Drug Arrests over Weekend

The Oconee County Sheriff’s Office made three drug arrests over the weekend during normal road patrol and enforcement operations, explains Jimmy Watt, public information officer with the Oconee County Sheriff’s Office.  “One arrest occurred during the early morning hours of Sunday.  According to deputies, a dark color 2010 Mitsubishi Gallant was traveling north on Highway 11 and was observed by deputies swerving on the road.  The driver of the vehicle placed his right turn signal on and then slammed on the brakes, causing the deputy to do likewise.  The vehicle did not turn onto Armstrong Road but continued straight on Highway 11.  A traffic stop was initiated later on Highway 11 just prior to Richland Road and the intersection of Old Seneca Road. As the deputy approached the vehicle, he smelled what appeared to be marijuana and as he made contact with the vehicle on the passenger side due to several occupants in the vehicle and the location of the stop, the deputy could still smell what appeared to be marijuana.  The deputy ran the drivers information and wrote a warning ticket for improper lane use.  The deputy then went on to explain that there was a smell of marijuana coming from the vehicle and advised the driver that a search was going to be conducted due to probable cause.  After giving deputies consent to search the vehicle, the occupants were searched individually and a search of the vehicle commenced.  Deputies reportedly seized what appeared to be crack cocaine from the front passenger seat.  One occupant in the vehicle, Justus Hagood, then told deputies that he had more drugs in his crotch area.  He was then placed under arrest for possession of crack cocaine.  Hagood was then transported to the Oconee County Law Enforcement Center, where upon a search by the detention staff, marijuana and was appeared to be crack cocaine were found in his crotch area. According to warrants, Hagood, who is 18-years-old, was charged with possession of crack cocaine with intent to distribute.  Another individual arrested over the weekend on drug charges was 32-year-old David Jeremy Gillespie of Athens, Georgia.  According to warrants, Gillespie has been charged with bringing into the state a quantity of 100 to 499 doses of LSD, possession with intent to distribute Dimethyltrytamine, a schedule I controlled substance, and possession of Clonazepam and Diazepam, both schedule IV controlled substances.  This incident occurred at South Highway 11 and Rock Hill Road in Fair Play.  One other individual that was arrested on drug charges was 20-year-old Xzavier Bernard Durham of Seneca.  According to warrants, Durham was charged with possession with intent to distribute marijuana.  According to those warrants, Durham had 37 grams of marijuana packaged in two separate packages.  Durham was also charged with possession of crack cocaine.  Both those charges stem for an incident on South Highway 11 at South Union Road in Westminster.  Durham also was charged with bringing into the Oconee County Detention Center a substance believed to be marijuana.”  The three suspects were into the Oconee County Detention Center in Walhalla.