Nine months of undercover work resulted in the arrest of more than 60 residents on various drug charges late last week.
During a press conference last Thursday morning at the McDuffie County Law Enforcement Center, representatives from the McDuffie County Sheriff's Department, Thomson Police Department and Georgia Bureau of Investigation announced 48 arrests and that they were looking for 23 other people in connection with local drug sales.
"We know who they are. We have their names. They can't hide forever," GBI Special Agent In Charge of the Thomson office Gary Nicholson said of the people they were still looking for.
Tuesday afternoon, authorities released an updated list of 64 people who had been arrested -- including one man who was accused of theft by taking after he took money to purchase drugs and spent it on something else. Officials said the arrests would hopefully be the first step toward tracking down larger volume dealers.
"We know there are more out there and this is just another step toward cleaning up our streets," said Maj. Ronnie Williamson.
Last week's arrests were the culmination of nine months of cooperation between the three agencies.
In August 2004, officials from the McDuffie County Sheriff's Department and the Thomson Police Department approached the Georgia Bureau of Investigation to spearhead undercover work in an attempt to remove drug dealers across the county, said Sheriff Logan Marshall last Thursday morning.
Undercover agents then fanned out across the county, approaching suspected dealers to purchase a wide range of illegal substances. Agent Nicholson said multiple transactions were made to ensure law enforcement had enough evidence to illustrate a history of drug sales.
Police had arrest warrants on charges including possession and sale of cocaine, marijuana and methamphetamines for 71 people as the raids began last Thursday.
Drug round-up arrests
Marshall Lee Cushman, 22, two counts sale of marijuana
Reginald Martin, 22, nine counts sale of crack cocaine, three counts sale of cocaine with 1,000 feet of school, sale of ecstasy
Deunta Montrell Tutt, 17, Sale of crack cocaine
Gregory Dante Paschal, 18, two counts sale of crack cocaine
Willie Climmons, 40, two counts sale of cocaine, sale of cocaine within 1,000 feet of a park, sale of cocaine within 1,000 feet of housing project
Marion McNair, 43, three counts sale of crack cocaine, three counts sale of cocaine within 1,000 feet of a park
Kevin Rayshon Sallywhite, 21, two counts sale of marijuana
Corey D. Ramsey, 27, sale of crack cocaine, sale of cocaine within 1,000 feet of school
Leonard Dupree III, 21, four counts sale of marijuana
Samario A. Hamilton, 24, PWID marijuana, sale of methamphetamine
Demetrius Ramone Johnson, 22, two counts sale of marijuana
Lora Adams, 41, sale of powder cocaine, sale of marijuana
Allison Inglett, 18, sale of marijuana
Deizmo Laquan Hill, 26, two counts sale of cocaine within 1,000 feet of housing project, sale of marijuana 1,000 feet housing project, two counts sale of crack cocaine, sale of marijuana
Michael Bowdry, 32, two counts sale of crack cocaine
Arthur L. King, 23, two counts sale of crack cocaine, two counts sale of cocaine within 1,000 feet of school
Willie Simmons, 24, sale of crack, sale of crack cocaine within 1,000 feet of a school
John Franklin Curry, 18, sale of marijuana
Andrew Shephard, 46, two counts sale of cocaine within 1,000 feet of a school, two counts sale of crack cocaine
James Willingham, 46, sale of marijuana
Dexter Bryon Hill, 31, sale of crack cocaine, sale of crack cocaine within 1,000 feet of a park
Sonesta J. Hamilton, 33, two counts sale of crack cocaine, two counts sale of cocaine within 1,000 feet of school
Peter Jones, 38, sale of cocaine within 1,000 feet of school, sale of crack cocaine
Shadir Grant, 19, sale of crack cocaine, sale of cocaine within 1,000 feet of school
Keith Story, 39, sale of cocaine
Steve Huff, 53, sale of imitation controlled substance, sale of marijuana, sale of counterfeit within 1,000 feet of housing project
Adrian Brown, 26, four counts sale of crack cocaine
Cerlando T. McGahee, 27, four counts sale of crack cocaine
Mario Lucas, 24, sale of powder cocaine two counts
Patricia Ann Cody, 38, two counts sale of cocaine
Joseph Clowers, 25, sale of cocaine, sale of cocaine within 1,000 feet of school
Antonio L. Curry, 24, two counts sale of marijuana
Boise L. Bradshaw, 19, sale of marijuana
Zedrick D. Hamilton, 24, sale of marijuana, two counts sale of cocaine, sale of cocaine within 1,000 feet of housing project
Link Ontario Fanning, 33, sale of cocaine within 1,000 feet of housing project, sale of cocaine
John Willie Williams, 19, sale of marijuana
Pedrick D. Pinkston, 31, sale of cocaine three counts, sale of crack cocaine within 1,000 feet of recreation park
Cleveland Tutt Jr., 60, two counts sale of marijuana, sale of cocaine, sale of cocaine within 1,000 feet of housing project, sale of marijuana within 1,000 feet of school, sale of marijuana within 1,000 feet of housing project
Savonsia Mantice Jones, 20, two counts sale of cocaine, two counts sale of cocaine within 1,000 feet of housing project
Lester Taylor, 44, sale of crack cocaine
Tyrone Burnett, 33, seven counts sale of crack cocaine
Debbie Jones, 36, sale of marijuana
Cortez Dealio Thompson, 29, sale of crack cocaine, sale of cocaine within 1,000 feet of housing project
Michael Stockton, 64, sale of crack cocaine
Stanley L. Reese, 23, sale of crack cocaine
Adrian Blue, 32, sale of crack cocaine, sale of cocaine within 1,000 feet of a park
Terry Edward Spears, 23, two counts sale of powder cocaine, sale of methamphetamine, trafficking cocaine, sale of marijuana
Brady White, 39, two counts sale of marijuana within 1,000 feet of housing project, two counts sale of marijuana, sale of crack cocaine, sale of cocaine within 1,000 feet of housing project
Angela Davidson, 34, two counts sale of crack cocaine, sale of cocaine within 1,000 feet of school
Keith Bernard Harris, 38, drugs within 1,000 feet of housing project, sale of cocaine
Anthony Lee McNair, 32, four counts sale of cocaine, four counts drug traffic within 1,000 feet of a school
Antonio Tavares Bell, 19, drug traffic within 1,000 feet of a housing project and sale of cocaine
Marquise Lamar Blount, 23, PWID marijuana, PWID cocaine, sale of cocaine, sale of Ecstasy
Willie Gene Ivey, 22, three counts PWID marijuana, drug traffic within 1,000 feet of a housing project, drug traffic within 1,000 feet of a school
Keith Bernard Harris, 38, drug traffic within 1,000 feet of a housing project and cocaine sale
Trevor Kerrell Finch, 22, theft by taking
Anthony Christopher Moss, 42, drug traffic within 1,000 feet of a school, cocaine sale
Aundra Demarcus Hanson, 20, three counts sale of cocaine, three counts sale of marijuana, two counts sale of counterfeit drugs within 1,000 feet of a housing project, sale of counterfeit substance
Joseph Demorris Hudson, 19, two counts sale of cocaine
Demorris Lamar Ficklin, 17, four counts sale of cocaine, four counts drug traffic within 1,000 feet of a housing project, PWID marijuana
Santonio Tywan Cartledge, 23, trafficking, sale of cocaine
Deantonio Lamont Jenkins, 22, six counts drug traffic within 1,000 feet of a housing project, six counts cocaine sale
Deric Lamons Evans, 31, four counts sale of cocaine, drug traffic within 1,000 feet of a housing project
Carlos Shank, 26, two counts sale of cocaine, two counts drug traffic within 1,000 feet of a school
