Drug arrests lead to convictions in Towns County

From the Towns County Sheriff's Office

As Towns County Sheriff’s Office continues our Drug Suppression Initiatives, the District Attorney’s Office is busy prosecuting offenders. As a result, the following individuals have been convicted and sentenced during the January 2023 term.

• Kevin Joseph Sears, age 66, Young Harris, GA: * Sale of Methamphetamine

* 20-year sentence, to serve five (5) in confinement * $5,000.00 fine * Sale of Methamphetamine * 20-year sentence, to serve five (5) in confinement, concurrent with above sentence * Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine * 20-year sentence, to serve five (5) in confinement, concurrent with above sentence * Possession of Methamphetamine * 3-year sentence, concurrent with above sentence

• Johnathan Clyde Dills, age 41, Young Harris, GA: * Possession of a Schedule II Controlled Substance * 3-year sentence to serve 120-160 days (deemed served) with the balance to be served on probation * $2,500.00 fine

* Possession of Drug Related Objects * 12-month sentence to run consecutive to above sentence

• Bryson Daniel Wood, age 19, Cleveland, GA: * Violation of Georgia Controlled Substances Act * 3-years of probation * $1,250.00 fine

• Marquis Gwan Ford, age 42, Bennettsville, SC: * Possession of Methamphetamine

* Three (3) years of probation * $2,500.00 fine * Possession of Schedule II Controlled Substance * 3-years of probation, to run concurrent with above sentence

* Possession of Drug Related Objects * 12 months of probation, to run concurrent with above sentence * $500.00 fine

• Brenda Anne Baldwin, age 50, Hiawassee, GA: * Possession of Methamphetamine * 3- year sentence with the first 60 days in confinement (deemed served) * $2,500.00 fine

• Jolena Marvilia Nichols, age 53, Hiawassee, GA: * Two counts Sale of Methamphetamine * 15-year sentence, must serve six (6) in confinement * $2,500.00 fine * Two counts Possession of a Schedule I Controlled Substance * 3- year sentence, to run concurrent with above sentence

• Christopher Dwight Barnard, age 21, Hayesville, NC: * Sale of Methamphetamine * 20- year sentence, must serve six (6) years in confinement * Sale of Methamphetamine * 20-year sentence, must serve six (6) years in confinement, to run concurrent with above sentence * Sale of Marijuana * 10- year sentence, must serve six (6) years in confinement, to run concurrent with above sentence.

• Tristan Cable Brown, age 20, Young Harris, GA: * Possession of Methamphetamine * 3- years of probation * $2,500 fine

Sheriff Ken Henderson would like to thank all the Towns County Sheriff’s Office deputies, K-9s and investigators for their hard work to take these drugs out of our community and would also like to thank the Towns County District Attorney’s Office and the Towns County Clerk of Court Office for all the hard work they have done to bring these cases to a close.