A Mt. Hermon man was arrested earlier this week on various drug-related crimes, according to Chief Deputy Mike Haley of the Washington Parish Sheriff’s Office.

On Wednesday, while working in the Clifton/Hackley area investigating complaints about illegal drug sales, a Washington Parish Sheriff’s Office Drug Task Force detective noticed a suspicious vehicle in the parking lot of a church on White Hayes Creek Road, Haley said.

Haley said the detective entered the parking lot and questioned the two occupants of the pickup truck about why they were parked in the church lot. The driver stated that he brought his passenger to that location to meet another individual, but did not know the purpose of the meeting.

At that point, the detective asked the driver to exit the vehicle and submit to a search of his person, Haley said. The driver complied. The passenger, whom the Drug Task Force had been investigating for the sale of illegal drugs, then exited the vehicle and was searched, Haley said.

The detective asked the driver for permission to search the vehicle and permission was granted. Haley said that a search of the vehicle in the area where the passenger sat produced several items, including five small plastic baggies containing methamphetamine, one small glass tube containing methamphetamine residue, another plastic bag containing approximately one gram of methamphetamine, six Lortab pills and one Adderall pill. The passenger admitted to ownership of all items, Haley said.

At that time, the detective arrested Hugh Samuel Smith, 56, a resident of Sam Smith Road in Mt. Hermon. Smith was transported to the Washington Parish Jail and charged with three counts of possession of methamphetamine and one count of possession of drug paraphernalia. Smith was released on Thursday, after posting only $30 for a signature bond.

Washington Parish Sheriff Randy Seal said he was disappointed by that result.

“Our Drug Task Force detectives had been investigating Smith on a complaint from a parent that Smith was selling drugs to her child,” Seal said. “Their investigation and the encounter yesterday led to his arrest. Our detectives did their job, only to learn that this drug dealer was released one day later on a signature bond. (That is) wrong!”