In an undercover operation spanning five months, Gordon County deputy sheriffs have charged 28 people with drug offenses related to trafficking and illegal distribution of methamphetamine, marijuana, and prescription narcotics. On Friday, teams of deputies armed with arrest warrants deployed throughout the county to arrest the 18 defendants who were not already in custody. As of Monday, all but five defendants have been apprehended. The investigation, dubbed, “Operation FULL COVERAGE” by sheriff’s detectives, involved hundreds of man-hours of undercover work, covert physical surveillance, and extensive electronic surveillance. Detectives also executed seven search warrants throughout the course of the five month investigation, resulting in the seizure of drugs, firearms, and electronic devices. 

Two Bartow County residents were among those arrested this past weekend. Kyle Carter of Rydal was charged with multiple counts of sale of marijuana. And Kim Redd of Rydal was charged with sale of methamphetamine.

All defendants are being held in the Gordon County jail pending judicial proceedings.

The ‘street value’ of the methamphetamine seized in this case exceeded 82,000 dollars. A number of illegally held firearms were also seized from defendants.

Seven defendants were on probation and/or parole at the time of their arrest. 14 defendants have previous drug-related arrests in Gordon County. Five defendants still at large are actively being sought by deputies.

Some defendants are cooperating with detectives and more arrests are possible.

“Trafficking” in methamphetamine is defined under law as the possession of more than 28 grams of the illicit drug. Traffickers are essentially wholesale suppliers, who generally sell methamphetamine to ‘street level’ dealers who in turn sell the drug to users. The huge majority of methamphetamine is believed to originate in Mexico and is transported into our community by automobile. Methamphetamine ‘laboratories’ once popular, are now very rare. Trafficking is the most serious of Georgia’s drug related offenses, punishable by mandatory sentencing if defendants plead or are found guilty.