On December 7, 2022, a Carroll County Jury returned a Guilty Verdict against Garrett Justin Wood, of Villa Rica, GA, for Trafficking Methamphetamine, More Than 400 Grams, Possession with Intent to Distribute Alprazolam, Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon, and Possession of a Firearm during the Commission of a Felony. Coweta Judicial Circuit Superior Court Chief Judge John Simpson sentenced Wood to 30 years in prison followed by 20 years on probation.
Assistant District Attorneys Wade Mason and Nathan Stewart prosecuted the case with the assistance of Investigator Ian Wright of the Carrollton Police Department. The evidence presented at trial showed the following:
In the early morning hours of August 26, 2022, officers with the local Aggressive Criminal Enforcement (“A.C.E.”) Unit and Investigators with the Carroll County Sheriff’s Office executed a search warrant on a small camper located off of Legion Lake Road. The two occupants, Garrett Wood and a female associate, were removed from the structure during the search. Upon further investigation, officers recovered from the camper 978 grams of methamphetamine, a baggie of Alprazolam pills, a loaded firearm, and a backpack containing over $6,000 in cash. Following the search, in a mirandized interview Garrett Wood claimed ownership of everything in the camper.
For context, the State of Georgia’s drug trafficking statute’s highest penalty for trafficking methamphetamine requires “a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 25 years.” OCGA 16-13-31(e)(3). This penalty applies when the offender is proven to have possessed methamphetamine in an amount over 400 grams. Wood possessed more than twice that amount.
I commend all law enforcement agencies involved in this case for their commitment to ridding our community of drug traffickers and drug dealers. The District Attorney’s Office is equally committed to seeking multi-year prison sentences for drug traffickers like Mr. Wood, who seek to profit from those who suffer from addiction.
The above press release was sent to WLBB Radio by the Office of Coweta Judical Circuit District Attorney, Herb Cranford
