Cooperative efforts between city and county law enforcement netted 11 drug arrests Wednesday, with 11 more expected, said Bulloch County Sheriff Lynn Anderson.
The Statesboro Police Department Crime Suppression Unit and Bulloch County Drug Suppression Team paired up to deal with several drug complaints in various neighborhoods, especially one area near South College Street, he said.
The raid targeted street level drug sales in areas where there are "high crime rates, recent violent crimes, known drug areas and areas where citizen complaints for drug activity have been received," he said.
The roundup isn't over, said Bulloch County Sheriff's Inv. Capt. Rick Rountree.
"We're still on the streets," he said Wednesday during a press conference. "A lot of people are still out there looking" for more suspects. "We have a lot of charges, a lot of buys, and a lot of work done — and we're coming," he warned others on the list of suspects.
The effort is to eliminate street-level dealers, he said. "Those who are out there every day preying on people who can't help it."
Those arrested Wednesday are: Landon James Wheeler, 20, Chandler Road — sale of a controlled substance and manufacturing, possession or distribution of controlled substances on or near school property; Latosha Lintoria Barnes, 23, Groover Homes — sale of cocaine, manufacturing, possession or distribution of controlled substances on or near a park or housing project; Germayell Antonio Fields, 24, Cone Homes — manufacturing, possession or distribution of controlled substances on or near a housing project, sale of cocaine.
Also: Andrew Lee Marshall, 55, Central Street — sale of crack cocaine, two counts of manufacturing, possession or distribution of controlled substances on or near a housing project, sale of cocaine; Christina Dawn Meyer, 29, Locust Street, Newington — party to the crime of sale of cocaine; Anthony James Mincey, 28, Pine Street — sale of cocaine; Isadore Bernard Raymond, 28, Cone Homes — sale of cocaine, manufacturing, possession or distribution of controlled substances on or near a housing project.
Also: Bryant Keyon Rice, 22, Green Street — sale of cocaine, manufacturing, possession or distribution of controlled substances on or near a housing project; Tadense Antonio Roberson, 31, Burkhalter Mobile Home Park — eight counts of sale of cocaine, four counts of manufacturing, possession or distribution of controlled substances on or near a housing project, two counts of use of communications facilities during commission of a crime involving controlled substances; Terry Lavon Taylor, 31, Turner Street — sale of cocaine; and Quincey Wilkerson, 52, Blakewoods Apartments — two counts of sale of Schedule II drugs, two counts of using communication facilities to violate provisions prohibited, two counts of manufacturing, possession or distribution of controlled substances on or near school property and three counts of manufacturing, possession or distribution of controlled substances on or near housing projects.
Further arrests and additional charges are pending, he said.
Cooperative effort, citizen complaints
Plans for the raid began when members of the Statesboro Police Crime Suppression Unit and the Bulloch County Drug Suppression Team shared information and discussed the fact that " we had some violent crimes occurring" in certain areas, and citizens were complaining, said Statesboro Police Det. Sgt. Rob Bryan, head of the Crime Suppression Unit.
"People were getting tired of it, sick of it," Rountree said."They were making daily calls to us. ..."
"We decided it was time to make an impact," Bryan said.
Citizen input was "extremely helpful in identifying the players and ... hot spots," he said.
Anderson praised the cooperative efforts between the agencies, noting the fact that not every community has city and county law enforcement agencies who work together as well.
"We're very fortunate," he said. "You have to share information. It makes it a lot easier to work together, because we can't do it by ourselves."
Anderson said more than 100 charges will be brought up against the suspects, and while "Crack cocaine was the most prevalent of drugs purchased ... powder cocaine, marijuana and prescription drugs were also purchased" by undercover agents, he said.
Georgia State Patrol troopers and undercover agents from the Chatham County Narcotics Team participated in the roundup.
Having Chatham Narcotics Team Commander Roy Harris and his undercover officers was very helpful in the raid, Anderson said. "Everybody knows everybody around Bulloch County and you have to use undercover from other counties," he said.
The additional arrests are expected soon, he said.
The Statesboro Police Department Crime Suppression Unit and Bulloch County Drug Suppression Team paired up to deal with several drug complaints in various neighborhoods, especially one area near South College Street, he said.
The raid targeted street level drug sales in areas where there are "high crime rates, recent violent crimes, known drug areas and areas where citizen complaints for drug activity have been received," he said.
The roundup isn't over, said Bulloch County Sheriff's Inv. Capt. Rick Rountree.
"We're still on the streets," he said Wednesday during a press conference. "A lot of people are still out there looking" for more suspects. "We have a lot of charges, a lot of buys, and a lot of work done — and we're coming," he warned others on the list of suspects.
The effort is to eliminate street-level dealers, he said. "Those who are out there every day preying on people who can't help it."
Those arrested Wednesday are: Landon James Wheeler, 20, Chandler Road — sale of a controlled substance and manufacturing, possession or distribution of controlled substances on or near school property; Latosha Lintoria Barnes, 23, Groover Homes — sale of cocaine, manufacturing, possession or distribution of controlled substances on or near a park or housing project; Germayell Antonio Fields, 24, Cone Homes — manufacturing, possession or distribution of controlled substances on or near a housing project, sale of cocaine.
Also: Andrew Lee Marshall, 55, Central Street — sale of crack cocaine, two counts of manufacturing, possession or distribution of controlled substances on or near a housing project, sale of cocaine; Christina Dawn Meyer, 29, Locust Street, Newington — party to the crime of sale of cocaine; Anthony James Mincey, 28, Pine Street — sale of cocaine; Isadore Bernard Raymond, 28, Cone Homes — sale of cocaine, manufacturing, possession or distribution of controlled substances on or near a housing project.
Also: Bryant Keyon Rice, 22, Green Street — sale of cocaine, manufacturing, possession or distribution of controlled substances on or near a housing project; Tadense Antonio Roberson, 31, Burkhalter Mobile Home Park — eight counts of sale of cocaine, four counts of manufacturing, possession or distribution of controlled substances on or near a housing project, two counts of use of communications facilities during commission of a crime involving controlled substances; Terry Lavon Taylor, 31, Turner Street — sale of cocaine; and Quincey Wilkerson, 52, Blakewoods Apartments — two counts of sale of Schedule II drugs, two counts of using communication facilities to violate provisions prohibited, two counts of manufacturing, possession or distribution of controlled substances on or near school property and three counts of manufacturing, possession or distribution of controlled substances on or near housing projects.
Further arrests and additional charges are pending, he said.
Cooperative effort, citizen complaints
Plans for the raid began when members of the Statesboro Police Crime Suppression Unit and the Bulloch County Drug Suppression Team shared information and discussed the fact that " we had some violent crimes occurring" in certain areas, and citizens were complaining, said Statesboro Police Det. Sgt. Rob Bryan, head of the Crime Suppression Unit.
"People were getting tired of it, sick of it," Rountree said."They were making daily calls to us. ..."
"We decided it was time to make an impact," Bryan said.
Citizen input was "extremely helpful in identifying the players and ... hot spots," he said.
Anderson praised the cooperative efforts between the agencies, noting the fact that not every community has city and county law enforcement agencies who work together as well.
"We're very fortunate," he said. "You have to share information. It makes it a lot easier to work together, because we can't do it by ourselves."
Anderson said more than 100 charges will be brought up against the suspects, and while "Crack cocaine was the most prevalent of drugs purchased ... powder cocaine, marijuana and prescription drugs were also purchased" by undercover agents, he said.
Georgia State Patrol troopers and undercover agents from the Chatham County Narcotics Team participated in the roundup.
Having Chatham Narcotics Team Commander Roy Harris and his undercover officers was very helpful in the raid, Anderson said. "Everybody knows everybody around Bulloch County and you have to use undercover from other counties," he said.
The additional arrests are expected soon, he said.