Police raid downtown warehouse
By JAMIE PATTERSON
Herald Reporter
Stolen items were discovered inside a warehouse owned by a Yazoo City businessman and part-time Bentonia police officer who was charged with two counts of selling cocaine just days earlier.
Carl Fleming, 49, was arrested by the Yazoo County Sheriff’s Department Monday on two counts of sale of cocaine.
Police officers obtained a search warrant Wednesday morning to enter Fleming’s warehouse on Mound Street. Inside they discovered a variety of items, many that were reported stolen as far away as Arkansas.
Chief Eric Snow said officer Sam Dobbins was fueling his patrol car up on Tuesday evening when he witnessed an individual riding an ATV on a city street near Fleming’s warehouse.
“Officer Dobbins noticed a man coming down the street on a four wheeler,” Snow said. “Once the officer stopped the man, he noticed he also had a bunch of guns on him. Dobbins checked and ran the serial number of the four wheeler the suspect was driving. He then found out it was stolen.”
The suspect on the fourwheeler, James Whitehead Jr., was then arrested and charged with burglary and possession of stolen property.
Snow said Whitehead admitted to officers that he stole the four wheeler from Fleming’s warehouse.
“The suspect admitted to breaking and entering and stealing from this warehouse,” Snow said. “It just so happened the warehouse belonged to Carl Fleming.”
Obtaining a search warrant was in no way connected to Fleming’s earlier arrest, Snow said. Fleming’s warehouse door was halfway open from when Whitehead broke into it, and officers spotted other four wheelers they suspected could be stolen.
After spending Wednesday searching through the warehouse, Snow said officers were able to confirm that three four wheelers, a zero turn industrial lawn mower and three trailers found inside the warehouse were stolen.
“We also found an older Mercedes, and in the trunk was a load of guns,” Snow said. “At this point, we are checking serial numbers to see if they are indeed stolen.”
Numerous items were scattered throughout the crowded warehouse, including a welder, window air conditioning units, electronic equipment and chainsaws.
“We don’t think (Fleming) actually stole anything,” Snow said. “But it may have been some kind of pawn shop deal where he was buying some of these items. But that is speculation at this point. Nothing has been confirmed.”
Snow said it is going to take some time to inspect every item inside the warehouse what items are stolen property.
“There is so much stuff in here that we haven’t confirmed everything yet,” Snow said. “It is still too early in the investigation.”
More charges could be pending for Fleming. Snow said they want a thorough investigation before they proceed.
“No one has been charged yet,” Snow said. “But he may be charged with possession of stolen property.”
Fleming was taken to the Warren County Jail on Tuesday for safety reasons because he is a part-time Bentonia police officer. Sheriff Thomas Vaughan said he did not want to take a chance on Fleming being in a jail with someone he might have arrested.
Fleming is not eligible for bond because he was on bond at the time of his arrest after being served a grand jury indictment for allegedly assaulting Yazoo City School District Superintendent Rebecca Turner-Berry.
Whitehead also remained in jail with no bond.