Toccoa Man Arrested on Multiple Drug Charges
The Stephens County Sheriff’s Office is reporting the arrest of a Toccoa man that involved multiple drug charges and possible dog bite.
On June 6th, 911 dispatched deputies to 6280 Mize Road after a caller reported two dogs running at large where one person may have been bitten. The caller was worried about the dogs being loose, unattended, and could possibly bite someone. The complainant showed deputies the homeowners’ residence and advised the dogs ran inside the home. The complainant thought it was unusual for the door to be left open, as well as leaving these dogs unattended.
As the Deputy approached the homeowner’s residence, he verified the door of the house was standing wide open. The deputy announced, “Sheriff’s Office, please come to the door”. When no one responded to the deputies’ announcements, he looked inside the wide-open front door and announced his presence again “anyone inside-please come to the door”.
After Deputies received no response from inside of the residence, Sheriff Deputies made the collective decision to check on the welfare of anyone inside who may have been injured by the dogs, as well as checking the security of the home after observing the front door wide open. Deputies then entered the residence to secure the home, and to make sure there was no one inside may have been injured by the dogs.
As deputies were securing the residence, as well as looking for the two dogs, they noticed a bag containing a large amount of suspected marijuana inside that was lying in plain-view inside the home. Deputies cleared the residence and contacted Sheriff’s Investigators to respond to the scene while they waited outside. Investigators procured a search warrant for the residence after deputies discovered illegal drugs in plain view.
As a result of the search, Investigators recovered approximately 14 ounces of marijuana; several individual packages of pre-packed marijuana, THC-infused edible gummies, THC Vape Cartridges, Edible Hallucinogenic Mushrooms, a handgun, and approximately $14,000 of cash were also recovered and seized from the residence.
During the search, the homeowner pulled into the driveway and admitted that there were drugs inside of the residence, and stated that they were his.
As a result of the seizure of the different quantities of illegal drugs inside the residence, as well as admission of ownership of the drugs, Jovano Orlando Cunningham, age 25, of Toccoa, was arrested on Felony Possession of Marijuana with the Intent to Distribute and five additional counts of Felony Possession of a Controlled Substance. Cunningham was released from the Stephens County Jail two days later after posting a $25,000 bond.