Three recent traffic stops by Ware County Sheriff’s Office personnel resulted in the arrests of nine people on drug charges, Major Neil Skerratt said.
Two of the stops each resulted in four people being arrested. Det. Sgt. James Cox and Det. Leevon Payne executed the three stops and the following arrests.
About 2:38 p.m., Wednesday, February 5, Cox and Payne were near Summit Street and Riverside Drive when they noted a vehicle failing to maintain its lane while also having a malfunctioning tail light.
They stopped the vehicle, which was driven by Fredrick Demetrius Gardner, 43, of the 1200 block of Fluker Street, and carrying three passengers. Cox and Payne executed a probable cause search of the vehicle. Multiple small amounts of marijuana were found on each individual as well as a small amount of crack cocaine and two firearms, one which had been reported stolen.
Passengers with Gardner were Fredrick Murphy, 49, of the 800 block of Martin Luther King Drive, Travis Tyrone Anderson, 40, of the 1600 block of Wardlaw Street and Shenika Shanell Shields, 29, of the 300 block of Garlington Avenue.
Each was charged with possession of marijuana less than one ounce, possession of crack and possession of a firearm during a felony. Anderson and Gardner also were charged with possession of a firearm by convicted felons while Gardner and Murphy were charged with theft by receiving stolen property.
Cox and Payne made another stop about 8:20 p.m. Thursday, February 6 near Ossie Davis Parkway and Louise Street of a vehicle with a tag violation and the driver violating the hands-free law.
The driver of the white Dodge truck was Marcus Leon Glover, 43, of the 1300 block of Walter Street. The officers executed a probable cause search of the vehicle and located marijuana in plain view along with two scales and a bag containing a substance that field tested for methamphetimine.
Glover was arrested and charged with possession of marijuana less than one ounce, possession of methamphetimine and possession of methamphetimine with intent to distribute as well as the two traffic violations.
Four people were arrested Friday, January 31 after Cox and Payne stopped a truck about 3:40 p.m. on Dorothy Street near Blackshear Avenue. The driver was Silas Lloyd Groover II, 54, of a Nola Road address in Blackshear with passengers Christy Lee Coughenour 45, and Madison Elaine Bell, 19, also of a Nola Road address, and Tony Edward Minger, 40, of Waycross.
Groover was stopped for failure to maintain lane and the officers executed a probable cause search. Inside the vehicle were found multiple containers of marijuana, a small amount of methamphetimine, along with digital scales and a smoking pipe.
Upon arrival at the Ware County Jail following their arrests, Bell and Minger were found with bags of methamphetimine totaling about 20 grams.
Each of the four was charged with possession of marijuana less than one ounce, possession of methamphetimine and possession of methamphetimine with intent to distribute. Groover also was charged with the traffic violation.
