State and county law enforcement officers arrested three people Sunday night in connection with illegally selling beer and whiskey in Jones County.
Sheriff Alex Hodge identified the three as Norman Whitlock Jr., 32, 51 Burnt Creel Rd. (a Taylorsville address but in Jones County near the Hebron Community); Bianca Jonel Fairley, 32, 1708 Highway 84 East, Collins; and David Earl Ratcliff, 64, 83 Quit Graves Rd. (also a Taylorsville address). They were still in the Jones County Adult Detention Center Monday afternoon on $500 bond each.
Sheriff’s deputies and officers with the Mississippi Office of Alcohol Beverage Control (ABC) conducted the two raids simultaneously Sunday around 9 p.m. One raid was conducted at a nightclub owned by Whitlock, located on Carter Dees Road, and the second was conducted at Ratcliff’s residence on Quit Graves Road.
Patrons at each location were detained and searched by officers. A misdemeanor amount of marijuana was found on one person at the Quit Graves Road location.
Hodge said his office received complaints of fights, gunshots and other disturbances in the area several weeks ago. He said the incidents were investigated, traced to the establishments and undercover buys were made. “We were asked to come and look into it, and we did,” he said.
“The operation went real well,” Hodge said.
About 25-30 deputies, auxiliary members and ABC officers participated in the raids.
“Our entry teams were able to go in without any problems, and were able to get everybody down, searched and secured,” Hodge said.
A large amount of beer and liquor were confiscated at both locations, he said.
Whitlock and Ratcliff are each charged with possession of beer in a dry county and possession of untaxed whiskey. Fairley, an employee at Whitlock’s nightclub working behind the counter during the raid, is charged with interfering with an official police investigation and/or disorderly conduct. Hodge said after the club was secured, Fairley attempted to take money in order to prevent officers from seizing it. The charges are state charges, filed by the ABC.
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Photo/Steve Sanders
Officers raid Jones County ‘bars’
3 arrested for illegally selling beer, whiskey
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