By Joe Johnson
Law enforcement agencies in two states recently concluded what was described as a lengthy probe of methamphetamine trafficking in Athens that resulted in six arrests and the seizure of methamphetamine with a street value of more than $340,000.
The investigation was led by the Northeast Georgia Regional Drug Task Force and assisted by the Aiken County Sheriff’s Office in South Carolina, along with Georgia agencies that included the Athens-Clarke County Police Department, and sheriff offices from Clarke, Greene, Walton and Oglethorpe counties.
The operation culminated with in execution of search warrants at Hallmark Estates on Spring Valley Road and Pinewood Estates North on U.S. Highway 29 N.
Seized along with 39 kilograms of meth was about $32,000 cash and a Springfield Armory 9mm pistol.
The arrested suspects were each charged with trafficking methamphetamine.
They were identified as Bryant McLaughlin of Dillon, SC, Sammy Fleming of Eastover, SC, Charles Armstrong of Loganville, David Glaze of Monroe, and Hallmark Estates residents Edgar Garcia-Hernandez and Jose Macias-Garcia.
Those of us in the Carney Lake neighborhood have had trouble in the past with residents of Hallmark walking down the old rail road right of way in the past and stealing items from houses here.
Now ACC wants to run the Fire Fly Trail right past Hallmark and through our backyards to provide convenient drug delivery to us. We fully expect that ACC will not honor their promise given by their contract county engineer Derek Doster to "provide any type of privacy and security fence which you request."
Anyone coming into our yard with the intent of stealing may find themselves facing a citizens arrest.
At least one resident our our area has law enforcement experience and is not…
Sila electricia.