A Columbia man has been arrested and charged with trafficking a Schedule II controlled substance after allegedly selling a large quantity of prescription narcotics to an undercover investigator in Pearl River County.

For the past several months, the Pearl River County Sheriff’s Office has been investigating Fred Dyson, 69, for allegedly distributing prescription narcotic pain pills in the county.

On Friday, March 14, 2025, investigators arranged an undercover operation in which Dyson met with an undercover officer at the water park on Highway 26 West around 2 p.m. During the operation, Dyson sold 83 hydrocodone-acetaminophen pills — a trafficking-level amount exceeding 40 dosage units — to the undercover investigator.

Following the exchange, Dyson was immediately taken into custody and charged with trafficking a Schedule II controlled substance.

Sheriff David Allison said the department is committed to cracking down on the illegal distribution of prescription medications.

“We will not tolerate people who obtain these prescriptions legally and then sell them illegally,” Allison said. “This kind of behavior adds to the opioid epidemic that our communities face. We will be looking to prosecute Dyson fully.”