Meth bust in Wesson neighborhood

Deputy Joe Brown, Copiah County Sheriff’s Department narcotic agent, reported today that his unit, along with officers from Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics, were able to shut down two potential meth labs in Copiah County on Tuesday evening, February 23.

Larry Joe Lewis of Wesson was arrested at 1021 Cotton Street after the officers found precursors for cooking methamphetamines inside a home located there.  “The subjects were preparing to manufacture the drug when we arrived,” said deputy Brown.

Lewis, who has no prior convictions of any sort, was charged with possession of precursors with intent to distribute.  Another man, Tracy Pickett, also of Wesson, was taken into custody on a parole violation and will serve out the rest of his sentence for writing bad checks, according to Brown.  Lewis hand posted a $40,000 bond and will be making an appearance in Copiah County court once the district attorney puts it on his schedule, Brown said.

“The efforts to manufacture crystal meth at that particular location could have resulted in a catastrophe.  The home is in a neighborhood near a school.  An explosion could have burned surrounding homes and toxic fumes could have affected several area residents, including young children,” Brown added.

Later on that evening in a separate investigation, two others were charged with possession of precursors with intent to distribute and with posssession of methamphetamines at 1019 Dickerson Lane.  Brown said that Roy Scott Davis of 1250 Legacy Lane, Brookhaven, and Katelynn O’Quinn Branning, 1019 Dickerson Lane, were taken into custody and booked into the Copiah County Detention Center.  Bond was set at $60,000 for each.

“Again, a potential disaster was averted and lives may have been saved,” Brown added.  Brown said chief deputy Tony Hemphill assisted with the investigations.

The two busts come on the heels of a major marijuana drug bust at Hazlehurst Middle School last week involving a district employee.