The Lincoln County Sheriff’s Department made a huge depositTuesday morning following a late night traffic stop on Interstate55.

Narcotics Officer Chris Picou and K-9 Rico discovered between$103,000 and $104,000 in a white 2003 Lincoln Navigator driven byDemetrius Lyshane Ellerbee, 25, of 248 Tom Hill Sr. Boulevard,Macon, Ga., according to authorities.

“I stopped him for a traffic violation going south on Interstate55 at the (Brookway) Boulevard exit,” said Picou. The stop was madeat 9:40 p.m. Monday.

Picou said he decided to run Rico on a check around the vehicleafter Ellerbee and his passenger, Jay Wayne Jenkins, 25, of 616North Lumpkin, Hawkinsville, Ga., gave conflicting stories on whythey were traveling from Atlanta to Little Rock.

“I thought that was kind of strange since Lincoln County,Mississippi, is a little out of the way,” said Picou.

During the search, which the occupants consented to, Ricoalerted on the front part of the vehicle. Picou found threecontainers full of cash in secret compartments in that area,according to Lincoln County Sheriff’s Department InvestigatorDustin Bairfield.

“They claimed they knew nothing about the money, but one had$1,400 in his pockets and the other had $4,200,” saidBairfield.

Ellerbee and Jenkins were arrested and charged with conspiracyand receiving funds used in narcotics trafficking. They are beingheld in the Lincoln County Jail pending a bond hearing.

The vehicle, rented by a third party Sunday, will be sent backto Atlanta while the money becomes property of Lincoln County.

“With the budgets as tight as they are, this helps. That’s freemoney to the county,” said Picou.

THREE ARRESTED AFTER CHASE

In other law enforcement activity, a high speed chase Mondayevening through the southern portion of the county resulted in thearrests of three Louisiana men, said authorities.

The incident began on Interstate 55 around the 33 mile markerafter deputy David Johnson attempted to pull over a 1982 Chevroletpassenger vehicle for littering. The vehicle eluded Johnson andother officers from the sheriff’s department and MississippiHighway Patrol along Bogue Chitto Road, Arlington Road and WallaceDrive, according to the incident report.

After the vehicle was finally stopped, officers arrested driverHardy White Jr., 29, of 11616 Railroad Street, Clinton, La., andcharged him with possession of beer, littering, speeding, resistingarrest, reckless driving, driving while license suspended, failureto yield, disregarding a traffic device, trespassing, no proof ofinsurance and failure to obey, said authorities.

Passenger Rodriguez White, 28, of Darrull Drive, Baton Rouge,La., was arrested and charged with littering and possession ofbeer. Also arrested was passenger Reginal Wayne White, 30, of 7777Governor Blarchard Drive, Baton Rouge, La., and charged withpossession of a controlled substance with intent, according to jailrecords.

In other traffic stops over the weekend, sheriff’s deputy JasonCole arrested Dedrick Perkins, 21, of 118 Short Street, Brookhaven,for possession of a controlled substance, no driver’s license, noproof of insurance, switched tag and child restraint violationduring a driver’s license checkpoint on Friday, according to thejail docket.

During another checkpoint Sunday night, Donn Ellis Nations, 29,of 607 Tanglewood Drive, was arrested by deputy David Johnson forpossession of cocaine and possession of marijuana in a motorvehicle. Some cash and cocaine were confiscated during botharrests, said Bairfield.