TOCCOA – A student at Liberty Elementary School in Stephens County recently was caught with marijuana, which revealed that the student’s parents were dealing drugs out of their home on New Hope Road.
On March 21, school officials discovered the marijuana after the student had reportedly been showing it to other students.
While school officials were speaking with the juvenile, the student revealed that the marijuana had been found by the student laying on the floor at their residence and was reported as belonging to the student’s father.
After speaking with the student, the school resource officer retrieved the marijuana and contacted investigators with the Stephens County Sheriff’s Office to follow up on the incident.
Sheriff Randy Shirley told WNEG News that, during the course of the investigation, investigators learned the father, Dexter Richardson, had an outstanding felony probation warrant.
Based on the statements made by the student and the outstanding warrant, investigators went to Richardson’s home to speak with him and serve the warrant; however, upon arrival, investigators observed drug-related objects through the window in plain view and smelled the strong odor of marijuana coming from inside the residence.
After obtaining a search warrant for the residence, Richardson was immediately placed under arrest on the outstanding warrant and the Division of Family and Children Services was contacted to remove two small children from the home.
Continuing the search, investigators located a large quantity of marijuana, which was divided into smaller quantities and prepackaged for sale and controlled prescription medication as well as a stolen firearm, according to Shirley.
As a result of the investigation, Dexter Richardson Sr., 33, and Amanda Richardson, 34, who also lives at the home but was not at home during the execution of the search, were arrested and transported to the Stephens County Jail.
Dexter Richardson has been charged with possession of marijuana with intent to distribute, possession of Schedule IV controlled substance, felony theft by receiving stolen property, possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Additionally, Bacon County placed a hold on him for probation violation.
Amanda Richardson has been charged with possession of marijuana with intent to distribute, possession of a Schedule IV controlled substance, and felony theft by receiving stolen property. She was subsequently released on a $25,000 bond.
