Police: Man made meth at daycare

OCEAN SPRINGS, Miss. - A Mississippi man faces paying millions in fines and up to 60 years in prison, all for manufacturing meth near a daycare. His mother, father and a daycare worker were also arrested, and face jail time and fines.

Agents from the Narcotics Task Force of Jackson County received information of a man on house arrest in the City of Ocean Springs who was possibly manufacturing and distributing methamphetamine.

During their investigation, agents learned 45-year-old Mark Timothy Sumrall was the suspect, and he was living with his 64-year-old mother Brenda Jane Sumrall and 67-year-old father Alfred Henry Sumrall at a home on Stennis Avenue in Ocean Springs.

Agents also learned his mother operated a daycare out of the residence.

On Tuesday, November 4, Sumrall left the house, and agents conducted a traffic stop. They took him into custody without incident, and went back to the house with a search warrant.

During the investigation and search, agents recovered two inactive "shake and bake" meth labs, one inactive HCL generator, mixed precursor chemicals as well as separated precursor chemicals.

Mr. Sumrall lived in a semi-attached apartment at the residence. The apartment door opened into the back yard of the residence where children were allowed to play. Agents recovered drug paraphernalia in the apartment which included hypodermic needles and spoons used for injecting drugs.

While searching the main residence, agents found adult pornography on a computer in Fred Henry Sumrall’s bedroom. Agents then seized the computer and contacted the Ocean Springs Police Department Criminal Investigation Division.

At the time of the seizure, no sexually explicit pictures of children were observed. However, OSPD CID was contacted due to adult pornography being present.

A hazardous material clean-up crew responded and collected all the meth lab related material after agents finished processing the scene.

Mark Timothy Sumrall has been charged with one count of manufacturing methamphetamine within 1,500 feet of a daycare, once count of generation of hazardous waste in the manufacture of methamphetamine, and nine counts of felony child endangerment.

Alfred Henry Sumrall, Brenda Jane Sumrall, and 46-year-old caregiver Carolyn Annette Agodkin were arrested and each face nine counts of felony child endangerment.

Eight children were being taken care of at the daycare with the ninth child being Mark Sumrall's which had been adopted by his mother and father.

All parents were contacted and advised of the situation. Parents were asked to have their children checked by their physicians as a precautionary measure.

Only Sumrall’s child was present at the time of the search warrant. DHS was contacted and has taken custody of the child.

If convicted, Mark Sumrall faces a prison term of up to 60 years and $2 million in fines for manufacturing meth at the daycare, 30 years and $1 million for generation of hazardous waste, and 10 years and $10,000 fine for each count of felony child endangerment.

The father, mother, and caregiver each face up to 10 years and a $10,000 fine for each count of felony child endangerment.

Because Mark Sumrall was currently on house arrest for a 2004 cocaine possession charge through the Narcotics Task Force of Jackson County as well as having an additional 1992 cocaine possession charge, he could face stiffer penalties under the Habitual Offender statutes of the State of Mississippi.

If you have information concerning this investigation or other drug activity please contact the Narcotics Task Force of Jackson County at 228-769-3302 or the Ocean Springs Police Department at 228-875-2211 or email the Task Force at taskforcetips@cableone.net .