Over the course of six months, police in Mississippi and Tennessee have caught two people selling marijuana illegally and taken 540 pounds of marijuana, $180,000 in cash, and $70,000 worth of gold.
Rodney McKinley, 33, and Justin Thompson, 22, have been caught in connection with the illegal business.
The charges against McKinley are many and varied. They include Possession of a Controlled Substance with Intent to Manufacture, Deliver, or Sell Marijuana, Possession of a Firearm During the Commission of a Dangerous Felony, and Theft of a Firearm Less Than $2,500.
Thompson, who is being held in Mississippi, has an active warrant for Possession of a Controlled Substance with Intent to Manufacture, Deliver, or Sell Marijuana.
The Memphis Police Department’s Organized Crime Unit HORT team led the investigation, which produced important results, such as the carrying out of four search warrants that led to the arrest of two people and the discovery of large amounts of illegal goods.
On October 12, 2023, detectives carried out a drug search order at 2041 Madison Avenue and found 307 pounds of marijuana carefully packed in vacuum-sealed bags that were hidden inside cardboard boxes. This operation gave police important clues that led them to Thompson as the main suspect.
On March 19, 2024, more progress was made when an extra 232 pounds of marijuana were found at 5896 Fox Lair Avenue after another drug search warrant was carried out.
In the next operation, which happened on April 17, 2024, police carried out a search order in Olive Branch and found 1.5 pounds of illegal marijuana, a stolen gun, and large amounts of cash and jewelry worth over $180,000 and $70,000, respectively. During this raid, McKinley was also caught at 1821 Black Bear Circle, where police found over $5,000 in cash and another stolen gun.
