Rankin County deputies and Pearl police arrested a wanted drug dealer after a controlled purchase of fentanyl and suboxone on Feb. 15, 2026, the Rankin County Sheriff’s Office said in a Facebook post.
Kendall Wayne Peden was taken into custody and transported to the Rankin County Jail, where he was booked on charges of sale of a Schedule II controlled substance and sale of a Schedule III controlled substance, the sheriff’s office said. Both charges were enhanced because the sales occurred within 1,500 feet of a church, the post said.
After Peden was booked, deputies learned he was wanted in Arkansas, the sheriff’s office said. The Rankin County District Attorney’s Office will bring Peden before Rankin County Court Judge David Morrow for an initial appearance, the post said.
Rankin County and Pearl law enforcement said the arrest is part of an ongoing cooperative effort to combat fentanyl. Fentanyl is a powerful synthetic opioid that has been linked to rising overdose deaths nationwide, and authorities say joint investigations aim to protect residents from the drug’s deadly effects. This is a developing story and will be updated as more details emerge.
