Deputies arrest man with meth

A Philadelphia man was arrested and charged with possession of methamphetamine after he attempted to avoid a roadblock on Highway 482 last week.

The man, Marco Thomas, 57, 202 Goat Ranch Road, was arrested and charged with possession of a controlled substance and failure to appear as well as a number of traffic citations.

Thomas also faces a hold for circuit court and had an indictment for possession of methamphetamine from March of 2022, Neshoba County Sheriff Eric Clark said.

Clark said the arrest stems from a safety checkpoint on Highway 482 near the intersection of County Road 743.

Deputies saw a black Honda CRV pull into a driveway just in front of the intersection. Deputies found a woman in the front seat who said Thomas had asked her to switch seats after they pulled off of the road, Clark said. Deputies found Thomas knocking on the door of the house. Clark said deputies made the arrest soon after the homeowner answered the door and said they did not know Thomas.

According to Clark, deputies found a bag of a crystal-like substance believed to be methamphetamine on the front seat of the car that belonged to Thomas. Clark said further investigation determined Thomas was on his way back from purchasing the drugs in Leake County.

Thomas also gave false information to the deputies. The woman was not charged.