LOWNDES CO., Ga. – The Lowndes County Sheriff’s Office, Special Operations Division and the FBI Gang Task Force have been conducting a series of investigations of three separate residences over the past several weeks. Three search warrants were served on the homes and the offenders were found to possess drugs and firearms.

According to a report released on Tuesday by the Lowndes County Sheriff’s Office, investigators searched a residence in the 100 block of West Hill Avenue on November 19, arresting Barry Kiya Daise after discovering a trafficking amount of cocaine, as well as a stolen firearm. Daise is a convicted felon and was being investigated as a follow up to an August 2019 search warrant, where three kilograms of cocaine were discovered.  Daise is known to be associated with a local drug trafficking organization. Daise was charged with Trafficking in Cocaine and Possession of a Firearm By a Convicted Felon.

On November 20 investigators searched 612 Second Avenue, arresting Bernard Dye Jr., Katrina Billoups, and Jinathan Edwards. A trafficking amount of cocaine was recovered along with a firearm. Two of the occupants were convicted felons and associated with a local gang. Numerous citizens had notified the Lowndes County Sheriff’s Office of drug activity at the home. Charges of Trafficking in Cocaine and Possession of Firearms by a Convicted felon were levied against the occupants.

On November 21 a search of 14 Redwood Circle was conducted. Darius Bradford and Chadwick Trueblood were arrested after being found distributing marijuana, as well as possessing three firearms, two of which were found to be stolen from locations in Valdosta. Both suspects are convicted felons and were charged with Possession of Marijuana with the Intent to Distribute, as well as felons in Possession of Firearms. Investigators had learned of the crimes being committed through citizen information.

In each of these cases, local citizens were instrumental in providing valuable intelligence to law enforcement that aided in the arrests listed above, the Lowndes County Sheriff’s Office statement read.

The FBI Gang Task Force will be coordinating with the United States Attorney’s Office to seek federal prosecution in the above cases under the Project Safe Neighborhood initiative with the Department of Justice in an effort to remove career and violent felons from the neighborhoods and regions they prey upon, LCSO said.