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Tuolumne County, CA – A Columbia man arrested with more than a half-pound of methamphetamine was allegedly selling the drug across three Mother Lode counties, including Amador, Calaveras, and Tuolumne counties, and was also charged with child abuse.
On Tuesday, June 23, 2026, 35-year-old Joseph Jerry Lecompte was handcuffed after a traffic stop in Tuttletown on Highway 49. His arrest was the result of a joint investigation by the Amador County Combined Narcotics Enforcement Team (ACCNET) and the Tuolumne Narcotics Team (TNT) that began with a series of tips and complaints from neighbors of a problem residence in the Pine Grove area of Amador County.
First deputies searched Lecompte’s vehicle, uncovering around 296 grams of methamphetamine, packaging materials, digital scales, $1372 in cash, and a loaded semiautomatic handgun, which, as a felon, he is not allowed to possess. Then deputies went to his Columbia home and turned up a second loaded handgun and additional methamphetamine. Also found inside the home alone were two juveniles, ages 13 and 8, with easy access to the drugs and firearms, tacking on the charges of child endangerment-related abuse charges.
Lecompte was booked on numerous felony charges, including possession of methamphetamine for sale, transportation of a controlled substance for sale, prohibited person in possession of a firearm, possession of a loaded firearm while in possession of a controlled substance, and child endangerment. Additionally, a passenger in Lecompte’s car, 42-year-old Melissa Anne Manning, was cited for possession of meth and released.
“The investigation remains ongoing, and additional charges may be pursued as detectives continue to review evidence collected during the operation,” shared TNT officials. Both teams thanked the other for their assistance and shared efforts to eliminate the sale of controlled substances in their respective counties.
