Narcotics investigator Ray Morris said that the arrests were the result of a collaborated investigation that has been ongoing for approximately six months between the Bolivar County Sheriff's Department and the Cleveland Police Department.
"On Tuesday, June 19, 2012, we executed a search warrant at 1269 McWimus Rd. in Merigold," said Michael Lamb, another chief deputy with the sheriff's department. "As a result of the search, we found precursors and other materials needed in the manufacturing process of methamphetamine and one of the suspects had some of the finished product on his possession."
Maura Gerald, 34, who lived at the address where the search warrant was executed, and Trey Pierce, 38, with last known addresses in Indianola and Greenville, were taken into custody and charged before being released on a $3,000 each.
According to the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics, the maximum penalty for manufacturing methamphetamine is up to 30 years in prison and up to a $1 million fine.
Bolivar County Sheriff Kelvin Williams Sr. urges residents throughout the county to be alert to unusual activity that may take place near their homes or places of employment and report suspicious actions to law enforcement.
"We encourage anyone with information on a crime or concerned about suspicious activity in their neighborhoods to contact the Bolivar County Sheriff's Office at 843-5378, their local law enforcement offices or the Cleveland-Bolivar County chapter of CrimeStoppers at 800-222-TIPS (8477)," said Williams.