The Whitfield County Sheriff’s Office Narcotic’s Unit has been conducting a four-month covert operation into prescription drug abuse in the county.
Prescription drug abuse is the use of a prescription medication in a way not intended by the prescribing doctor. Officials are seeing more arrest and overdoses (many involving deaths) due to illegal use of prescription medication than ever before. The prescription drugs most often abused include opioid painkillers, sedatives, anti-anxiety medications and stimulants.
During the investigation officials discovered numerous individuals obtaining prescriptions from physicians for various reasons and instead of taking the medication they were selling the medication.
On Wednesday, sheriff’s investigators and agents with the Department of Community Supervision started arresting suspects involved in the operation. A total of 27 individuals have been arrested. 16 of these individuals were directly involved in the sale of prescription medication, and another eight individuals that were involved with the distribution or possession of methamphetamine, and three subjects that had violated their parole. Warrants are outstanding on another nine suspects. They will be arrested when located.
All 27 suspects are currently being held in the Whitfield County Jail without bond.
Here are the suspects:
Marcia Lee Petty, age 60, of 129 Aztez Way, Rocky Face, GA
Charged; Sale of Schedule 1 or 2 drugs
Timothy Wayne Campbell, age 49, of 903 Cascade Drive, Dalton, GA
Charged; Sale of Schedule 2 drug, possession of marijuana (during his arrest)
Bridgett Loren Elswick, age 33, of 410 Jessie Street, Dalton, GA
Charged; Sale of Schedule 1 or 2 drugs
Michael David Hagan, age 59, of 407 W Franklin Street, Dalton, GA
Charged; Parole Violation
Ray Bowen Jr, age 45, of 342 Stacy Rd, Dalton, GA
Charged; Sale of Schedule 1 or 2 drugs
Kenneth Dale Coker, age 56, of 276 Chappell Way, Dalton, GA
Charged; Sale of Schedule 1 or 2 drugs
Wendi Lynn Pedigo, age 50, of 4271 Troy Drive, Dalton, GA
Charged; Sale of Schedule 1 or 2 drugs
Uwe Joseph Munzel, age 55, of 177 Travis Way, Dalton, GA
Charged; Sale of Schedule 1 or 2 drugs
Anthony James Clark, age 26, of 117 Downing Street, Dalton, GA
Charged; Parole Violation
Rickey Herrera, age 57, of 1664 Stinnet Drive, Dalton, GA
Charged; Sale of Schedule 1 or 2 drugs
Carla Ruth Herrera, age 53, of 1664 Stinnett Drive, Dalton, GA
Charged; Possession of Methamphetamine (in possession of additional Methamphetamine at the time of arrest)
Edwin Voneric Wilson, age 47, of 221 Nashville Street, Dalton, GA
Charged; Parole Violation
Kevin Gene Defriece, age 42, of 727 River Road, Chatsworth, GA
Charged; Sale of Schedule 2 drugs (in possession of Methamphetamine at the time of arrest)
Sicillio David Charo, age 56, of 1727 Needham Drive, Dalton, GA
Charged; Sale of Schedule 3/4/5 drugs
Thomas Williams, age 58, of 910 Riverbend Drive, Dalton, GA
Charged; Sale of Schedule 1 or 2 drug (in possession of Methamphetamine at the time of arrest)
Tony Lamar Cleary, age 54, of 240 Carbondale Road SW, Dalton, GA
Charged; Sale of Schedule 1 or 2 drugs
Matthew Thomas Watson, age 33, of 168 Maruine Street, Dalton, GA
Charged; Probation Violation, Failure to Appear warrants (in possession of Methamphetamine at the time of arrest)
Allen Lee Brown, age 56, of 113 Old Lake Road, Tunnel Hill, GA
Charged; Possession of Methamphetamine and Possession of drug related objects
Amanda Nicole Smith, age 32, of 200 Autumn Court, Dalton, GA
Charged; Sale of Schedule 1 or 2 drugs
Kenneth Lamar Saunders, age 54, or 202 Meadowdale Drive, Dalton, GA
Charged; Sale of Schedule 1 or 2 drugs
Christina Yvonne Eure, age 53, of 506 Parkside Place, Dalton, GA
Charged; Sale of Schedule 1 or 2 drugs
Tina Michelle Thomison, age 44, of 2199 Mccamish Road, Dalton, GA
Charged; Possession of Methamphetamine, possession of Schedule IV (2 counts)
Gregory Lee Ratcliff, age 47, of 755 Lee Bryant Road NE, Dalton, GA
Charged; Possession of Methamphetamine, possession of tolls for commission of a crime, 2 outstanding felony warrants (Probation and Failure to Appear)
Erica Gwen Caudill, age 30, of 226 Levi Circle, Chatsworth, GA
Charged; Possession of Methamphetamine, on felony banishment sentence for Methamphetamine
Joseph Lynn Patterson, age 47, of 303 Frontier Trail, Dalton, GA
Charged; Possession with intent to distribute Methamphetamine
Bruce Edward Gazaway, age 47, of 2089 Dawnville Road, Dalton, GA
Charged; Possession of Methamphetamine
Hector Lorenzo Hernandez, age 22, of 4719 Tibbs Bridge Road, Dalton, GA
Charged; Possession of Schedule 2 drugs