Two Toccoa residents arrested following traffic stop

Two Toccoa residents were arrested following a traffic stop in Stephens County.

According to Stephens County Sheriff Randy Shirley, on December 6, around 9:00 p.m. a K-9 Deputy with the Sheriff’s Office conducted a traffic stop on a gold Chevrolet pick-up truck at the intersection of Gumlog and Seven Forks Road.

The stop was conducted after the deputy observed the driver of the pick-up truck failed to use his turn signal when making a turn.

Shirley says, the K-9 deputy explained the reason for the stop to the driver and noted there was also a passenger in the vehicle.

The driver was identified as 52-year-old Randall Martin and the passenger 26-year-old Harley Martin.

Shirley says, while speaking to the driver, the K-9 deputy became suspicious because the driver was extremely nervous and evasive in questions being asked by the deputy.

The K-9 deputy was granted consent to search the vehicle by the driver. K-9 Dexter began searching and made a positive alert on the vehicle indicating the presence of illegal narcotics.

According to Shirley, a thorough search of the vehicle revealed a quantity of suspected heroin inside the vehicle. A field test was performed giving a positive reading.

Shirley says the heroin was carefully concealed in a commercially produced, over-the-counter dietary supplement, which had been emptied and resealed with the heroin.

Randall Martin was arrested and charged with possession of heroin and failure to signal lane change or turn.

Harley Martin was arrested for an outstanding warrant from Handcock County Sheriff’s Office.

Both are currently incarcerated in the Stephens County Jail.