A meth sting in the Linwood community resulted in several arrests over the weekend.

Mario Espinosa, 41, of 12350 Road 325 was arrested for selling crystal meth to an undercover officer, according to Neshoba County Sheriff Tommy Waddell.

Espinosa was the target of a sting operation conducted by Neshoba SO in concert with the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation. 

Dorey Neese Rayburn, 32, of 12470 Road 325, who was on the scene when officers served the warrant on Esposito Friday was also arrested.

Waddell said Rayburn was wanted in connection with a burglary in the nearby Neshoba community and had violated the terms of his parole by being in the vicinity of illegal activity.

Rayburn, Waddell said, was released from the custody of the Mississippi Department of Corrections six months ago after serving time for assaulting a police officer and possession of counterfeit money. Waddell said this is the second time Rayburn has violated his parole.



The Sheriff added that MDOC sent him a letter “a few months ago” telling him Rayburn had been rehabilitated.

Jeremy Gentry, 28 of Road 2602 and Mike Neese, 64, of 13321 Road 325 were also arrested in the raid.

Police charged Gentry with misdemeanor drug charges for possessing a small amount of marijuana. Neese, who was not in the house at the time of the raid, was taken into custody when he showed up at the scene later in his vehicle, Waddell said, “to see what was going on.” 

Neese was holding a full bottle of whiskey, and possession of liquor in a dry county is a misdemeanor offense.

Waddell said the investigation is ongoing and said there could be more arrests in relation to the sting.