Two people, a man and a woman, have been arrested in Decatur County in recent days and charged with trafficking marijuana as part of a larger investigation, according to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation’s Sylvester, Ga. office.
On Thursday September 10, Georgia Bureau of Investigation, the Decatur County Sheriff’s Office, and the Georgia Department of Natural Resources executed a drug search warrant at 440 Dell Road in remote southwestern Decatur County.
The search warrant netted marijuana and cocaine, along with alligator snapping turtle shells (which are wildlife contraband), and guns. As a result of the seizure of contraband, Samuel Storey III, 39, was arrested at the residence and charged with Trafficking in Marijuana, Possession of Cocaine, Theft of Services, Damaging/Interfering with Public Utilities, and three counts of Unlawful Possession of Wildlife.
Storey was booked into the Decatur County Jail. Warrants for trafficking in marijuana were also issued for Patricia Harris Storey, 43, the spouse of Samuel. Patricia Storey turned herself into authorities Monday and was booked into the Decatur County Jail.
Samuel Storey and Patricia Storey were two of six people arrested in recent days as part of a multi-county drug investigation started by the Peach County (GA) Drug Enforcement Unit.
Middle Georgia man accused of leading marijuana grow ring
Jason Lang, 38, of Byron, Ga., is accused of operating marijuana grow houses in Houston, Crawford, Wilcox and Decatur counties. He is charged with conspiracy to manufacture marijuana and conspiracy to traffic marijuana, among other charges.
Authorities seized a total of 150 marijuana plants plus 20 pounds of packaged marijuana during search warrants executed as part of the arrests, Peach County Sheriff Terry Deese said in a news release. He estimated the wholesale value to be $510,000.
Moreover, because plants could be harvested four times a year, the illegal grow operations could have possibly netted at least $2 million in revenue annually, Deese estimated.
The Peach County Drug Enforcement Unit, made up of members of the Peach County Sheriff’s Office, Byron police and Fort Valley police; the Houston County Sheriff’s Office and the GBI/DEA Task Force were involved in the arrests.
Others charged in connection with the alleged marijuana grow ring:
- Ernest Thompson, 60, of Rochelle, Ga., is charged with manufacturing marijuana, conspiracy to traffic marijuana, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime.
- Mitchell Wright, 50, of Fort Valley, Ga., is charged with manufacturing marijuana, trafficking marijuana, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and possession of a firearm during a crime.
- Jonathon Johnson of Perry, Ga., is charged with manufacturing marijuana, trafficking marijuana and possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime.
- Stephanie Lang, 37, of Byron, Ga., is charged with conspiracy to traffic marijuana.
- Jason Lang, 38, of Byron, Ga., is charged with conspiracy to manufacture marijuana, conspiracy to traffic marijuana and possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime.
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