A DeKalb County police officer was arrested on drug charges Tuesday. Officer Marius Tassy, 43, faces a felony count of unlawful practice of pharmacy along with a misdemeanor charge of sale of dangerous drugs.
Georgia law generally bars anyone who is not currently licensed from practicing pharmacy, with exceptions for certain authorized health practitioners dispensing drugs within their professional roles. Unlawful practice can be a felony punishable upon conviction by a $500 to $1,000 fine, two to five years in prison, or both; that statutory range does not predict the outcome of Tassy’s case. Georgia’s pharmacy-practice law sets out the licensing rule and penalty.
According to WSB-TV, Tassy was arrested. Tassy was hired by the department in 2023, meaning he had been on the force for roughly three years before Tuesday's arrest.
The term “dangerous drug” has a specific meaning under Georgia law: it generally covers prescription-only drugs that are not listed as controlled substances, as well as drugs separately named in state law. The law restricts their sale and distribution to specified licensed or otherwise authorized channels; most violations of the Dangerous Drug Act are misdemeanors, subject to listed exceptions. Georgia’s statutory definition does not identify which drug, if any, is involved in Tassy’s case.
Following his arrest, Tassy was placed on administrative leave, the outlet's report notes. The department has not released additional details about the conduct underlying the charges, including what drugs may have been involved or where any alleged transactions took place.
Chief Vows Accountability Amid Internal Case
DeKalb County Police Chief Greg Padrick addressed the arrest directly, saying the department would not tolerate criminal conduct and would investigate and hold its officers accountable, per the same report. Padrick added that the department's commitment to the public exceeds its loyalty to any individual officer.
The case remains under investigation, and no further details about potential court proceedings have been made public.
