Police found 9 ounces of meth in candy bag
When Gilmer County Sheriff’s Office deputies pulled over a gray Chevrolet Colorado, they didn’t expect to make a major meth bust that would expose an interstate drug operation.
But their efforts resulted in the seizure of 9 ounces of methamphetamine, according to a GCSO press release.
“Nothing says ‘I’m totally innocent’ like felony weight meth in your candy stash,” GCSO joked in a Friday wrap-up announcement.
Deputies made the stop Aug. 17 after seeing a traffic violation impede traffic flow.
They discovered the driver, Robert Gerald Stiles, had active warrants from DeKalb and Monroe counties and had been reported to be driving on a suspended license.
Task force agents from Cherokee County, N.C., had advised GCSO deputies that Stiles frequently traveled to Atlanta, bought narcotics, then transported them back to North Carolina.
The GCSO deputies searched the car with a K-9 unit and found suspected gamma-hydroxybutyrate (GHB) and a meth pipe with residue. GHB is an illegal drug.
Stiles and his passenger, Shandar Kauffman, were arrested and charged with multiple drug offenses, including possession of Schedule 1 drugs. Stiles was charged for impeding traffic flow and driving with a suspended license.
The traffic stop led to a follow-up search warrant for the residence of Brianna Renee Sherman in Cherokee County, according to a Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO) announcement.
On Aug. 18, investigators found 9 ounces of methamphetamine hidden in a Lifesaver candy bag and some other packaging, as well as some fentanyl. Another warrant allowed law enforcement to search Sherman’s cellphone.
Sherman has been charged with trafficking methamphetamine.
After this discovery, Stiles and Kauffman were charged with trafficking methamphetamine and possession of drug-related objects.
“These arrests demonstrate what can be accomplished when agencies work together with a shared mission of protecting our citizens,” Cherokee County Sheriff Dustin Smith said.
Gilmer’s Task Force agents and their partners in Georgia and North Carolina were also able to trace the meth and GHB back to their Atlanta source.
Law enforcement got search warrants for the source and have now “disrupted” a drug operation that was operating across state lines.
“The Gilmer County Sheriff’s Office remains committed to keeping dangerous drugs out of our community and thanks all partner agencies for their cooperation,” the GCSO’s press release stated.