VALDOSTA, Ga. – On August 28, 2019 the Lowndes County Sheriff’s Office, Special Operations Division, conducted a search of 1701 North Lee Street, Valdosta, based upon the activity of the homeowner, William Smith III.

According to a report from the Lowndes County Sheriff’s Office, Smith had been under surveillance since early August of 2019 based on intelligence received concerning his alleged involvement with drug suppliers in the local area and elsewhere.

The investigation into Smith led investigators to believe Smith was involved in the procurement and distribution of large amounts of cocaine in the Lowndes County area, and was a primary supplier to local drug distributors.

The search revealed that Smith possessed slightly over three and a half kilograms of cocaine, which was broken into multiple distribution amounts, including 3229 grams of powder cocaine along with 364 grams of crack cocaine. Smith was found to have been manufacturing the cocaine into crack in his home, where he resided with his wife and children. The cocaine recovered has a street distribution value of approximately $350,000. Other suspects associated with aiding Smith in the Lowndes County area were identified during the course of the investigation, and future arrests are pending. 

The investigation was conducted through coordination between the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, and the State of Georgia Department of Community Supervision.