Lee County man among 18 arrested in Tift County drug sweep

TIFTON — A Lee County resident was one of 18 individuals charged in connection with a large drug trafficking ring that was announced by the Tift County Sheriff’s Office Friday.

According to a press release issued by the Tift County Sheriff’s Office, 44-year-old Jimmy Eric Waldrop of Leesburg was named in a list of individuals who were arrested at some point during March for their involvement in a drug operation that reportedly had been distributing large amounts of methamphetamine, heroin and marijuana throughout Southwest Georgia.

Prior to the announcement of the arrests, an investigation conducted by various law enforcement agencies in the area had led to the seizure of approximately five pounds of methamphetamine, five ounces of heroin, and multiple pounds of marijuana, the press release said. Additionally, an estimated $55,000 in cash linked to the drug distribution network was also seized.

According to Waldrop’s arrest report, he was charged with two counts of possession of schedule I or II drugs, possession of schedule IV drugs, and possession of marijuana, in addition to one charge of obstruction of officers without force, after he tried to flee the scene when Tift County Sheriff’s Officers approached Waldrop at Waldrop Construction, located at 1274 Highway 82 East in Tifton.

The press release states that as part of the drug trafficking investigation Waldrop has also been charged with “conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine, cocaine, cocaine base, heroin, and marijuana,” along with Antron Miles, 46, and Rejhan Mujanovic, 25, who are currently in the custody of the Georgia Department of Corrections; Jamie Crews, 42, who is in federal custody; Leslie Howard, 45, of Chula; Jimmy Barrentine, 54, Tonya Harp, 37, Sarah Taylor, 40, Tony Carithers, 45, Jimmy Taylor, 41, Gaye Miles, 45, Dexter Davis, 52, of Tifton; Austin Brown, 42, of Ocilla; Loretta Hunt, 45, of Sparks; Tiffaney Leverett, 32, and Curtis Wood, 54, of Nahunta; Jacob Herrin, 23, of Hoboken; and Dorian Holt, 39 of Fairburn.

In the press release Tift County Sheriff Gene Scarborough thanked all the agencies and officers who worked on the investigation, which included Georgia Bureau of Investigation, Mid-South Narcotics Task Force, Drug Enforcement Administration Macon Office, Ben Hill County Sheriff’s Office, South Central Drug Task Force, Georgia Department of Corrections, United States Postal Service, Office of Inspector General and the Sheriff’s Offices in Crisp, Brantley, Berrien, Cook, Dooly, Lee and Ware counties and the Tifton Police Department.