Russell Steven Varnadoe on Thursday was denied bond on drug and weapons-possession charges stemming from a Wednesday afternoon raid on the Arbor Cottages on Ogeechee Road.
Chatham County Recorder’s Court Judge Harris Odell Jr. set a Feb. 12 preliminary hearing for Varnadoe, 66, for charges including two counts of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, possession of less than an ounce of marijuana, possession of methamphetamine and six counts of possession of drug-related objects.
Assistant District Attorney Tom Cerbone told Odell that Varnadoe has a 1997 conviction and a 30-year sentence, with five to serve, from Bartow County and faces revocation there.
He also has convictions in DeKalb and Gilmer counties, Cerbone said.
Wednesday, police raided the Ogeechee Road housing units Varnadoe owns and operates after they received tips on Tuesday night.
The Arbor Cottages have been the focus of Assistant City Attorney Lester Johnson III and city inspectors for a series of ordinance violations governing property maintenance issues.
He was a regular before Recorder’s Court Judge Claire Cornwell Williams last year as she worked to get him through the violation problems and maintain housing for his low-income tenants.
In late October, Williams found during an on-site visit that Varnadoe had made progress with the property. She allowed units that passed inspection for corrected electrical problems to remain in use.