2,500 Ibs of Pot Off the Streets

Authorities say a tractor-trailer filled with 2,462 pounds of marijuana from Mexico has been found in Doraville. Police said four men were arrested on charges related to the transportation of the marijuana - Edilberto Gijon-Jimenez, of Atlanta; Ramon Hernandez-Castro, of Norcross; Gilberty Riviera-Alcaraz, of Lawrenceville, and Jesus Hernandez-Gutierrez, of Sugar Hill. Another man, Pedro Mendoza-Lugo, of Las Vegas, is charged with conspiracy to commit a crime. Jail records show the five were arrested by Gwinnett police and federal authorities between July 2 and Saturday. Gwinnett police spokeswoman Cpl. Illana Spellman said no additional information was available on Monday.

(Associated Press)

Gunfire hits police helicopter

Gunfire hit a police helicopter searching for marijuana, according to authorities with the Spalding County Sheriffs Office. Sheriff Dee Stewart said, "The only thing I can tell you right now is that they were out looking for illegal plants and someone shot them down." No one was injured and the helicopter landed safely. The chopper was hit above property across the line in Pike County.

$11 M marijuana crop discovered

More than 9,300 marijuana plants are in police possession. A tip let Cherokee County sheriff's deputies to the plants in a remote wooded area. No one is charged in connection with the crop but the investigation is on-going. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation estimates each marijuana plant is worth $1,200, making the total bunch worth more than $11 million dollars.

Perdue signs measure to ban "drug candy"

Governor Sonny Perdue signed a measure into law Wednesday that bans the sale of marijuana-flavored candy to children—it goes into effect statewide July 1st. The measure intends to target businesses that sell the candy to minors--products with names such as “Kronic Kandy” and “Pot Suckers”. It calls for a fine of up to 500-dollars for each offense. A national organization that promotes use of hemp products says Georgia would be the first state to ban the sale of such candy to minors.

I-20 "drug pipeline"

Interstate 20 that runs east-west between Augusta and Alabama is becoming a major drug pipeline. Federal authorities say every month they seize cocaine, methamphetamine or marijuana from the corridor. One officer with the Taliaferro County Sheriff’s office says it’s never hard to find someone shipping drugs on the highway. Authorities say many of the drugs are linked to Atlanta.

Michael Vick positive for marijuana

Michael Vick has tested positive for marijuana. The Atlanta Falcons quarterback was supposed to stay clean as a condition for being free as he awaits sentencing on federal dog fighting charges. Court documents show Vick submitted a urine sample September 13th that tested positive for marijuana. Today prosecutors asked the judge to require Vick to undergo and pay for drug screening and treatment.

State Patrol finds $2 million in marijuana

Police in Twiggs County discovered nearly 2-million dollars in marijuana plants with a little help from the air.

The Georgia State Patrol spotted the 2,000 marijuana plants during a routine helicopter survey.

Twiggs County Sheriff Billy Boney says his small department relies on the State Patrol and Bureau of Investigation to help catch those in the drug trade:

“If you don’t have that help from these outside agencies a lot of times it just can’t get done. These people think they can just come out here and hide in the woods and do this. But, we’re actively seeking [that] kind of people out, in this county, anyhow.”

The State Patrol found the plants because of their color. Police pulled up some of the plants by hand and used machetes to cut down others that were up to ten feet tall. No arrests have been made so far in the case.

Drug crackdown nets 25 suspected dealers

Drug crackdown nets 25 suspected dealers from Dave Bender and Vimeo.

Law-enforcement authorities say they've yanked 25 suspected drug dealers off the streets, with another 40 arrest warrants still outstanding.

Five undercover law-enforcement teams were led by Georgia Bureau of Investigation agents, who made the buys in recent days. Team members, using over $20,000 in funds seized in previous arrests bought crack and powered cocaine, Ecstasy and marijuana from dealers in the sting, announced Wednesday.

Sgt. Rick Stinson, Special-Agent-in-Charge of the sheriff department's Metro Narcotics Task Force told GPB News the roundup's aim is to get dealers off the streets:

"One of it's goals is to look for the mid and upper level drug dealers. But it's also important that we also target the dealers on the street. Oftentimes, they're the ones responsible for a lot of the street violence that we've been having."

Suspects ranged from 14 to 44-years of age. Many had prior drug arrests, and most are from the vicinity.

Similar operation in the area netted over 100 suspects in the last few months. Click here for previous GPB News coverage of the operation.

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Georgetown dope theft possibly an 'inside job'

Quitman County Sheriff Lon Ming inspects
marijuana plants seized in Georgetown.
(Andy Brown/Media General News Service)

Quitman Co. Sheriff Lon Ming says the theft of close to 400 marijuana plants from City Hall Tuesday night may have been an "inside job."

"I'm sure it's a possibility," Ming told the Eufala Tribune newspaper.

However, speaking with GPB News, Georgia Bureau of Investigation Special Agent Mike Lewis would neither confirm or deny Ming's statement, or that there were suspects in the case.

The plants, seized in a bust on a wooded field last Thursday, were valued at $380,000.

The thieves also set fire to the Old City Hall building where the drugs were stored, adjacent to the Quitman County Sheriff's office, causing an estimated $10,000 damage.

"There was a great deal of smoke damage, but structurally, the building is intact,"

Lewis said, but added that there was significant damage to the evidence room, where the marijuana was being kept.

"After seizing the marijuana plants, they set fire to the building, I suppose in hopes of covering up the fact they stole the marijuana. However, the fire did not destroy the building as they thought. The state fire marshal's office has ruled it an arson, and we are jointly conducting an investigation."

The GBI is offering up to a $10,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the arsonists, and Ming said any information in the case was welcome:

• Georgia Arson Control Hotline: 1-800-282-5804
• Quitman Co. Sheriff's Department: 229-334-3726

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More GPB coverage of this story is here.

25 indicted in Marijuana ring

Four Georgians are among 25 people indicted today for growing marijuana. Federal authorities say the defendants operated 40 so-called “grow houses” in 14 Georgia counties around Atlanta. Investigators say the pot ring grew nearly 9,000 marijuana plants in unfinished basements. The process – known as hydroponics – yields plants twice as potent as regular marijuana.

Indictments in alleged marijuana ring

17 people in northeast Georgia have been indicted for allegedly growing marijuana. A Jackson County grand jury returned the indictments on felony charges stemming from several raids there earlier this year. Authorities raided so-called “grow houses” which look like ordinary homes but are set up inside to grow hundreds of marijuana plants at a time. Police in nearby Walton County have shut down nearly 20 grow houses in the past four months.

Two Georgians caught with $1M worth of drugs

A Georgia man and woman have been caught carrying 180 pounds of marijuana in their rented pick-up truck. Marsenna Louise Jenkins of Stone Mountain, and Shelvin White of Atlanta were pulled over for speeding this morning outside of Baltimore, Maryland. Police found the drugs in the bed of the pick-up. They say the marijuana – which was worth nearly a million dollars -- was purchased in Atlanta and destined for New York City.