James Sluder, Jr.
A two-month long investigation resulted in the Gilmer County Sheriff’s Office arresting a man accused of trafficking meth, among other charges.
GCSO deputies and detectives, assigned to the GBI Appalachian Regional Drug Enforcement Office (ARDEO) and FBI Safe Streets Task Force, executed arrest warrants for James Sluder Jr., 49, on Feb. 26. That’s according to a press release from Sheriff Stacy Nicholson.
“I’m very pleased with the joint effort of my Sheriff’s Office, ARDEO and the FBI Safe Streets Task Force,” he later wrote to the Times-Courier. “They have done great work in getting this individual safely off the streets of Gilmer County. “
Search warrants were then carried out at Sluder’s home along Quarles Lane, near New Hope Club Road. That’s where 5.6 ounces of methamphetamine packaged for distribution and 1.8 pounds of marijuana were discovered, according to Nicholson.
Detectives and deputies also seized a “ghost gun” during the search. It was described as a fully-automatic, AR15-style rifle equipped with a sound suppressor.
“It’s called a ghost gun because there is no documentation of its existence,” he noted. ”It was very easily converted to full auto. In the hands of Mr. Sluder, it is a very dangerous weapon and elevates the manner in which we investigated this case.”
Sluder is now facing multiple charges including felon in possession of a firearm, trafficking methamphetamine, possession of marijuana with intent to distribute and possession of an illegal firearm. He is currently behind bars at the county jail.