Two charged with Heroin Trafficking in multi-agency investigation

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heroin

GILMER COUNTY, Ga. – Continued operations throughout the Appalachian area are seeing Gilmer’s Sheriff’s Office stepping up its work both in solo operations, and in joint operations alongside groups like the Appalachian Regional Drug Enforcement, Police, and Sheriff’s Offices in other counties and leading to drug seizures like heroin and meth.

heroinOn Wednesday, March 30, 2022, one of those operations involved Gilmer County Deputies, Fannin County Investigators, the Cherokee County North Carolina Sheriff’s Office, and the GBI Appalachian Regional Drug Enforcement Office.

This coalition of law enforcement offices arrested two individuals allegedly involved in heroin trafficking. According to Gilmer’s Sheriff’s Office, an investigation into the trafficking saw the arrest of Jamie Willis Whitener, 44, of Murphy, North Carolina, and Natalie Lynn Scogin, 47, of Murphy, North Carolina.

The two have been charged with Trafficking Heroin after being stopped on Highway 515 in Gilmer County, Georgia. Headed north on the highway, Whitener and Scogin are suspected of being involved in trafficking heroin between Gilmer County, Georgia and Murphy, North Carolina. The Sheriff’s Office states that the two were known to the agencies involved in the investigation.

heroinGilmer Sheriff’s Office stated, “Approximately 10.9 grams of heroin was seized in this investigation, its value being approximately $1,600.”

Working along other agencies, numerous arrests have been made over the years after joint operations such as a four month long investigation in 2017 with the Zell Miller Mountain Parkway Drug Task Force. Additionally, Gilmer’s own deputies continue solo operations resulting in drug seizures like the record-setting arrest for 1.69 pounds of methamphetamines made in 2021.

The Appalachian Regional Drug Enforcement Office is a multi-agency unit that consists of the following Sheriff’s Offices: White County, Lumpkin County, Banks County, Jackson County, Habersham County, Stephens County, Rabun County, Franklin County, Gilmer County, Fannin County, the Cleveland Police Department and the Toccoa Police Department, along with the Georgia National Guard Counter Drug Task Force, the Department of Public Safety, Department of Community Supervision and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.

Four arrested in Lumpkin County drug bust

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LUMPKIN COUNTY, Ga. — A multi-agency task force arrested four individuals and took 295 grams of methamphetamine and an undisclosed amount of heroin off the street Wednesday (Apr 13).

Following months of investigation, the Lumpkin County Sheriff’s Office, the GBI Appalachian Regional Drug Enforcement Office served a warrant at 1085 Lewis School Road. During the service of this search warrant four individuals were arrested.

The following were arrested: 34-year-old Terri Lynn Gee of Dahlonega, 59-year-old Sandra Louise Whitlow of Dahlonega, 40-year-old Michael Troy Sexton of Oakwood and 26-year-old Austin Lamar Mote of Braselton.

All four individuals are being charged with Trafficking methamphetamine. Terri Gee is also charged with sale of methamphetamine, possession of drug related objects, and possession of methamphetamine with the intent to distribute. Sandra Whitlow and Michael Sexton are also being charged with possession of methamphetamine and possession of drug related objects.

Teri Lynn Gee

Sandra Louise Whitlow

Michael Troy Sexton

Austin Mote

Agents seize $705,000 in drugs, arrest 48 in year-long, multi-jurisdictional drug bust

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North GA (July 10, 2020) – After an extensive 11- month local, state, and federal joint investigation, 48 men and women have been arrested on the Violation of the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act and will be charged on numerous drugs and weapons offenses, spanning the Northern District of Georgia into the metro Atlanta area.

From August 2019 to the present, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation’s Appalachian Regional Drug Enforcement Office (ARDEO), the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Major Offender’s Task Force in conjunction with the Hall County District Attorney’s Office has been conducting an investigation into the drug trafficking organization of Luther Troy Summerfield, age 43, Alejandro Ceja-Solano, age 40, and others. During the course of the investigation, agents in coordination with local deputies from the Habersham County Sheriff’s Office, the Banks County Sheriff’s Office, the White County Sheriff’s Office, Lumpkin County Sheriff’s Office, Stephens County Sheriff’s Office, Franklin County Sheriff’s Office, the Cleveland Police Department, Gilmer County Sheriff’s Office, and the Hall County Sheriff’s Office learned that Summerfield purchased and distributed kilograms of methamphetamine from Ceja-Solano. Information obtained from numerous hours of investigation also revealed that Summerfield traveled to Ceja-Solano’s residence to obtain drugs and traveled to the metro Atlanta area to obtain heroin and methamphetamine, either facilitated by Ceja-Solano, or another source of supply.

Throughout the investigation, police executed approximately 12 search warrants yielding the following:

  • Approximately 50 kilograms of methamphetamine
  • Approximately ½ kilogram of heroin
  • Approximately 20 firearms
  • Approximately $70,000 in cash
  • Approximately 6 vehicles

The following individuals were arrested:

  1. Tanya Lynn Allison, age 48-arrested
  2. Katlynn Marie Beaucaire-arrested
  3. Richard Daniel Burkett-arrested
  4. Dulcey Burton, age 51-arrested
  5. Alejandro Ceja-Solano-arrested
  6. Jose Alfredo Miranda Chavez-already in custody
  7. Jessica Marie Clark, age 28-arrested
  8. Noah Coker-in prison
  9. Mark Coker-arrested
  10. Joshua Collins- already in custody
  11. Kevin Cosper-arrested
  12. Robyn Samantha Dost, age 27-arrested
  13. Chelsea Dover, age 30-arrested
  14. Shelbi Eanes, age 25-arrested
  15. Juan Antonio Flores-custody in Gwinnett
  16. Brandi Nicole Freeman-arrested
  17. Jory Gee, age 33-arrested
  18. Roger Dale Gerrin, age 62-arrested
  19. Robert Green- already in custody in Lumpkin
  20. Dexter Grier, age 40-arrested
  21. Nucoma Grindle, age 42-arrested
  22. Dustin Floyd Groves- arrested
  23. Terry Harris, -arrested
  24. Christy Deresia Hedden-arrested
  25. Jerry Lee Helton-arrested
  26. Crystal Marie Herrin-arrested
  27. Brooke Barron Hicks-arrested
  28. Christopher Jackson, age 33-arrested
  29. Kimberly Ann Kennedy-arrested
  30. Richard Jason Maddox-arrested
  31. Marinela Romeiro Marquez-arrested
  32. Pablo Martinez-already in custody
  33. Shayna Millwood-arrested
  34. Allie Murray-arrested
  35. William Harrison Nicely-arrested
  36. Ashley Parker- already in custody
  37. Joshua Ray Phillips- custody already
  38. Kirstie Purvis-arrested
  39. Brianne Ross Rummell-already in custody
  40. Michael Rummel-arrested
  41.  Coty Anthony Sanders-arrested
  42. Jeffrey Shane Seabolt—arrested
  43. Erin Sexton-arrested
  44. Jessie Elaine Smith-arrested
  45. Seantal Tiffany Smith-arrested
  46. Luther Troy Summerfield-arrested
  47. Delores Thomas –arrested
  48. Anthony Williams-in custody

The street value associated with all the drugs seized is approximately $705,000.00.

The Appalachian Regional Drug Enforcement Office is a multi-agency unit that consists of the following agencies: White County Sheriff’s Office, Lumpkin County Sheriff’s Office, Towns County Sheriff’s Office, Banks County Sheriff’s Office, Habersham County Sheriff’s Office, Stephens County Sheriff’s Office, Rabun County Sheriff’s Office, Jackson County Sheriff’s Office Franklin County Sheriff’s Office, Fannin County Sheriff’s Office, Gilmer County Sheriff’s Office, Cleveland Police Department, Lavonia Police Department, Toccoa Police Department, the Georgia National Guard Counter Drug Task Force, the Department of Public Safety, and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.

The FBI’S Major Offender’s Task Force consists of the Gainseville Police Department, the Georgia State Patrol, the Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office, the Lumpkin County Sheriff’s Office the Georgia Department of Corrections, the GBI, the Georgia Department of Community Supervision, Winder Police Department, and the Stephens County Sheriff’s Office.

The Alto Police Department assisted with this investigation as well.

This investigation is an example of the value of interagency cooperation.  Because of the strong, existing relationships between the participating agencies, agents were able to share intelligence and coordinate the dismantling of a complex drug trafficking organization.  Although numerous arrests have been made and evidence seized, the investigation continues, and additional arrests are expected.

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