A criminal organization responsible for supplying and distributing various types of drugs throughout Chatham County was dismantled by local narcotics agents following a 10-month investigation.
Chatham-Savannah Counter Narcotics Team Director Everette Ragan on Thursday afternoon announced the investigation resulted in the indictment of 28 people on a variety of felony charges including conspiring to violate Georgia’s Controlled Substance Act, trafficking in cocaine, illegally possessing firearms and violating the Street Gang Terrorism and Prevention Act. Additional suspects are expected to be arrested, and some of those already charged could be tried in federal court.
“We have successfully been able to apprehended and shut down a multi-kilo operation coming into Chatham County,” Ragan said. “A lot of hard work, assistance, and cooperation between a lot of agencies in this community assisted in this operation ... we’re extremely pleased that we’re able to get these people off Chatham County’s streets while they serve long sentences.”
The investigation stemmed from a private complaint about drug activity in Garden City, Ragan said.
“None of this would be possible if that person had not called and reported this,” he said. “It shows how important those tips can be for our community.”
CNT agents launched the operation in December 2012 and focused on the distribution ring headquartered at a house in the 300 block of Priscilla B. Thomas Way in Garden City. Suspects at the location were selling, storing and producing narcotics, Ragan said.
Undercover agents were able on multiple occasions to purchase cocaine, marijuana and pills at that location and were able to identify the ringleaders, who Ragan identified Thursday as Antonio “Taco” Acosta and Nakiea “Kia” Hampton.
Search warrants were executed on two separate occasions during the investigation. First, in March at locations on Savannah’s westside — in the 2100 block of Mell Street and the 1300 block of Golden Street — officials were able to seize large amounts of powder and crack cocaine, marijuana, cash, and guns and arrest five suspected members of the organization.
In September, the law enforcement operation concluded as search warrants were obtained and carried out at the criminal organization’s Garden City headquarters and suspects’ Chatham County residences, Ragan said. That sweep resulted in “the seizure of over 50 ounces of powder and crack cocaine, 2.8 pounds of marijuana, 10 firearms, $262,037, nine vehicles and other assets.” More than $217,000 was seized from a single home and was the largest single cash seizure in CNT’s history.
Ragan estimated the organization had the ability to distribute about 30 kilograms of cocaine throughout the 10-month investigation, worth about $1.8 million.
“This is the reason CNT exists,” said Garden City Police Chief David Lyons. “... They immediately got on the case and the case developed. That’s the way it’s supposed to work, and the results are obvious. This thing just kept going and mushrooming and it quickly became a major drug organization, and in this case through this work it ended well.”
Ragan didn’t say how much of the local drug scene the dismantled organization accounted for, but he said Chatham County is safer with its operatives — many who were known to police as violent criminals — in jail or prison.
“We’ve made a dent,” Ragan said. “We’ve got about 40 guns off the streets that (criminals) will no longer be able to use, we took their money, and we know that some of the dealers now are extremely destitute. They’re hurting. With these guns and these drugs off the streets it’s possibly saving agents’ lives and citizens’ lives and police officers’ lives. So, it’s a very positive impact on the community.”