Articles Posted in Drug Charges

People who grow marijuana plants in Georgia and in other locations around the country typically try very hard to keep their growing operations concealed. However, sometimes, the growing operations are discovered, leading to serious legal situations for those involved. Recently, an indoor marijuana operation was reportedly discovered in a Gainesville residence. Nine individuals were arrested and now face a variety of drug charges.

An officer from the Hall County Multi-Agency Narcotics Squad reported that over 500 marijuana plants were discovered in the home’s basement. The area had been turned into a greenhouse, according to officials. Evidently, this home was only one part of a larger operation in the northeast Georgia area. Police indicated that five additional houses had been searched as part of the investigation.

Searches of the homes purportedly revealed more than 1,500 marijuana plants and over 300 pounds of the substance, valued over $7.1 million. Police had received a tip in September regarding a suspected indoor growing location. The ensuing investigation led to the discovery of the supposed network of houses in the operation.

Law enforcement agencies at all levels often work together in Georgia and other states across the country to keep communities safe. Often, the partnerships are drug task forces or initiatives aimed at keeping drugs off neighborhood streets. When a suspected drug operation is discovered, those allegedly involved find themselves facing potential charges for drug crimes. Recently, five men were arrested following an investigation by a multi-level group.

The Appalachian Regional Drug Enforcement Office reported that 15 kilograms of meth were discovered when two men had been questioned at a traffic stop. Upon this discovery, a search warrant was executed at a residence in Dahlonega. Evidently, several grams of cocaine and over $150,000 in cash were found during the search. A man who initially ran away from the home was later arrested after being located with a gun.

According to reports, officials then raided a Union County lab utilized to convert liquid methamphetamine to a crystal form. In the lab, 15 more kilograms of meth were found, in addition to another handgun. Around 300 pounds of waste containing meth oil were processed by the police.

Various law enforcement agencies routinely work together in Georgia and elsewhere around the country. This is particularly common when suspicions of drug crimes are involved. Agencies at the local level may join forces with regional, state or even federal agencies to investigate drug operations. A recent arrest was made following an investigation by the Flint Circuit Drug Task Force.

The task force apparently received a tip from the Drug Enforcement Administration that there was alleged drug activity at a home in Henry County. The county’s magistrate court issued a search warrant for the residence. During the search, officers reportedly found around 1,250 pounds of marijuana. The man was arrested, but has not been identified by police. The marijuana that was seized was valued between $1 million and $1.25 million, according to officials.

For this investigation, information that led to the arrest came from a federal agency. However, local officers stated that many tips come to them on their Facebook page or a hotline number. The local task force is made up of officers from the Henry County Sheriff’s Office as well as the McDonough, Hampton, Locust Grove and Henry County Police Departments.

A Governor’s Task Force on Drug Suppression in the state of Georgia recently gathered information on the manufacture and cultivation of marijuana. The goal of the task force, which was assisted by several local agencies, is to eliminate domestic marijuana in the state. As a result of the operation, three areas where marijuana was being grown were identified in Rabun and Habersham Counties. Three Georgia men face drug charges in conjunction with the discovery.

The Rabun County Sheriff’s Office, the Habersham County Sheriff’s Office and the Appalachian Regional Drug Enforcement Office worked with the task force on the arrests. A 38-year-old man was charged with manufacturing marijuana, possession of methamphetamine and possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime after marijuana was allegedly discovered growing inside and outside his residence. The man is wanted for the charges after he reportedly fled from his home.

Officials purportedly also discovered marijuana plants at the home of a 26-year-old Clarkesville man. He was arrested for manufacturing marijuana in Habersham County, then transported to a detention center. In Rabun County, a 57-year-old man was arrested for manufacturing marijuana when police found plants at his home. He was taken to the Rabun County Detention Center. The marijuana seized by the task force was valued at $53,000.

Being arrested for possession of drugs in Georgia is a serious matter. If convicted, the consequences could range from monetary fines to extensive time in jail. A man and a woman face drug charges following a recent search at a Walker County house, according to police reports.

Agents from Lookout Mountain Judicial Circuit Drug Task Force report that a warrant had been obtained to search a house on Burnt Mill Lane.  Following the search, officers allegedly found three 1-ounce bags of cocaine and two crack-cocaine cookies. In addition, a substantial amount of marijuana and 18 Oxycodone pills were supposedly found.

On the day the warrant was served at the house, a 28-year-old man was arrested by the task force. Five days after the search, a 37-year-old woman was charged with possession of cocaine, possession of a Schedule I controlled substance and possession of a Schedule II controlled substance. She was also charged with possession of marijuana and trafficking cocaine.

Businesses in Georgia have packages delivered frequently. A variety of items necessary to the operation of the business are shipped with no incident. However, according to reports, a Valdosta business recently received packages that led to several drug charges for two people.

The Valdosta Police Narcotics Unit received information about two supposedly suspicious packages that had been delivered earlier to a business. Five packages were inspected by the Unit at the business. The Valdosta Police Drug Detection K-9 worked with the Narcotics Unit and their dog reportedly alerted on the packages.

A 27-year-old woman was held at the business when she came to collect the packages, according to reports. A 28-year-old man was also detained when he came to meet the woman. After the boxes were opened, police reportedly discovered over 9 pounds of marijuana. The estimated street value of the marijuana was over $72,000.

A call to police regarding a domestic disturbance has landed a Georgia physician in deep trouble for other matters, according to media reports and records of the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office. The man’s arrest on apparent drug charges occurred when responding police found him allegedly in possession of 81 Oxycodone pills, per the sheriff’s office. The arrest raises concerns because the doctor has been working as a prominent drug abuse specialist for many years in the Atlanta area.

Those concerns are heightened by the fact that, in 1990, the Georgia Medical Board had placed his license on probation for seven years on charges that he diverted painkillers to his own use through prescriptions written to family members. In addition, he is currently the director of Talbott Recovery, a prominent drug abuse treatment facility. The CEO of the facility announced that the doctor had been placed on administrative leave after the arrest.

To add to the ironical nature of the allegations, the accused is a board-certified addiction specialist who has been practicing for 31 years. The specific drug charges are unclear from the media reports, but Oxycodone violations are generally going to be classified as felonies. That fact exposes the accused to not only losing his license but also to a potential prison sentence. Defense counsel will first look to the circumstances surrounding the arrest and will also determine whether the accused had legal possession of the pills.

Any accusation involving drugs could lead to serious consequences. Penalties for a conviction of drug charges in Georgia may range from fines to time in jail.  A recent arrest in Hall County has resulted in numerous charges for three people.

The Hall County Sheriff’s Office reports that a 28-year woman and a 24-year-old woman have been arrested regarding drug charges. The women were arrested at a house where several weapons and drugs were reportedly found. The 25-year-old brother of the younger woman is also being sought by police.

Police reportedly found 1 kilogram of heroin as well as 61 kilograms of cocaine in their search. Supposedly, the value of the drugs was estimated at $6.2 million. Two semi-automatic assault rifles were said to have been discovered at the home as well.

Georgia police recently responded to an incident involving two Marietta men. One has been arrested on drug charges. Officers are still searching for another individual who reportedly fled from the scene.

According to police reports, officers responded to a 911 call that had reported a parked car with a man sitting inside, vomiting outside the vehicle. When the police arrived on the scene, they initially spoke with him. However, reports state that the man fled on foot, then got into a van driven by an unidentified woman and left the scene. By police accounts, two officers were almost hit by the van as it left the scene. However, no assault charges were filed after a video review.

Police have apparently identified the man who allegedly fled the scene and report that he is 34 years old. Methamphetamine with an estimated street value of approximately $6,500 was reportedly discovered in the trunk of the car that remained at the scene. The man faces charges of trafficking methamphetamine, possession of cocaine, possession of a firearm during commission of a felony and intent to distributed marijuana. Those charges appear to relate to evidence said to have been seized from a backpack left in the car by the man who ran from the scene. He also faces charges of obstruction or hindering law enforcement.

Criminal charges often result after a search warrant has been executed. Police may enter a home and discover multiple infractions. They often find things beyond what was specified in the warrant. A Georgia man now faces drug charges in a similar situation involving a recent search warrant.

Floyd County Police report that a 27-year old Chickamauga man was arrested following a search of his home. The police executed a search warrant at his residence and found methamphetamine there. Since the quantity of the drug in the house exceeded what they expect to find for someone’s personal use, and packaging materials were also found in the home, police charged the man with possession of methamphetamine with the intent to distribute.

The man is also charged with felony possession of methamphetamine. According to the police, they also served him with a warrant charging him with felony theft. They allege that the man stole a guitar valued at $1,800 from another home. He has also been charged with two felony charges of probation violation.