Greene County deputies have made several arrests in the last few months involving drones that have been used to drop drugs and other items into area prisons. Morgan County deputies have become involved in the battle against drone drops this week as well.
According to reports, a Lithonia man was stopped for speeding (95 in a 70-mph zone) near Newborn Road on I-20 on March 13, and deputies found 3.2 pounds of marijuana, several iPhones, and tobacco.
Darius Jamal Britt, 29, faces charges of possession of marijuana with intent to distribute, felony possession of marijuana, speeding (95 in a 70-mph zone), and driving while license suspended.
According to Deputy Patrick Carey, Britt seemed confused and made repeated statements that he was not speeding after Carey conducted the traffic stop.
Carey also said he smelled the odor of raw marijuana coming from Britt’s vehicle and observed a plastic bag in Britt’s lap that is commonly used to package marijuana, according to reports.
Carey asked for the bag which was labeled “train wreck” with a notation that it contained cannabis. Britt told Carey he bought the bag from a store.
Carey then decided to conduct a probable cause search, but Britt said he had nothing else illegal in the car.
Deputies conducted a record check on the vehicle and discovered that it was registered to a man from Stone Mountain but not reported stolen.
Carey also learned from dispatch that Britt’s license had been suspended for failure to appear.
After Deputy Kenny Smith arrived on the scene, Carey searched the vehicle and found a black backpack that contained a bundle wrapped in a black garbage bag, which was later found to contain 3.2 pounds of marijuana. Britt was taken into custody but denied knowledge of the bundle.
Britt’s two cell phones were seized pending a search warrant. After further investigation, Carey and Smith found that the bundle contained 17 separate plastic bags of marijuana and three vacuum-sealed bags of tobacco.
Carey was convinced the bundle was meant to be dropped into a prison, so the Department of Corrections was notified, and they scheduled an interview with Britt.