Eight additional drug suspects arrested in Towns County

HIAWASSEE, Ga. – Towns County Sheriff’s Office investigators and deputies continue their strong push to arrest drug suspects throughout the Towns County area. During the past two weeks, eight additional drug suspects have been arrested as the result of traffic stops and executed search warrants.

On Thursday July 4,  a Towns County deputy made a traffic stop on State Route 180 on a GMC Sonomam pickup and upon further investigation into the traffic stop, Russell Eugene Elder, 60, of Jonesboro was arrested and charged with: 1-Count Violation of Georgia Controlled Substance Act, Possession of Marijuana, and 1-Count of Improper Tag Display.

On Sunday July 1, a Towns County Deputy made a traffic stop on State Hwy. 288 on a Saturn Ion and as a result and upon further investigation Jessica Christine Long, 48, of Hayesville, North Carolina was arrested and charged with 1-Count of Violation of Georgia Controlled Substance Act, Possession of Marijuana, and 1-Count of Defective
Equipment.

On Wednesday, July 17, a search warrant was executed at a residence in the Bald Mountain Community of Towns County on Turtle Cove, and as a result of the search warrant and previous investigation into drug activity at the residence, five suspects were arrested:

• William Rayford Blitch, 49, of Hiawassee:  4-Counts Violation of Georgia Controlled Substance Act, sale of Methamphetamine.
• Wendy Ree Carroll, 34, of Hiawassee:  3-Counts of Violation of Georgia Controlled Substance Act, sale of Methamphetamine.
• Jolena Nichols, 49, of Hiawassee :  1-Count Violation of Georgia Controlled Substance Act, Possession of THC Cart Schedule I
• Walter Lee Burrell, 53, of Blairsville:  1-Count Violation of Georgia Controlled Substance Act, Possession of Diliaudid a Schedule II, 1-Count Drug Related Objects.
• Shelia Marie Watts, 39, of Blairsville:  1-Count Violation of Georgia Controlled Substance Act, Possession of Diliaudid Schedule II, and 1-count Drug Related Objects.

On Wednesday July 17, deputies and investigators responded to a call of a suspicious person on Crooked Creek Connector and upon answering the call and execution of a search warrant at a residence on Crooked Creek Connector the following suspect was arrested and charged:

Dennis Lee Wheeler, 35. of Hiawassee: 1-Count Violation of Georgia Controlled Substance Act, Possession of Schedule IV Drugs, 1-Count Criminal Trespass, and 1-Count Disorderly Conduct.

The Towns County Sheriff’s Office will continue their strong effort to seek out the drug suspects within the Towns County Area, and additional arrests will be forth coming. The above cases will be forwarded to the Enotah Circuit District Attorney’s Office for prosecution . All suspects are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.