When state officials say a variety of officers and agencies were involved in executing search warrants regarding methamphetamine trafficking at 10 locations in six counties Friday, the magnitude of those raids is not immediately evident.
Reading the list of those various teams and agencies and the locations of the searches adds a little clarity to just how much interagency coordination was required by the local, state and federal law enforcement officers involved.
According to Mitchell Posey, special agent in charge of the Appalachian Regional Drug Enforcement Office, those warrants were served Friday by the following agencies at the locations listed:
- Hall County SWAT executed a search warrant at 3772 East Hall Road, Gainesville, the home of Larry “Little Man” Dwayne Fricks, 27;
- ARDEO executed a search warrant at 71 King St., Commerce, the home of Michael Douglas Gribble, 42;
- Barrow County Sheriff’s Office executed a search warrant at 170 Scott Drive, Winder, the home of Stephanie Mae Pritchett, 38;
- Banks County Sheriff’s Office executed a search warrant at 384 Carson Segars Road, Maysville, the home of Dwayne Eldon Fricks, 52;
- White County SWAT executed a search warrant at 411 Hogan Road, Cleveland, the home of Jared Cody Eller, 26;
- GBI Special Enforcement Team executed a search warrant at 1175 Welborn Road, Gillsville, the home of Matthew Lee Gerrin, 31;
- GBI Special Enforcement Team executed a search warrant at 71 Hale Road, Maysville, the home of Brandon Dwight Wood, 37;
- Lumpkin County Sheriff’s Office executed a search warrant at 288 Melody Lane, Dahlonega, the home of Gary “Red” Loyd Brown, 56;
- Hall County Multi Agency Narcotics Squad executed a search warrant at 481 Woodsmill Road, Apt. B, Gainesville, home of Timothy “Freebird” Freeman, 59; and
- Hall County Sheriff’s Office executed a search warrant at 4384 Todd Road, Braselton, the home of Richard “Richie” Frank Simmons.
Additionally, officers arrested the following:
- Chelsea Mangum Fricks, 28, of 3772 East Hall Road, Gainesville;
- James Christopher Hood, 34, of 3018 White Sulphur Road, Gainesville;
- Walter Cecil Whitehead IV, 45, of 4384 Todd Road, Braselton;
- Marty “Go Hard” Thomas, 36, of Hancock State Prison; and
- William Dale Gray, 47, of 621 Homer Road, Commerce.
Thomas is serving time in Hancock State Prison for crimes in Lumpkin and White counties.
The contingent of law enforcement officers seized approximately nine pounds of crystal methamphetamine, an ounce of marijuana, $13,000, firearms, and numerous vehicles.
All of those arrested were transported to the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office for processing and booking.
