducted, in which the officers found Sanders to be in possession of methamphetamine, digital scales and paraphernalia, Allison said.
Holston was determined to be in possession of 25 grams of methamphetamine, digital scales, a pipe allegedly used to consume the substance, several items of paraphernalia and three firearms, Allison said.
Sanders was arrested for possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute, the sheriff said. She was also determined to be on probation with MDOC at the time, leading to a hold being placed so she could not post bond.
Allison said that the department received several complaints that Holston was allegedly supplying methamphetamine to residents in the north end of Pearl River County for several years and was under investigation when the recent complaint was filed. He was arrested for possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute while in possession of a firearm. Allison said the firearms were found in his vehicle, along with $1,164 in cash on his person, all of which was seized as a result of the arrest. Holston’s bond was set at $60,000, which he posted the next day, Allison said.
That same day, in a separate matter, a warrant was served on Britt Hart, 50, of 1046 Thomas School Road, for the sale of prescription medication and conspiracy to sell prescription medication. Allison said that warrant was the result of the narcotics division looking into complaints of alleged drug activity in the Hillsdale area of the county. Hart was taken into custody at his home without incident.
Investigation into another set of complaints about drug activity at 106 Verbena Drive in Nicholson resulted in the arrest of several suspects. Allison said the complaints involved syringes and other paraphernalia being discarded on neighboring properties. Investigators spoke with 49-year-old Margaret Lewis, a resident of the home, who denied illegal activity had taken place at the home, Allison said. During a search of the home, investigators found several items of contraband and another suspect, 26-year-old Samuel Clark of 1632 Osbourne Road, in a locked bedroom that contained paraphernalia. Clark was taken into custody for possession of paraphernalia.
Further search into the home discovered two Bowie knives, one dirk knife, and a butcher knife on the headboard of Lewis’ bed. Allison said Lewis told the investigators that the knife was used for protection. She was arrested for four counts of possession of a weapon by a convicted felon and possession of paraphernalia.
Continued search of the property found an old mobile home occupied by 42-year-old Danny Peterson of 11 Richard Johnson Road, Carriere, whom the investigators knew had a warrant out for his arrest for failure to appear. Peterson barricaded himself in the mobile home, and repeatedly told investigators he was not going back to jail and that they would have to kill him, Allison said. One officer kept an eye on Peterson through a broken window, while others made entry into the mobile home. Peterson then barricaded himself behind a second door in the mobile home. As the investigators made entry through that door, it came out of the frame, knocking a knife out of Peterson’s hand, the sheriff said. Peterson was taken into custody without further incident and arrested for the failure to appear warrant and two counts of possession of a weapon by a convicted felon, Allison said.