A Vicksburg Housing Authority employee was arrested Friday afternoon and charged with distribution of cocaine after police discovered 2.2 pounds of cocaine had been shipped to him at the housing authority’s administrative office at 131 Elizabeth Circle, said Vicksburg Police Chief Tommy Moffett.

Charles Jones Jr., 45, 924 Bowmar Ave., was in the Warren County Jail on Friday night without bond following his 4 p.m. arrest by Vicksburg police, Warren County sheriff’s deputies and Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics agents.

Moffett said Jones, who had directed maintenance for the housing authority for about 20 years, was arrested a short distance from the VHA office after the package of cocaine had arrived there.

While he did not know the exact street value of the cocaine, Moffett estimated it would have cost Jones about $25,000 to purchase the drugs.

“I’ve had information that Jones was selling cocaine on housing authority property for more than five years. I’ve been working diligently to arrest him ever since, but it was like hunting a baby seal,” said Moffett, who added he believes Jones was selling cocaine to residents of housing authority properties.

Jones had unrestricted access to VHA properties — which include Waltersville Estates, Cedar Estates and Urban Court — and had keys to the apartments, said Moffett.

“He had the perfect opportunity to prey on people within the housing authority property,” he said. “He needs to be in jail and never be let out.”

Upon conducting a search of Jones’ home Friday evening, police found tens of thousands of dollars in unopened merchandise — including power tools, air compressors, lawn equipment and an estimated 70 cases of beer, Moffett said. Some of the items had shipping labels on them, he said, indicating they were also delivered to the housing authority administrative office. 

“This will be an ongoing investigation, but it appears that this stuff was either stolen — from stores or even the housing authority — or that (Jones) falsified some kind of purchase as an employee of the housing authority,” he said. 

Moffett said Jones also had a half a dozen vehicles, including a Mercedes and Corvette, registered in his name at his house on Bowmar Avenue — one of six homes owned by Jones in Vicksburg, according to a public records search. Moffett said police intend to seize some of the merchandise and, perhaps, some of the vehicles, but he did not know any specifics. Jones told police he makes $48,000 annually as an employee of the housing authority, said Moffett.

VHA Director Jim Stirgus did not return calls for comment, and Moffett said he had not been successful in reaching Stirgus Friday night.

“I’m sure I’ll have the full cooperation of the director the housing authority as soon I make contact with him,” he said.

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Contact Steve Sanoski at ssanoski@vicksburgpost.com.