SOURCE: WCTV, Lowndes County Sheriff’s Office, Valdosta Police Department
VALDOSTA – On Thursday morning, November 15, 2018, a multi-agency sweep that began at 5:30 a.m. ended with 20 people arrested and in the Lowndes County Jail facing a plethora of charges, both misdemeanors and felonies.
The FBI Gang Taskforce is comprised of several local, state and federal agencies, which included the Valdosta Police Department, the Moultrie Police Department, and the Albany Police Department, the Lowndes County Sheriff’s Office, GBI, FBI, federal marshals and probation agencies.
Recovered in the massive all-day sweep were nine pounds of marijuana, 20 grams of MDMA (Ecstasy), and nine guns, most of which were confiscated from known gang members and considered “repeat offenders” by authorities.
Or “frequent fliers”, as one deputy quipped.
Charges for indecent exposure and obstruction of an officer were leveled at one of the offenders, Everson Barnes. Another, Michael Riddle, is also facing obstruction of an officer, criminal trespass, Three of those include Everson Barnes, facing obstruction of officer and indecent exposure charges; Michael Riddle, facing obstruction of officer, burglary and criminal trespass charges; and Jahmir Jordan, who was charged with possession with intent to distribute marijuana and possessions of tools during commission of crime and possession of firearm during commission of a crime.
The FBI Gang Taskforce rounded up roughly half of those being sought and already has plans for another sweep within six months.
Around noon there were over a dozen law enforcement vehicles surrounding the block around College Street and Iola Drive, as it was reported one of the men being sought had taken off on foot and was being pursued with a K-9 unit.
A pageant of Valdosta Police Department vehicles and undercover SUVS and trucks were speeding in a line south on Ashley around 12:30 p.m. and citizens reported seeing them throughout the city.
VALDOSTA- At 5 a.m. this morning, November 15, 2018, they gathered. Agents from the GBI, FBI, officers both uniformed and undercover from the Valdosta Police Department, Federal Marshals, probation services, Lowndes County Sheriff and deputies were ready by 5:30 a.m.
The mission, serve outstanding warrants. “We got together and started rounding them up,” Sheriff Ashley Paulk remarked.
Around noon on College Street at least a dozen police cruisers and undercover vehicles were lined up bumper to bumper on the cross street, Iola.
Sheriff Paulk confirmed than upon serving a warrant to one person they took off on foot and they were at that point searching for him with a K-9 unit. It is unknown at this time whether he has been captured. This is a developing story and Valdosta Today will update with more information as it is received.
