Peachtree – A traffic stop near Peachtree Corner Express resulted in the arrest of three people on drug and other charges and concluded a long-term investigation into drug trafficking.
Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office narcotics and patrol – along with narcotics dog Epic – were involved in the incident on April 10. During the course of the stop, Epic was deployed on the vehicle and alerted deputies of the odor of narcotics coming from it, leading to a search.
That search allegedly found 243 grams of methamphetamine, 24 grams of fentanyl, 14 grams of crack/cocaine, 13 Xanax bars, a loaded 9mm handgun, more than $3,000 cash and other narcotics-related items, the sheriff’s office announced in a release.
Occupants of the vehicle were Tara Camila Silver, 38, of Murphy; Jill Lanette Koehn, 43, of Murphy; and Kenard Edward Fortson, 38, of Marietta, Ga. They were arrested and transported to the Cherokee County Detention Center in Murphy.
Silver was initially held without bail, later changed to $300,000 secured bond. Koehn and Fortson were each being held in lieu of $600,000 secured bond. All three remained in custody as of Monday and are scheduled to appear in the Cherokee County Courthouse on Thursday.
Charges for all three include:
- Mid-level trafficking in methamphetamine by possession (a felony);
- Mid-level trafficking in methamphetamine by transport (a felony);
- Mid-level trafficking in fentanyl by possession (a felony);
- Mid-level trafficking in fentanyl by transport (a felony)
- Possession with intent to manufacture/sell/deliver methamphetamine (a felony);
- Possession with intent to manufacture/sell/deliver fentanyl (a felony);
- Possession with intent to manufacture/sell/deliver crack/cocaine (a felony);
- Possession of cocaine (a felony);
- Possession with intent to manufacture/sell/deliver a controlled substance within 1,000 feet of a school (a felony);
- Simple possession of a Schedule IV controlled substance (a misdemeanor).
Koehn faces an additional charge of maintaining a vehicle for the purpose of storing/delivering controlled substance (a felony), while Fortson faces an additional charge of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon (a felony).
Cherokee County Sheriff Dustin Smith described the investigation as a lengthy process. He expressed pride of the investment his officers make on cases like this.