Tips lead to burglary, drug arrests
Published 6:00 am Tuesday, January 27, 2004
An anonymous Crime Stoppers tip Thursday led the sheriff’soffice down a long chain of investigation, ultimately resulting inthe arrests of four men and a woman for burglary and drugs.
A second, but unrelated, Crime Stoppers tip on the heels of thefirst led deputies to the arrests of two men and a juvenile on drugcharges.
“It all started with a Crime Stoppers tip on the burglary of theschools,” said Sheriff Wiley Calcote.
West Lincoln and Loyd Star Attendance Centers were burglarizedThursday, he said, and investigators were working that case whenthey received the tip.
Further investigation led Investigator Steve Rushing to Adam C.Brister, 19, of 960 Smith Lake Road, and Kenneth Ray Baggett, 21,of 2471 Lake Lincoln Drive, Wesson. Brister, who is charged withburglary of a commercial building and burglary of a coin-operatedmachine, has bonded out of the jail. Baggett, who faces the samecharges, is still in the Lincoln County Jail.
“The property that was taken was recovered and will be returnedback to the schools,” Calcote said.
Recovered property included a DVD player, cooler, portable radioand a backpack. The burglars also broke open some vending machinesat the school.
“We did not recover the change taken from the machines,” thesheriff said.
The property was recovered at the home of Jonathan Wade Boswell,21, of 1204 Cherokee Street. Brister and Baggett allegedly sold theproperty to him, according to Calcote.
When Rushing, Capt. Dustin Bairfield and Investigator JohnWhitaker arrived at Boswell’s home they found him sitting outsideon the porch with Daniel Demetrius Wesley, 21, of 936 Egypt Circle.Carol Ann Fonseca, 18, of 118 Cherry Street was in the yard.
During a search of the subjects and the residence, the schoolproperty was found and investigators also found drugs.
Boswell was charged with possession of stolen property,possession of five ounces of marijuana and possession ofparaphernalia; Wesley with possession of marijuana with intent todistribute; and Fonseca for possession of drug paraphernalia. Allthree have been released on bond.
As investigators were wrapping up that case, a second anonymoustip came in about a meth lab allegedly operating at the home ofSteven Paul Gunnell, 28, of 1377 Mickle Smith Trail, Bogue Chitto,Calcote said.
“He was taken into custody,” the sheriff said.
Investigators seized a lab and a pair of 12-gauge shotguns foundin the home, he said.
The Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics was called to clean up thelab.
“They came in on the meth lab and cleaned it up, then assistedon the last two arrests. Information we gained at the Gunnellresidence led us to the other two arrests,” Calcote said.
Josh P. Williamson, 28, of 1989 Callender Road was charged withconspiracy to distribute a controlled substance while the juvenilefaces charges of possession of marijuana with intent to sell andpossession of 30 mg of amphetamine with intent to sell.
“It was a job well done by the officers,” Calcote said. “It wasa long day and night. I want to commend them for the work theydid.”