MITCHELL — The owner of a Mitchell roofing business has been charged with three counts of felony drug possession after a search warrant was executed Thursday at Mitchell Roofing and Siding and the owner’s Aurora County residence.
Cory Cumings, owner of Mitchell Roofing and Siding, was charged with possession of a controlled substance (methamphetamine), a Class 5 felony that carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison and a $10,000 fine; possession of marijuana wax, a Class 5 felony; and keeping place for use or sale of a controlled substance, a Class 5 felony. Cumings, 44, was also charged with a pair of misdemeanor charges, including one count of stalking and permitting threatening or harassing phone calls, which are each Class 1 misdemeanors. Those charges stem from Aurora County and were filed in state criminal court.
A spokesperson for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms told the Mitchell Republic on Thursday night that the ATF was executing a federal search warrant with other agencies in Mitchell. ATF said one person was taken into custody in the execution of the warrant in Aurora County, about 15 miles west of Mitchell.
The contents of the federal warrant remain sealed, the spokesperson said, and the ATF did not disclose the nature of the operation in Mitchell.
According to an arrest affidavit, authorities searched Cumings’ Aurora County residence and uncovered approximately 3 ounces of marijuana wax and a scale with residue that tested positive for methamphetamine. An agent with the South Dakota Department of Criminal Investigation assisted ATF agents in the search of Cumings’ Aurora County residence and Mitchell roofing business, the affidavit said.
The misdemeanor charges against Cumings stem from a phone call between Cumings and a female victim. An affidavit alleges Cumings threatened to “hire a hitman” to kill the woman. The victim recorded the alleged phone call and reported it to authorities, according to court documents.
A mugshot of Cory Cumings.
Photo courtesy of Davison County Sheriff’s Office
Davison County Sheriff’s Office confirmed Friday morning that Cumings was booked at the Davison County jail. When a defendant is arrested and apprehended in Aurora County, they are booked at the Davison County jail.
Throughout much of Thursday afternoon and into the evening, law enforcement vehicles were parked in front of Mitchell Roofing and Siding, located at 1000 S. Main St. Patrol vehicles had emergency lights activated while parked in front of the business.
Among the law enforcement agencies that were at Mitchell Roofing and Siding were the South Dakota Highway Patrol, South Dakota Department of Criminal Investigation, Mitchell Police Department, Davison County Sheriff’s Office and several unmarked vehicles officers were seen operating.
ATF confirmed the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s investigative arm Homeland Security Investigations was also on hand. HSI is responsible for investigating criminal activity involving the United States’ travel, trade, financial and immigration systems, according to its website.
South Dakota Highway Patrol vehicles surround Mitchell Roofing and Siding on Thursday afternoon.
Sam Fosness / Mitchell Republic
Harr said the Davison County Sheriff’s Office is not leading any investigations related to Thursday’s search on the Mitchell business. A spokesperson for the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation also referred questions to the ATF.
Mitchell Roofing and Siding has been in business since 2001 and serves customers in South Dakota, Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska and Wyoming, according to its website.
Sam Fosness joined the Mitchell Republic in May 2018. He was raised in Mitchell, S.D., and graduated from Mitchell High School. He continued his education at the University of South Dakota in Vermillion, where he graduated in 2020 with a bachelor’s degree in journalism and a minor in English. During his time in college, Fosness worked as a news and sports reporter for The Volante newspaper.
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