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Two men face meth lab charges
• Authorities look for burglary suspect By SUE WATSON
Staff Writer  | Help solve crime
A camera could have caught
images of a vehicle used in a break-in at Ed’s Pawn Shop. Anyone with
information is urged to call 662-252-1311 or 800-729-2169. |
Two
suspects were arrested Friday in the operation of a methamphetamine
laboratory in the Potts Camp area, according to sheriff Kenny
Dickerson. He said the arrests and charges follow several months of investigation. Jerry
Paul Mills Jr., 47, of 510 Tippah River Road, Potts Camp, was arrested
and charged with possession of precursor chemicals, possession of
methamphetamine, conspiracy to manufacture methamphetamine and
possession of paraphernalia, he said. Mills is out of jail on $10,000
bond. Also arrested was Billy Larry Conlee, 51,
of 2768 Highway 349 South, Potts Camp, according to Dickerson. Conlee
was charged with possession of precursors and conspiracy to manufacture
methamphetamine. He remained in jail Tuesday on $5,000 bond. Several
additional arrests are anticipated from the investigation, the sheriff
said. Officers with Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, the Potts Camp Fire
Department and the Holly Springs Hazardous Material team helped
sheriff’s investigators with clean-up because the meth lab was active,
the sheriff said. He urged citizens to report any
suspicious activity to 662-252-1311 or Crime Stoppers at 800-729-2169
because of the uptick in methamphetamine problems in Marshall County
and the region. In another incident, sheriff’s
investigators were called to investigate a break-in at Ed’s Pawn Shop
at Watson overnight May 14. The sheriff’s department was called after
an employee arrived the next day to find the side door of the business
cut open. A video camera could have caught
images of the vehicle driven during the break-in in which numerous
firearms were stolen, Dickerson said. Several of the firearms were
already reported to have been stolen from Memphis, taken to a pawn shop
and now stolen again, he said. Officers with
the sheriff’s department and ATF are assisting in the investigation.
Anyone who has any information that could help identify the person(s)
responsible for the break-in is asked to report to the sheriff’s
department or Crime Stoppers. A reward may be offered for information
leading to the identification of the person responsible and to a
conviction. Dickerson said crimes of theft and break-ins are on the upswing due to the slow economy. “We
continue to counter these thefts and break-ins, but I cannot stress
enough the importance of the public being a deterrent – using their
watchful eyes to assist their neighbors and community businesses keep
on the lookout for suspicious persons or activities,” Dickerson said.
“A small lead can make a big difference in whether or not we solve a
crime.” |
