Painkillers Valued At $11K Seized In Cherokee County

ACWORTH, GA — Hundreds of prescription painkillers, meth and firearms were seized earlier this week after a search warrant was executed at two storage units and several vehicles in southwest Cherokee County. Deputies with the Cherokee Sheriff's Office reached out to Cherokee Multi-Agency Narcotics Squad agents around 3 p.m. Tuesday, March 6 for help with a call at Compass Self Storage at 5488 Wade Green Road in Acworth.

Those deputies, who came to serve arrest warrants for Crystal Hobbs and George Porter IV, said they arrived at the business and found the doors at two units open and four people inside. Hobbs and Porter were identified by deputies, who later determined the other two individuals at the unit were Robert Tanner IV and Amber Higginbotham.

While taking in the scene, deputies saw on a workbench an open plastic case that contained various types of pills, CMANS said. Those deputies, CMANS said on its Facebook page, also smelled "the strong odor of marijuana" coming from one of the units (For more news like this, find your local Patch here. If you have an iPhone, click here to get the free Patch iPhone app; download the free Patch Android app here).

Officers searched Tanner and found a container with Percocet and a Ruger LCP .380 caliber handgun while Higginbotham was allegedly in possession of 21 oxycodone pills. CMANS agents obtained a search warrant for the units and several cars at the business. In one of those vehicles, agents found roughly 16.3 grams of marijuana and a GLOCK 22 .40-caliber handgun, CMANS notes.

Also unearthed during the search were 166 oxycodone (30 milligrams) pills, 357 alprazolam (2 milligram) pills, 191 alprazolam (1 milligram) pills, 40 acetaminophen/hydrocodone (325/10 milligrams) pills, 8 oxycodone (36 milligrams) pills, 47 amphetamine and dextroamphetamine (30 milligrams) pills, 86 carisoprodol (350 milligrams) pills, about 4.3 grams of methamphetamine and roughly 38.9 grams of marijuana. All the items were located with several empty baggies and scales commonly used in the weighing and packaging of illegal drugs, CMANS stated.

Porter, of Woodstock, and Hobbs were each charged with 4 counts of possession of a schedule II controlled substance with intent to distribute, 3 counts of possession of a schedule IV controlled substance with intent to distribute, possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute and possession of marijuana with intent to distribute.

Tanner, a Dawsonville resident, is charged with possession of a firearm during commission of a felony, possession of a schedule II controlled substance (oxycodone) and possession of marijuana less than an ounce while Higginbotham, also of Dawsonville, faces two counts of possession of a schedule II controlled substance (oxycodone and methadone). CMANS notes the drugs have an estimated value of $11,500.

"The abuse of these types of prescription painkillers is the root cause of heroin abuse in Cherokee County, and CMANS Agents continue to address this serious problem," the agency added. "Agents from CMANS actively pursue cases related to opioid abuse involving fraudulent prescriptions, cases of double doctoring, or diversion of medications to illicit use. It is deeply concerning that this much prescription medication should be out on the street."

The Cherokee Multi-Agency Narcotics Squad is a joint task force working in Cherokee County to investigate drug related violations. Participating agencies include the Cherokee Sheriff’s Office, Canton Police Department, Woodstock Police Department, Holly Springs Police Department, Ball Ground Police Department, Cherokee County Marshal’s Office, District Attorney’s Office for the Blue Ridge Judicial Circuit, and Georgia State Patrol. Citizens may call in tips anonymously to (770) 345-7920, or may speak to an agent by calling (678) 493-7625.

Image via CMANS