Eighteen people from Laurens and Toombs counties in Georgia are being detained and await additional legal actions. Their arrests came after their initial court appearances in relation to a 55-count narcotics trafficking indictment in U.S. District Court.
Each of the 18 defendants is charged with Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine and Heroin. Some of the accused face further accusations of narcotics possession, distribution, and unlawful firearm usage and possession.
Furthermore, as part of their role in the conspiracy, they are facing additional charges related to the usage of cell phones within and outside Georgia prison facilities. These data were provided by Jill E. Steinberg, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia.
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According to US Attorney Steinberg, this case serves as a reminder that even small communities are not immune to the devastation caused by drug trafficking. She also expressed gratitude for law enforcement partners’ continuous vigilance in identifying and disrupting criminal drug distribution organizations.
The Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces launched the investigation in response to a significant surge in drug trafficking in Toombs and Laurens counties. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation collaborated with local law enforcement agencies and the Drug Enforcement Administration to infiltrate the network and acquire enough evidence to prosecute the persons named in the indictment. The following defendants are named in the indictment:
Brett Youmans, 45, of Dublin, Georgia, is now serving a state sentence at the Coffee County Correctional Facility for illegal firearms possession. Woodrow Scott, 52, is a Macon State Prison inmate receiving a life sentence for murder. Woodrow Scott’s sister is Constance Marie Scott, 51, of Brookhaven, Georgia. Patrick Portwood, 42, of Dublin, Georgia, is presently serving a state sentence at the Burress Correctional Training Center for methamphetamine distribution.
Jermaine Maurice Brown, 46, is from Vidalia, Georgia. Ga. John Taylor Jackson, 35, is also from Vidalia, Georgia. Brittany Nicole Cook, a 33-year-old Lyons resident, Ga. Stacy NeeSmith, 40, of Dublin, Ohio. Joshua Brown, 22, of Vidalia, Georgia. Cordell Stallings, 55, is from Lyons, Georgia. Joshua James Carlo, 47, of Uvalda Willie Brown, 52, of Vidalia, Ga. Jody Ivey, 42, of Ivey, Ga. Antone Victoria, 43, of Vidalia, Georgia. Tiffany Marie Turbyfill, 33, of Twin City, Ga.; and Laquanta King, 35, of Atlanta. Wesley McRae, 40, of Hawkinsville, Ga. Jaquan Collier, 24, of Vidalia, Ga., was a jailer at the Toombs County Detention Center prior to his arrest.
Several of the suspects are facing drug-related accusations as well as illegal gun possession. In addition, the indictment states that 16 weapons were seized during the investigation and may be forfeited.
It is critical to understand that an indictment merely contains charges and does not imply guilt. Defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in court.
The Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) thoroughly examined the matter. The OCDETF takes a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach to identifying, disrupting, and dismantling high-level criminal organizations that represent a threat to the US.
The Drug Enforcement Administration, the FBI, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, the Laurens County Sheriff’s Office, the Toombs County Sheriff’s Office, and the Vidalia Police Department are all involved in the investigation. The case will be prosecuted on behalf of the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorney John P. Harper III.