Cash, Cocaine Seized In Massive Statewide Bust

MBN PRESS RELEASE

A yearlong investigation by the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics and Attala County Sheriff Department began with undercover drug purchases on the street level and morphed into Operation King Ivory, a multi-agency probe of a drug-trafficking organization with a distribution network in north, central and south Mississippi, as well as a nexus to Texas, MBN Director Sam Owens announced Friday.

Agents conducted the arrest and seizure activities over roughly a month, beginning October 1 when the MBN and a team of local, state and federal law enforcement agencies made a highway interdiction stop on a vehicle traveling eastbound on Interstate 59 in Clarke County, from which they seized 39.6 pounds of cocaine.

Following the traffic stop, agents executed a search warrant at 72 Booth Circle in Bassfield, which led to the arrest of Fredrick Donnell Booth and Shalonda Booth, both of Hattiesburg; Christopher Booth of Bassfield; and Lashedrick “Boot” Eichelburger of Noxapater. In conjunction with the suspects’ arrests, agents seized more than $1.1 million in cash along with four vehicles.

Less than a week later, the MBN and Mississippi Highway Patrol assisted the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration’s regional offices in Houston, Texas, as well as its Mississippi offices in Oxford and Gulfport with the seizure of an additional 79.2 pounds of cocaine and approximately $60,000 in cash from a Booth associate in Texas.

Just over two weeks afterward, agents seized seven assorted high-end vehicles from suspects involved in the case.

Then, the last week of October, the investigation culminated with agents arresting Mississippi residents John “Boosie” Davis of Sallis, Kewance “Black” Fair of Kosciusko, Derrick “Crane” Sanders of Kemper County and Antwon “Big Tweet” Jordan of Columbus on various cocaine and marijuana charges. In addition, agents seized $92,491 in cash, three weapons and seven vehicles, including a stolen one.

Other agencies participating in the investigation were the Federal Bureau of Investigation; U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms; Internal Revenue Service; Mississippi Auditor’s Office; Mississippi Department of Corrections; Lamar County Sheriff Department; Lowndes County Metro Narcotics Unit; as well as Hattiesburg and Louisville police departments.