A Murphy, North Carolina man suspected of running a multi-county drug ring is in jail after being nabbed during a traffic stop in White County.
According to the Appalachian Regional Drug Enforcement Office (ARDEO), 44-year old Lars Prentice Johnson was stopped by White County Sheriff’s deputies on Wednesday. They initiated the stop based on information that was gleaned during the course of an active drug investigation.
A press released issued by ARDEO Thursday states, “Within a concealed container of the vehicle deputies and agents of the ARDEO discovered more than one pound of suspected methamphetamine and a substantial amount of cash.” The estimated street value of the drugs is $16,000.
Johnson is charged with trafficking methamphetamine. He’s suspected of running a meth trafficking organization in Northeast Georgia and Western North Carolina.
According to ARDEO Special Agent in Charge Mitchell Posey, the organization operates primarily in Towns, White, and Hall counties as well as Cherokee County and Clay County, North Carolina.
The investigation into the alleged drug operation continues.
The Appalachian Regional Drug Enforcement Office is a multi-agency unit that consists of the following Sheriff’s Offices: White County, Lumpkin County, Towns County, Banks County, Habersham County, Stephens County, Rabun County, and the Cleveland Police Department, along with the Georgia National Guard Counter Drug Task Force, the Department of Public Safety, and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.
