The Lowndes County Sheriff’s Office arrested 18 people Thursday as part of a wide-ranging drug sweep called “Operation Rolling Thunder,” according to Sheriff Eddie Hawkins.
The arrests were the culmination of a three-month undercover investigation, Hawkins said. Investigators got 38 search warrants related to the trafficking, sale and possession of illegal narcotics, resulting in 38 felony charges against the 18 suspects.
Hawkins told The Dispatch the majority of the charges were for methamphetamine.
“Meth is still the drug of choice,” Hawkins said. “We did seize some cocaine and pills, too.”
Hawkins said he wasn’t sure yet how much meth was seized.
“We’re still processing the evidence,” he said.
Of the 18 suspects, 10 face charges as dealers, according to Hawkins.
Landen Seth Cook, 18, of Columbus, is charged with trafficking of a controlled substance, sale of a controlled substance and possession of a controlled substance; Robert Dennison, 50, of Caledonia, is charged with two counts of sale of a controlled substance; John Alan Glover Jr., 41, of Columbus, is charged with sale of a controlled substance, possession of a controlled substance and possession of paraphernalia; John Wayne Grammar Jr., 46, Gregory Moody, 38, Shamekia Rice, 26, and Christopher Tyler Robertson, 40, all of Columbus, are all charged with one count each of sale of a controlled substance; Ormega Smith, 44, of Columbus, is charged with sale of cocaine and sale of a controlled substance; Robert Wilson, 67, of Caledonia, is charged with three counts of sale of a controlled substance; and Steve Wilson, 63, of Caledonia, is charged with two counts of sale of a controlled substance.
Also also arrested were William Bradford Jr., 42, of Louisville; Rodney Lowe, 51, James Saylors, 55, and Kayla Wyatt, 22, all of Columbus; and Breanna Gunnoe, 24, of Steens, all of whom were charged with one count each of possession of methamphetamine. Julise Ervin, 39, of Columbus, is charged with conspiracy to commit a felony crime; Shakiki Hill, 37, of Greensboro, Alabama, for possession of a controlled substance; and Michael Taylor, 57, of Columbus, for fleeing or eluding in a motor vehicle.
There were 28 people on the list Thursday, Hawkins said. One person is already in prison and two are currently in rehab. Seven remain unaccounted for.
Agents from the sheriff’s Special Tactics Investigative Narcotics Group worked alongside officers from the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics, Mississippi Department of Corrections, Alcohol Beverage Control and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration for the busts, according to the press release.
Brian Jones is the local government reporter for Columbus and Lowndes County.
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