GSP post burglarized

Morgan County Citizen, morgancountycitizen.com
BYLINE: Patrick Yost, Editor
Link to Article

Madison, GA

Pot, cocaine, meth and prescription narcotics taken from evidence

Four people are in custody and more arrests may be coming in the burglary of the Georgia State Patrol Post 8 evidence room in Madison.

According to Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) spokesman John Bankhead, the GBI was alerted by the Georgia State Patrol (GSP) on Tuesday, June 5, that the evidence room was breached. Bankhead said the room contained evidence seized in traffic stops by GSP troopers. The evidence consisted of marijuana, cocaine, methamphetamine and prescription narcotics.

“A quantity of illegal drugs were stolen from the evidence room,” Bankhead said. Citing an ongoing investigation, Bankhead did not elaborate on the quantities taken or the value. Bankhead did state that the majority of evidence stolen was marijuana.

Bankhead also said the breach was being investigated as a burglary.

According to arrest warrants, two of the suspects have been charged with burglary and two others have been charged with trafficking in methamphetamine.

“Apparently they were selling what they stole,” Bankhead said.

Arrested in connection with the burglary of the post are:

• Sylvia Lynn Garnto, 53, Lowndesville, S.C.; Garnto will be charged with one count possession of a controlled substance, one count items prohibited for possession by inmates and one count burglary.

• William Wade Young, 43, Tuscumbia, Ala.; Young will be charged with one count possession of a controlled substance, one count items prohibited for possession by inmates and one count burglary.

• Daruinsky Anderson, 21, Moultrie, Ga.; Anderson will be charged with one county of illegal trafficking in methamphetamine and one count burglary.

• Bobby Jerome Gaines, 47, Moultrie, Ga.; Gaines will be charged with one county of illegal trafficking in methamphetamine and one count burglary.

Bankhead said Young was incarcerated at the time of the burglary and was working on a state corrections detail at Post 8 during the time frame of the breach.

Bankhead would not elaborate on how the room was breached or how the contraband was removed from the post.

However, arrest warrants for the four indicate that Young is being charged with “possessing contraband not approved by the warden including telecommunication devices and tobacco, when he directed Lynn Garnto to bring these items to 1060 Monticello Road in Madison, Georgia (the address of the post) and later sent other inmates to retrieve the items.” Warrants also allege that Young “had cocaine obtained in a burglary at 1060 Monticello road in Madison… placed on the grounds of 1060 Monticello road to be retrieved at a later time on his direction.”

Bankhead said all four suspects are currently incarcerated: Garnto in Gwinett County on probation violation charges; Young at the White County Jail and Anderson and Gaines at the Colquitt County Jail. Anderson and Gaines are both to be charged with possession more than 28 grams of methamphetamine allegedly taken from the evidence room.

Printed in the June 14th edition.

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