Drug Task Force Breaks Up Multi-County Drug Organization
16 alleged members of a major drug organization operating in North Georgia are now behind bars in Jackson County after a major multi-law enforcement agency bust.
It happened throughout six Northeast Georgia counties Friday.
ARDEO spokesman Mitchell Posey said officers began serving 10 search warrants and issued 14 arrest warrants for members and suppliers of Larry “Lil Man” Fricks’ drug organziation.
According to Posey, the warrants came after a five-month long investigation by ARDEO officers, the Banks and Jackson County Sheriff’s offices, the FBI’s North Georgia Major Offender Task Force, as well as the Commerce Police Department to bring down what he said is a complex drug trafficking network operating throughout North and Northeast Georgia.
“During the searches at some ten locations in Hall, Banks, White, Lumpkin, Barrow, and Jackson counties Friday, law enforcement agencies seized approximately nine pounds of crystal methamphetamine, an ounce of marijuana, $13,000 in cash, firearms, and numerous vehicles,” Posey said.
The street value of the seized narcotics was $155,000.
Fricks and his organization have been active in Banks, Hall, and Jackson and surrounding counties for many years, including Toccoa-Stephens County, according to Posey.
Speaking to City Commissioners Monday, Toccoa Police Chief Jimmy Mize said his department’s drug officer was involved in the bust operation.
“Our drug agent was one of the agents involved in the takedown,” Mize said. “That actually took drugs that were coming into Toccoa and Stephens County off the street. So, that was part of the pipeline that was coming into Toccoa.”
ARDEO’s multi-agency investigation found that over the past five months the Fricks’ Drug Trafficking Organization has been responsible for the distribution of more than 100 kilograms of methamphetamine with a street value of 3.5 million dollars.
Posey said all 16 suspects face multiple criminal charges under the Racketeer Influenced Corrupt Organization (RICO) statute.
RICO arrest warrants were executed and the following people were arrested:
1) Larry “Little Man” Dwayne Fricks, 27, 3772 E. Hall Road, Gainesville, GA
2) Michael Douglas Gribble, 42, 71 King Street, Commerce, GA
3) Stephanie Mae Pritchett, 38, 170 Scott Drive, Winder, GA
4) Chelsea Mangum Fricks, 28, 3772 E. Hall Road, Gainesville, GA
5) Brandon Dwight Wood, 37, 71 Hale Road, Maysville, GA
6) Dwayne Eldon Fricks, 52, 384 Carson Segars Road, Maysville, GA
8) James Christopher Hood, 34, 3018 White Sulphur Road, Gainesville, GA
9) Walter Cecil Whitehead IV, 45, 4384 Todd Road, Braselton, GA
10) Jared Cody Eller, 26, 411 Hogan Road, Cleveland, GA
11) Timothy “Freebird” Freeman, 59, 481 Woodsmill Rd., Apt B, Gainesville, GA
12) Matthew Lee Gerrin, 31, 1175 Welborn Road, Gillsville, GA
13) Marty “Go Hard” Thomas, 36, Hancock State Prison
14) Gary “Red” Loyd Brown, 56, 288 Melody Lane, Dahlonega, GA
15) William Dale Gray, 47, 621 Homer Road, Commerce, GA
16) Rickie Nation, 59, 384 Carson Segars Road, Maysville, GA