Former Sheriff's Deputy Indicted On Drug Theft Charges

CANTON, GA -- A former deputy with the Cherokee Sheriff's Office has been indicted on charges he allegedly took powerful narcotics marked for destruction from the agency's evidence locker.

A Cherokee County grand jury this week indicted Jeffrey Lee Goettel on violation of oath of office, theft by taking and three counts of possession of schedule II substance.

Goettel, who resides in Jasper, was arrested July 23, 2016, after an audit unearthed missing narcotics that had been marked for destruction, the Cherokee Sheriff's Office previously told Patch (SIGN UP: Get Patch's Daily Newsletter and Real Time News Alerts. Or, if you have an iPhone, download the free Patch app).

Former Sheriff Roger Garrison asked the Georgia Bureau of Investigation and the District Attorney's Office to conduct an investigation into the drugs, which revealed Goettel, who was in charge of the repository at the time, allegedly stole morphine and oxycodone, the agency said.

It appears the narcotics were taken for personal use and were not re-sold, Garrison previously said, noting the drugs allegedly taken were not part of evidence in pending cases. When questioned by detectives, Goettel confessed to the thefts and the department utilized a Dawsonville-based firm to conduct a complete audit of items in the repository.

Goettel was booked in to the Cherokee County Adult Detention Center and initially placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation. However, he no longer works for the agency, spokesperson Sgt. Marianne Kelley said.

Image via Cherokee Sheriff's Office