Saturday June 21st, 2025 9:18AM

Authorities find sophisticated drug lab in Oconee County

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WATKINSVILLE - Authorities conducting a search of a rural Oconee County home were astonished by the sophistication of a drug operation that featured security cameras, air conditioners and pipes. <br> <br> Sheriff&#39;s Lieutenant David Kilpatrick searched the property with agents from the Georgia Bureau of Investigation. He said, ``It was the most advanced thing I had ever seen.&#39;&#39; <br> <br> Investigators seized 500 marijuana plants, psilocybin mushrooms, laughing gas and prescription pills Saturday. <br> <br> The single-story log home is the residence of 27-year-old Tony Fortmann, a self-styled club D.J. and music promoter. <br> <br> Fortmann and three roommates - 27-year-old Rochelle Elena Bauman, 21-year-old William Jack Kilpatrick, and 25-year-old Ben James Garland - were charged with possession and manufacturing of felony-grade marijuana. <br> <br> Bauman was released from jail Saturday after posting two thousand dollars bond. <br> <br> The three men remained in jail Tuesday, pending additional drug and weapons charges. They are expected back in court Wednesday.
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