Since May, five Fannin County residents have been arrested in a pair of joint investigations between the Fannin County Sheriff’s Office and the Union County Sheriff’s Office Narcotics Division, resulting in charges ranging from possession to trafficking in illegal narcotics.
Early morning June 20, investigators from both agencies conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle that had just crossed over the Gilmer County line into Fannin via Georgia 515.
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This case originated about two months ago from a combination of tips and other investigations, and the cross-county effort employed “surveillance techniques” to track the vehicle on the night of the stop.
During the stop, Union and Fannin investigators seized approximately 81 grams of methamphetamine, equivalent to hundreds of street doses; 7 grams of fentanyl, which is several thousand times larger than a single fatal dose; and 3.5 grams of cocaine.
As a result, Rebecca Miggins and Shannon Stallone were arrested and charged with multiple counts related to the trafficking of controlled substances. The investigation had previously identified Stallone as having sold a controlled substance, UCSO Lt. Tyler Miller said.
“Our investigation shows that Union County residents, Fannin County residents and Cherokee County, North Carolina, residents get their drugs from them,” Lt. Miller said.
As part of the same ongoing investigation, a previous traffic stop that took place June 3 on Loving Road in Union County led to the arrest of Amanda Kwiatkowski for possession of fentanyl and possession of cocaine.
Miggins, Stallone and Kwiatkowski are known associates who live together at the same Fannin County residence, Lt. Miller said.
In a separate joint investigation, David Newton and Rebecca Peeler were arrested in early May after deputies executed a search warrant just over the county line, on the Fannin side, Miller said.
The investigation revealed that both Newton and Peeler were actively engaged in the distribution of controlled substances to individuals in both Union and Fannin counties, and the pair were charged with possession and sale of controlled substances, Miller said.
“These investigations demonstrate that the illegal drug trade does not recognize county boundaries,” UCSO said. “Strong interagency collaboration between Fannin and Union County law enforcement continues to be a key factor in combatting drug-related crimes and keeping our communities safe.”
Union County Sheriff Shawn Dyer doubled down on this sentiment last week, saying he wants the public to know that “if dope is coming inside our county, we’re going after it no matter where it’s coming from.”
“We’ll cooperate with any surrounding agency, and so far, they’ve been real good to cooperate with us,” Sheriff Dyer said. “Our goal is to get the dope out of Union County, and if it takes going somewhere else to keep it from getting here, that’s what we’re going to do.”
The above individuals are presumed innocent until found guilty in a court of law.
