CARROLLTON - A father, son and friend were arrested on drug charges Friday by the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics.
Virgil R. Goasa Sr., his son, Virgil R. Goasa Jr., and a friend of the younger Goasa, Charles Dukes, were charged with the manufacture of crystal methamphetamines and conspiracy to manufacture crystal meth.
Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics Agent Amy Spencer said the younger Goasa, who is a convicted felon, and Dukes, both of Greenwood, were arrested early Friday morning at the residence of the elder Goasa on Galey Road in western Carroll County. They were also charged with possession of a handgun, which Spencer says was in Goasa Jr.'s vehicle.
The elder Goasa, 51, was already in jail at the time of the bust. He was picked up late Wednesday afternoon in Leflore County and was turned over to Panola County authorities. He was wanted on prior warrants in Panola County for false pretense and for contempt of court on a DUI charge - both misdemeanors.
Dukes, 20, also was charged with possession of a controlled substance.
He and Goasa Jr., 28, arrived at the Galey Road residence early Friday morning when law enforcement officers were executing a search warrant. They were arrested and transported to the Carroll-Montgomery Correctional Facility at Vaiden by Chief Deputy Michael Spellman.
The bust took place around 2:45 a.m., Spencer said.
Officers with the Drug Enforcement Administration also were called in, she said.
A report that a meth lab was probably being run at the house, plus other investigation into the situation, prompted the search warrant. Officers confiscated several precursors and paraphernalia used to aid in the manufacture of the illicit drugs. They also got a small amount of bagged material that will be tested.
"There's no doubt they have been manufacturing in the house," Spencer said. She said she considers this bust to be one of the bigger ones taking place in Carroll County.
