ADDU, Lee County officers work to capture men on drug charges

ALBANY — A tip called in from the Lee County Sheriff’s Office to the Albany-Dougherty Drug Unit resulted in a bust early Friday morning in northwest Albany from which two men were arrested with drugs that had $26,000 in street value.

The arrest took place in the parking area adjacent to Hampton Inn, Waffle House and Steak ‘n Shake near the intersection of Dawson Road and North Westover Boulevard at around 1 a.m. Friday. Earl Eugene Bridges, 39, of 530 Ninth Ave., and Gerald Kimsey Jr., 33, of Baconton, were arrested on multiple charges relating to the case.

In all, there were 15 officers from ADDU and Lee County involved. After the ADDU was contacted Wednesday of last week regarding the tip, investigators were able to track down the information they needed to be able to get an arrest before setting up the sting. Law enforcement vehicles were brought in from Lee County for the bust, as it was suspected that the men might recognize ADDU vehicles, said ADDU Commander Maj. Bill Berry.

“If we had not been able to use their vehicles, we might not have (been able to catch them),” he said.

“Lee County did an excellent job at setting this up.”

Berry said Bridges attempted to throw bags over the Waffle House building, under cars and into the parking lot while Kimsey was in the vehicle.

Berry said about half an ounce of brown heroin, two ounces of methamphetamine and more than 90 pain pills were collected along with less than $100 in cash. There were three weapons recovered, including a gun that had been reported stolen from an East Albany pawn shop in 1993, ADDU officials said.

The charges Bridges faces includes trafficking meth (over 50 grams), trafficking heroin (over four grams), possession of a Schedule II controlled substance with intent to distribute (30 milligrams of oxycodone), possession of a Schedule IV controlled substance (37.5 milligrams of phentermine), possession of heroin, possession of crack-cocaine, tampering with evidence, obstruction of a law enforcement officer, not keeping drugs in the original container and violation of a provision for use of communication facilities.

Kimsey has been charged with possession of meth, three counts of possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony and theft by receiving stolen property. The third charge is connected to the gun stolen in 1993, ADDU officials said.

The drugs were said to have a street value of $26,000, and stem from an area in Albany — the 500 block of Ninth Avenue — that has had a history of criminal activity, officers said.

“This will put a huge dent in complaints (from that area),” Berry said. “That has been a sore spot for us … This is not one of our biggest drug deals, but a significant one.”

There was another arrest made recently in that area. Berry said federal agencies including the Drug Enforcement Administration, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Internal Revenue Service would be consulted on the case, from which further charges or arrests might result, he said.