Investigation results in 13 area arrests

Published 7:00 pm Wednesday, April 24, 2013

MONTICELLO – A several months-long investigation led by the Lawrence County Sheriff’s Office culminated Tuesday with the apprehension of 13 alleged drug dealers.

Over 100 officers from nine different agencies gathered 4:30 a.m. Tuesday to issue 26 warrants across Lawrence County.

Lawrence County Sheriff Joel Thames said in an interview Wednesday that the Mississippi Highway Patrol SWAT Team was on scene to handle two “high risk” warrants.

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“Everything went without incident though, it was a real good operation and I’m pleased,” Thames said. “It was a good cooperation between all the agencies.

“We had one goal and we worked together to see it through.”

The arrests were a result of an ongoing investigation by the LCSO and the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics with the help of undercover officers from the Monticello Police Department who were sold drugs by the alleged dealers, Thames said.

Although only 13 arrests were made from the 26 warrants issued, Thames said it is just a matter of time before the rest of the subjects are apprehended, and he expects three or four to turn themselves in today.

“Whenever you do a major roundup like this, they leave the county for a while,” Thames said. “It just takes some time; we’ll get the rest of them.”

Thames expressed his appreciation for the joint cooperation of all agencies involved in the operation including: the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation, Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks, Mississippi Department of Corrections, Mississippi Department of Transportation and the Alcohol Beverage Control.

“”We made a goal 14 years ago that we would do our best to rid Lawrence County of dangerous drug activity,” Thames said. “It’s a continuing effort and we will continue to strive to do that.”

All subjects were arrested on felony charges.

Arrests made were:

• Lakendrick Horton, 32, charged with sale of marijuana and conspiracy to sell marijuana.

• Gregory Warner, 40, charged with sale of marijuana.

• Dmell Burns, 33, charged with sale of counterfeit controlled substance and sale of marijuana.

• Dextur Maye, 57, charged with sale of hydrocodone.

• Sarah Johnson, 50, charged with sale of powder cocaine and conspiracy to sell cocaine.

• Christopher Ford, 43, charged with four counts of sale of cocaine and four counts of conspiracy to sell cocaine.

• Travis Burns, 33, charged with three counts of sale and delivery of marijuana and two counts of sale of crack cocaine.

• Leo Lewis Jr., 51, charged with two counts of sale of crack cocaine.

• Bennie Williams, 58, charged with sale of crack cocaine, two counts of sale of powder cocaine and two counts of conspiracy to sell.

• Lamar Horton, 38, charged with four counts of sale of cocaine, three counts of conspiracy to sell and distribute cocaine and illegal possession of a firearm.

• Tommy Johnson, 32, charged with two counts of sale of marijuana, sale of crack cocaine and sale of methamphetamine.

• Junior Lee Eley, 49, charged with sale of marijuana.

• Terrance Peyton, 40, charged with sale of marijuana and sale of methamphetamine.