Mississippi grandmother trafficked cocaine to Alabama with 2 men and 2-year-old grandchild: Sheriff

A Mississippi grandmother among three people charged with trafficking cocaine to north Alabama had her unrestrained 2-year-old grandchild in tow when their vehicle was stopped earlier this week, authorities said Friday.

A Lawrence County Drug Task Force agent initiated a multi-jurisdictional investigation on Wednesday involving a planned drug operation where one pound of cocaine was being delivered from West Point, Mississippi to Red Bay in Alabama, the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office said Friday.

The main suspect of the operation -- West Point, Mississippi resident Darius Jones -- was taken into custody when the vehicle arrived in Red Bay.

Also in the vehicle were West Point resident James Smith and Stephanie Wofford, of Houston, Mississippi.

Smith was found with a loaded gun on him when he was taken into custody, the sheriff’s office said.

Wofford’s 2-year-old grandchild was also in the vehicle and not secured in a child safety seat.

The Department of Human Resources “was notified to address the situation with the child and all adults were taken into custody,” the sheriff’s office said.

A K-9 was deployed to the vehicle and signaled that an odor of narcotics was emanating from the vehicle.

A search of the vehicle revealed a plastic bag in the trunk contained about a pound of cocaine.

All of the suspects were charged with drug trafficking and chemical endangerment of a child and while Jones was also charged with giving a false name/identification to law enforcement.

Smith was facing additional charges of certain persons forbidden to possess a firearm, possession of an altered firearm (altered serial number), possession of controlled substance (Buprenorphine sublingual strips), a second count of possession of controlled substance (having controlled substance in medicine bottle labeled for different substance.)

The three suspects were booked into the Franklin County jail. Jones and Wofford were given $100,000 cash bonds.

“All agencies involved deserve recognition for the work that was done to ensure that the operation was carried out safely and successfully,” the sheriff’s office said.

Those organization’s included: the Lawrence County Sheriff’s Office; Lawrence County Drug Task Force, Franklin County Sheriff’s Office; the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration; FBI Safe Streets Task Force; Russellville Police Department; Red Bay Police Department; and the Itawamba County, Mississippi Sheriff’s Office (MS).

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