Warren County Detective Randy Lewis, kneeling right, with Deputy Jason Bailess and Detective Tim Williams, standing center, overlook a spill of methamphetamine while a crew works to clean up the drug lab. (The Vicksburg Post/CHAD APPLEBAUM)

[07/25/01] A 2 1/2-month undercover investigation by the Warren County Sheriff’s Department ended Tuesday with the arrest of four men accused of producing crystal methamphetamine, officers said.

Warren County Sheriff Martin Pace said a warrant was served at 25 Chickasaw Road around 1:30 p.m. and four people were taken into custody.

They were identified as Richard Kerns Jr., 26, and Michael Kerns, 25, both of 25 Chickasaw Road; Howard McKinney, 22, 32 Chickasaw Road and 23-year-old Jamie Pennington, 32.5 Thompson Lake Road.

“The manufacturing was going on when we arrived with the warrant,” Pace said.

The lab was set up under the manufactured home and plastic tarps were used to cover the drug-making operation from view, Pace said.

“This was giving them an open air environment to work with, so that they weren’t being suffocated by the toxic chemicals used to make these drugs,” Pace said.

The investigation began, Pace said, after he received a tip and passed it along to his investigators.

In an unrelated case, Detectives Randy Lewis, Mike Traxler and Jeff Crevitt, arrested three people on methamphetamine charges Monday.

John Smith, 27, and Angela Burton, 29, both of 102 Smith Drive, and James T. Smith, 33, no address available were arrested after an undercover operation.

The discovery of the methamphetamine lab Tuesday was the sixth lab dismantled this year by the Sheriff’s Department.

Pace said, according to numbers compiled by the DEA last year, Warren and Rankin counties were tied for first with the most working meth lab busts.

Pace said those numbers don’t necessarily mean there is more methamphetamine in Warren County.

“We aggressively pursue these types of cases,” Pace said.

The fact that the drug is easy to make and the ingredients are available in most stores makes it more accessible.

All seven arrested were in the Warren County Jail Wednesday morning on numerous felony charges.