A South Fulton eviction that was supposed to be routine turned into a headline-grabbing drug bust when marshals opened a garage and found boxes of suspected marijuana weighing about 334.8 pounds. One woman who lived at the home was arrested, three men bolted in vehicles, and two children at the property were picked up by a relative. Neighbors in the Parkway Villages area said they were stunned, and officials say detectives are still working to track down the people who ran.
Eviction Team Found Boxes Packed With Suspected Marijuana
Fulton County marshals returned to a home on the 5000 block of Cantbury Way on April 14 to serve a writ of possession and discovered multiple boxes of suspected marijuana totaling about 334.8 pounds, as reported by FOX 5 Atlanta. According to the Fulton County Marshal’s Department, its deputies are the county unit that executes eviction writs and dispossessory orders, which is why an eviction crew, not a municipal police squad, was at the property that morning. Authorities say the suspected marijuana was packed in boxes inside the garage and that investigators seized the haul on the spot.
One Arrest; Three People Fled The Scene
Officials arrested Carlecia Arnold, who marshals say lived at the residence and has been charged with trafficking marijuana, according to the station. Marshals say two children lived in the home and were picked up by their grandmother. Neighbor Tabitha Rhodes told the outlet, “It’s quiet up there. It’s very surprising,” a reaction that likely echoed across Parkway Villages as news of the seizure spread. Investigators said several male residents jumped into a rental truck and a pickup and fled while officers were clearing the property.
Trafficking Charge Carries Mandatory Minimums
Georgia law defines trafficking in marijuana as possession of more than 10 pounds and imposes mandatory minimum prison sentences and heavy fines for such offenses. The penalties climb sharply as the weight increases. Under state statute O.C.G.A. § 16-13-31, possession of more than 10 pounds but less than 2,000 pounds carries at least a five-year mandatory minimum sentence and fines that can reach six figures, as detailed by Justia.
What Comes Next
The marshal’s department typically forwards evidence and arrests from dispossessory actions to the district attorney for charging decisions and arraignment, and arrested individuals are processed through the Fulton County Jail system, with the county outlining those eviction and booking procedures on its official pages. County officials have not released the names of the men who left the scene, and investigators are asking anyone with information to contact the Fulton County Marshal’s Department or local law enforcement.
