Four arrested in south Mississippi opioid prescription drug investigation

Wayne Wadel

John Alsobrooks

Daphne Jean Batac

Donald Edward Douglas

The Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics and local law enforcement officers executed a search warrant Monday, October 30, at a Picayune residence and seized 74 dosage units of 30 mg oxycodone tablets with an approximate street value of $2,220 as well as $990 in cash, MBN Director John Dowdy announced Friday, November 3.

“What we often encounter is a prescription for an opioid, a painkiller, is legitimately obtained and improperly transferred to someone else. The drug is then sold, in the case of oxycodone, for as much as $30 per tablet,” Director Dowdy said.

In conjunction with the seizures, agents arrested four suspects:

Wayne Wadel, 59, of 15100 Fleming Road in Picayune, the residence where officers served the search warrant, charged with possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance.

Wadel’s bond has been revoked because in May this year agents arrested him, charging him with two counts of sale of a controlled substance, possession with intent to distribute oxycodone and two counts of possession of a stolen firearm. The charges stem from the execution of a search warrant and seizure of 37 dosage units of oxycodone as well as 48 firearms, two of them stolen.

John Alsobrooks, 29 year, of One Star Lane in Picayune, charged with conspiracy to transfer a controlled substance. Alsobrooks’ $75,000 bond was posted Tuesday, October 31.

Daphne Jean Batac, 42, of 142 Hillview Drive in Poplarville, charged with transfer of a controlled substance. Batac’s $75,000 bond was posted Tuesday, October 31.

Donald Edward Douglas, 38, of 142 Hillview Drive in Poplarville, charged with transfer of a controlled substance, for which he remains in Hancock County Jail under a $75,000 bond.

The six-month investigation that led to the suspects’ arrests was conducted by the MBN with the assistance of the sheriff departments in Pearl River and Hancock counties.