Franklin Co. Authorities Make Drug Bust on Traffic Stop

By MJ Kneiser, WLHR Radio, Lavonia

Northern Judicial Circuit District Attorney Parks White is praising the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office after a major drug bust Tuesday.

According to Franklin County Sheriff Stevie Thomas, it happened Tuesday afternoon on Interstate 85 northbound when deputies stopped a vehicle for speeding.

“The vehicle was stopped and a K-9 unit was on the stop,” Thomas said. “The K-9 put an alert on the vehicle and deputies asked for consent to search the vehicle. The driver consented. A search of the vehicle found a total of 10 kilos of methamphetamine inside the vehicle, with a street value of over $120,000. That’s 10 kilos of methamphetamine that will be off the streets of Georgia and South Carolina.”

Thomas said his office arrested 29-year-old Natia Simmons of Greenville, South Carolina and 38-year-old Jimmy Holeman of Easley, South Carolina.

Both are charged with trafficking methamphetamine.

On his social media page, White praised the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office for its hard work and said the bust demonstrated the effectiveness of local law enforcement.