An alleged drug dealer is in jail after an investigation by the North Mississippi Narcotics Unit.
In monitor an alleged drug dealer is in jail after an investigation by the north mississippi narcotics unit.
Wcbi's allie martin has more on what led up to the arrest and how the recent admission of the monroe county sheriff's department into the unit helped move the case forward.
For years police suspected the owner of the property behind me was involved in illegal drug activity.
The property sits in two jurisdictions, lee and monroe counties.
That meant the reach of the long arm of the law was limited, until recently.
Fifty year old samuel leonard ray was arrested without incident wednesday morning, when the lee county sheriff's department, monroe county sheriff's department and north mississippi narcotics unit served a search warrant at his home on causey road.
Investigators seized five firearms, 63 hundred dollars in cash, along with methamphetamine and marijuana.
Ray is charged with possession of meth, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and possession of stolen property.
"definitely couldn't have done it without lee county's help" when monroe county sheriff kevin crook took office in january, one of his first goals was to get the sheriff's department back into the north mississippi narcotics unit.
The previous sheriff had pulled the department from the unit.
Sheriff crook says the ability to share intelligence with others in the unit is vital in cases like this one, where a suspect's property is in two counties.
"because it is aroud the lines of lee county, monroe county, normally, those areas aren't subject to a whole lot of patrol, because they are just on the outskirts, and i know for us, we have had three shootings since january in this area, multiple calls, since i took office.
" "the benefit of working multiple counties is, take monroe county for instance, if they are in the middle of amory and they get 20 pounds of crystal meth, we're proud of that, it never made it to lee county, if we get it then it never made it to another county, because drugs don't stop at county lines or city municipal limits."
With the addition of monroe county, the north mississippi narcotics unit now covers ten jurisdictions throughout the region.
Allie martin, wcbi news roll vo in monitor ray's bond was set at one hundred thousand dollars.
He also had an outstanding warrant from mdoc.
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