Meriwether County Sheriff Chuck Smith reported that he along with the other agency administrative command of the Upson County Multi-Jurisdictional Narcotics Task Force attended the Georgia Narcotics Officers’ Association Training Conference in which the Task Force received the Joseph Whitehead Award.
Pictured from left to right: Meriwether County Sheriff Chuck Smith, Upson County Sheriff Dan Kilgore, Taylor County Sheriff Jeff Watson, Thomaston Police Chief Dan Greathouse (Retired), Agent Steve Tinsley, Resident Agent in Charge DEA Macon, Thomaston Interim Police Chief Sidney Corley, not pictured; Barnesville Police Chief Chuck Keadle.
The Upson County Multi-Jurisdictional Narcotics Task Force was a recent recipient of the Joseph Whitehead Award during the annual Georgia Narcotic Officer’s Association training conference in St. Simons, Georgia. The award recognizes officers, agencies and drug task force units that excel in their efforts to aggressively target, arrest and bring to prosecution those who profit from the illicit sales of controlled substances in Georgia.
Case in point was an investigation initiated by members of the Upson County Narcotics Task Force. The investigation led to the arrest of Adrian Gray of Culloden, Georgia on July 26, 2013 in which $433,974.15 in currency, firearms, cars, lawn & garden equipment, electronic entertainment equipment, bank accounts and real estate along with an array of illicit drugs such as crack cocaine, powder cocaine, marijuana and various pills were seized. Agents determined Gray was a major drug supplier to communities in Taylor, Crawford, Upson and Meriwether Counties. At the conclusion of the Gray case, thirteen federal and thirty-two state indictments were returned. “Since our partnership with the task force in 2013, our two drug agents and uniformed deputies have locally seized $3,975,330.50 in illicit drugs, $150,559.49 in state asset seizures and $174,928.00 in federal asset seizures. In Meriwether County, 155 arrests have been made with 17 of those defendants being indicted on the federal level”, Sheriff Chuck Smith said. “These investigations take a tremendous amount of time, manpower and money. A portion of monies seized during these searches financially support our task force along with grant funding from the U. S. Department of Justice aid us in our efforts. We will continue to go after those who sale, manufacture, distribute and transport illicit drugs in Meriwether County. Our partnership with these other agencies and dedicated officers in the task force will allow us to continue our efforts to educate our youth of the dangers of drug use and help battle drug related issues in our area. I am proud of and will continue to support the association we have with these sheriff’s, police chiefs, deputies, police officers, and federal agents of this task force,” the sheriff concluded.