Meth-related arrests in Perry County continue to pile up
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Meth-related arrests are up significantly in the county this year as the Perry County Sheriff’s Office is reporting 30 felony arrests since the start of the year and 25 pending warrants regarding the drug. Shown above are the drugs, guns and cash seized in an arrest at a traffic safety checkpoint in rural Perry County this past weekend. The arrest and seizure, which Sheriff Mitch Nobles calls one of the largest during his tenure in county law enforcement, was among several felony drug arrests in the county last week alone.
From Staff Reports
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The Perry County Sheriff’s Office has been busy over the past week with its fight against illegal narcotics in the community.
County officers made multiple felony arrests since last Wednesday, including one they say involves one of the department’s largest seizures of methamphetamine. Johnny Freddrick Smith, 44, of Bassfield, was arrested Saturday and charged with felony drug trafficking after police say they found well over a pound of methamphetamine in his possession. Smith was taken into custody at a driver’s license check-point deputies were operating at the intersection of Whitfield and Hancock Road, north of Miss. 42 between Richton and Runnelstown. Officers say they recovered 20 ounces of what is believed to be crystal meth from Smith’s vehicle, along with two firearms and roughly $3,700 in cash. The street value of the illegal narcotics was said to be around $25,000. Along with the drug trafficking charge, Smith is also being charged with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
He was booked into the Perry County Jail, but has since been released after posting the $151,000 bond placed on him during his initial justice court appearance.
Four more individuals were arrested last week on meth-related charges, three of them as a result of traffic stops. On May 27, separate traffic stops in Richton and Beaumont resulted in the arrests of Shannon Moon, 44, of Richton, and Travis Jerold Rylee, 48, of Ovett. On Sunday night, a traffic stop on Old Augusta Road at Buck Creek Road led to the arrest of Adam Kerry Martin, 36, of New Augusta, and the seizure of a undisclosed amount of meth. All three were charged with felony possession of a controlled substance. Moon was hit with an enhanced charge of drug possession while in possession of a firearm and was also cited for driving while license suspended.
The other meth arrest last week came last Wednesday while deputies were serving an arrest warrant on Will Hinton Road. While serving the warrant, police report they found Joseph Tyler Cameron, 28, of New Augusta, in possession of methamphetamine. Cameron is now facing a charge of felony possession of meth, as well as a drug court violation stemming from the arrest.
Cameron remains in custody at the Perry County Jail, but Rylee, Moon and Martin have all since posted bond and been released pending trial.
SMITH
RYLEE
CAMERON
MOON
MARTIN
Jail docket shows total of 18 arrests in county
The arrests were among 18 in the county from May 26-June 1. Public records indicated the others arrested and their charges as follows:
James Lee Beasley, 36, of Beaumont, was held for contempt of court on two counts of failure to obey court orders for driving while license suspended and driving while driving under the influence.
Bennett J. Best, 55, of Richton, was held on a court order.
Stevie Leighanne Brewer, 26, of Magee, was taken into custody and charged with willful trespassing.
Elizabeth Marlynn Cameron, 37, of New Augusta, was arrested for forgery and contempt for failure to appear for petit larceny.
Elena Kay Hilton, 43, of Richton, was held for capias show cause-failure to appear for contributing to the delinquency of a child.
Danielle Joeshunda Hinton, 38, of Richton, was arrested for possession of drug paraphernalia.
Jeremy Lashod Hinton, 33, of Richton, was taken into custody and charged with simple assault-domestic violence (RPD).
Ericka Meshell Lowery, 37, of Richton, was held on a warrant for joyriding.
Robert Maurice Montague, 34, of New Augusta, was held for contempt for failure to obey court order for driving while license suspended.
Clayton D. Robinson, 42, of Richton, was held for two counts of capias for failure to appear for no driver’s license and failure to appear for speeding.
Colleen Michelle Sartin, 29, of Richton, was taken into custody and charged with hindering prosecution.
Elizabeth Renee Saxon, 29, of Petal, was arrested for petit larceny.
Leola M. Waters, 27, of Moselle, was held for contempt for failure to appear for possession of a controlled substance.
