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Law enforcement works together to interdict drugs in Wilkes Co.
It started about 10 a.m. Tuesday, February 5, when Wilkes County Deputy Luke Montgomery made a traffic stop on a vehicle for having illegal window tint. "When he approached the vehicle," said Chief Deputy Mike Sisson, "he detected the odor of marijuana." Investigator Jimmy Harrison made a search of the vehicle with the department's K-9, Rocky, and got a positive alert for drugs. A search revealed one pound of suspected "high-quality marijuana," Sisson said. Deputies arrested John Benjamin Ellison Jr., 23, of Sardis, Georgia. When Ellison was questioned, Sisson said, he said that he came from Augusta and met a man from Athens here to complete their deal. "They were meeting in Washington delivering drugs," Sisson said. Ellison was charged with possession of marijuana with intent to distribute.
Deputies arrested William Andrew Woodard, 19, of Athens, and charged him with possession of marijuana with intent to distribute, and possession of cocaine with intent to distribute. Both are out on bail, set at $75,000 for Woodard and $25,000 for Ellison. Last Wednesday morning in Washington, Georgia State Patrol troopers were holding a compliance checkpoint on Peachtree Street. When they spoke with Michael Norman, 23, of Washington, they noticed the odor of marijuana in the car. A search revealed amounts of both suspected marijuana and suspected crack cocaine. Investigator Lt. J.D. Nelson said that Norman had been under surveillance for some time, suspected of selling drugs out of 318-B Meredith Street. Authorities applied for a search warrant for that address, and during the search found more than 150 bags of suspected marijuana packaged for sale in various sizes, along with scales and packaging material. Because she was found alone with the drugs, officers arrested Abbie Kristen Clayton, 20, of Tignall. Clayton was charged with possession of cocaine with intent to distribute; possession of marijuana with intent to distribute; and a violation of the drug-related object law. She was held on $77,500 bond. Norman was charged with counts of possession of cocaine with intent to distribute; possession of marijuana with intent to distribute; and a violation of the drug-related object law; driving under the influence; and driving on a revoked or suspended license. He was held on $155,500 bond. Lt. Nelson pointed out that law enforcement agencies were working closely together to stop the flowof drug in and through Wilkes County. In the Norman arrest, he said, it took the combined efforts of GSP Troopers Tracy Webb, Senior Troopers Robbie Turner and Delston Branch, and Trooper Allen Williams, along with Deputy Detrich Jones and Washington Police Lt. Robert Roca, Senior Patrolman Sally Tanksley, Chief Mike Davis, to make the arrests.
Whether the drugs are passing through or being sold locally, Nelson said, "You're going to see lots more drug interdiction efforts, with all of us working together. Drug interdiction here has just begun."
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