Published: July 01, 2009 12:12 am      

Authorities reveal more on accused Miss. meth ring

JACKSON (AP) — Methamphetamine dealers discussed breaking into a narcotics office in Mississippi to steal confiscated drugs and wanted the identities of authorities involved in an undercover investigation, a narcotics agency director said Tuesday.

More than 50 people face federal and state charges over what authorities describe as the largest meth distribution organization ever taken down in Mississippi.

At least $1.5 million worth of Mexican meth was confiscated during an 18-month investigation that dismantled the organization, which also had ties to Alabama, Florida and Texas, according to authorities and court records.

Christopher ‘‘Batman’’ Stewart of Walthall County faces a federal conspiracy charge and is accused of leading the organization. His attorney said he’s seen no proof that Stewart was involved.

Stewart was recorded on wiretaps telling an associate to find out the names of the lead narcotics agent and judges involved in the investigation, federal prosecutors said Monday during an arraignment in U.S. District Court in Hattiesburg.

Stewart’s attorney, John Collette, said Tuesday ‘‘there were no threats’’ and anyone facing such serious charges would want to know the names of officials involved in the case.

‘‘There was a call about, ’who is the judge and who is the lead agent,’ which is something any lawyer would ask or anybody would ask,’’ Collette said. ‘‘There was no allegation of a threat or harm to anyone.’’

Law enforcement sees it differently. Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics director Marshall Fisher said authorities ‘‘absolutely’’ considered the intercepted communications a threat.

‘‘We don’t have information right now, that I’m aware of, where they were actively seeking to find and do harm to anybody, but that doesn’t mean it didn’t happen,’’ Fisher said. ‘‘Sometimes people are running their mouths and boasting about what they’re going to do. Do you just ignore it or do you take it seriously?’’

Fisher said members of the group also were recorded discussing the possibility of breaking into a narcotics office to take back the confiscated drugs.

‘‘That sounds ridiculous ... but you can’t ignore any threats,’’ Fisher said.

Authorities were forced to ‘‘prematurely arrest’’ some members of the organization because they ‘‘started pointing fingers at each other’’ as potential witnesses after the seizure of 27 pounds of meth in Hinds County, Fisher said.

Fisher said Stewart threatened a member of the organization whom he feared would become a witness in the case.

Despite Stewart’s relatively young age of 26, he was ‘‘the main mover and shaker’’ and had ‘‘the ability to organize people and have them do his bidding,’’ Fisher said. Stewart’s father and uncle also were charged in the case.

Collette said Stewart had never been arrested before and that he recently passed a drug test. Stewart is one of 17 people facing federal charges. More than 30 others were charged in state court.