Friday March 29th, 2024 10:04AM

Suspect leads Lumpkin County deputies on footchase after drugs, weapons found

A Cleveland man was arrested after Lumpkin County Sheriff's deputies responded to a call about a suspicious pick-up truck and found drugs and weapons.

Lt. Alan Roach with the office said that after investigating a suspicious truck parked on the side of Chestatee Shoals Drive on Tuesday, a deputy made contact with a man, later identified as Steven Smith, 27, of Cleveland carrying a sawed-off shotgun. 

Roach said Smith had been dropped off by another vehicle, and was carrying a backpack and the firearm. When Smith saw the deputies, Roach said he dropped everything, including the bag, the shotgun and a pistol, and ran from the deputy, Roach said. The bag contained over 19 grams of heroin.

"I'm not sure the street value at this time... however it only takes four grams to be charged with trafficking in heroin. So this is a lot more than you'd need to be charged with trafficking," said Roach.

After a foot pursuit and search with other agencies, including the Appalachian Regional Drug Enforcement Office, Georgia State Patrol and White County Sheriff's Office, Roach said a citizen called and reported some suspicious activity, which lead them to Smith's whereabouts. 

Roach said initially callers complained a truck was reported parked, with a dog inside, on the side of Chestatee Shoals Drive, off Cavender Creek Road, and they had to drive off the road to pass it. 

The owner of the truck was contacted by phone and said the truck had been taken under suspicious circumstances."The vehicle was owned by a family member of his and that family member did not want to pursue criminal charges," said Roach. "It had been borrowed and was not returned at a specified time frame. Once it was not returned, the vehicle owner had actually notified his insurance company that the vehicle had been taken and he was not... basically in posession of it, in case something happened with it."

Smith faces charges of sale, manufacture, etc., of certain controlled substances, criminal use of an article with an altered identification mark, possession of certain types of firearms, dangerous weapons and silencers prohibited, possession of firearm or knife during certain crimes, all of which are felonies. He also faces a misdemeanor count of possession of drug related objects

  • Associated Categories: Local/State News
  • Associated Tags: Lumpkin County, heroin
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