PRESS RELEASE – At approximately 8:30 p.m. yesterday evening, November 21, 2025, deputies with the Stephens County Sheriff’s Office (SCSO) Uniform Patrol Division and Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) Appalachian Regional Drug Enforcement Office (ARDEO) conducted a search at a residence in Toccoa. Three individuals were arrested on multiple charges for trafficking illegal narcotics.

During an ongoing investigation, law enforcement officers learned that three individuals allegedly involved in trafficking methamphetamine and marijuana were residing at an address on Persimmon Street in Toccoa. Last night, SCSO deputies and GBI ARDEO task force agents conducted a search at the residence.

During the investigation, law enforcement officials located approximately 2.23 pounds (1,013 grams) of methamphetamine, one pound (470 grams) of marijuana, and $710 in U.S. currency inside the residence. The following individuals were arrested: William Alton Chappelear, 35 of Hartwell; Candice Mitchell Smith, 43 of Toccoa; and Scott Alexander Terrell, 44 of Toccoa.

Chappelear, Smith, and Terrell were transported to the Stephens County Jail without incident where they remain pending a bond hearing. All three individuals are being charged with the following crimes: Trafficking in Illegal Drugs, Possession of Methamphetamine with Intent to Distribute, Possession of Methamphetamine, Possession of Marijuana with Intent to Distribute, and Felony Possession of Marijuana. Both Terrell and Chappelear were on active probation for previous charges. Chappelear also had an active warrant out of Hart County.

The SCSO and GBI ARDEO task force is committed to curbing the flow of gang and illegal drug activity in Stephens County. If you have any information regarding criminal activity, please contact the SCSO Criminal Investigations Division Tip Line at (706) 886-7048 or submit a tip using our mobile app. You can also submit a tip through the GBI Tip Line at 1-800-597-8477 or through the See Something, Send Something app.