Twenty-four people were arrested Friday for allegedly selling drugs in Richmond Hill, Bryan County and Chatham County.
Richmond Hill Police Chief Billy Reynolds said the arrests were the result of a four month investigation by the RHPD, Bryan County Sheriff’s Department and the Chatham-Savannah Counter Narcotics Team.
The investigation resulted from "shared intelligence between the agencies on a loosely associated group of individuals in both counties," according to a press relesae.
Reynolds said the ensuing investigation included undercover agents purchasing drugs.
"Billy (Reynolds) was getting a lot of complaints about prescription drugs and so was (BCSO drug agent) Butch Ward," CNT Commander Roy Harris said. "Butch and Jack (RHPD Cpl. Frost) worked the investigation together. The Armstrong Atlantic Police Department came up with another piece to the puzzle, and some arrests were made today."
Drug buys included marijuana and LSD as well as the following prescription drugs: Oxycontin, Xanex, Hydrocodone, Clonapine, Lorcet and Adderrol.
The Drug Enforcement Agency, U.S. Marshalls and the Hinesville-based Multi-Agency Crack Enforcement Team assisted in the arrests, which all took place the morning of Jan. 23. The suspects were arrested in Bryan County and Chatham County, with one made in Orlando.
Reynolds said 17 of the suspects are from Bryan County. He said they are not in one concentrated area, but rather spread out throughout the county. He also said most of them range in age from 17-22.
CNT Commander Roy Harris said many of the suspects probably grew up together in Richmond Hill, since they are "roughly the same age and the ones who do not currently live there, have at one time."
Harris said these drug arrests are uncommon because most of the young men "come from good families and live a bit of a privileged life. A lot of times, you’ll see arrests like this where it’s downright sad because the young people come from broken homes and an impoverished background. That certainly is not the case here."
The following Richmond Hill residents were among those arrested: Chad Bryant, 20; Zachary Jacobi, 18; Zachary Hallman, 21; Tye Weaver, 20; Ronald Burgess 20; Jacob Vickery, 24; Justin Argroves, 19; Christopher Glover 20; Kevin Conway 21; Tyler Cota 21; Cody Frank Simmons 20; Andrew Ard, 21; and Daniel Pfeile, 17. The names of juveniles were not released.
Harris said the ongoing investigation may lead to more arrests.
He said this is not the last joint drug investigation to be conducted in Bryan County, and he complimented each agency for working together so well.