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Other arrests also keep drug agents busy
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Effingham County Sheriff’s drug agents have been busy the last few weeks and have made a handful of arrests to show for it.

On Sept. 15, drug investigators arrested Omar Maurice Smalls, 19, and Nikia Yourlanda Bowens, 25, both of Savannah on four charges and confiscated both cocaine and ecstasy pills as a result.

That was followed with the arrest a couple of days later of  Richard Pinkney Jr., 49, of Rincon, and Lawrence Brown Jr., 44, of Guyton, for possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute, possession of marijuana with intent to distribute, conspiracy, and possession of tools for the commission of a crime.

Investigators seized nearly a pound of marijuana, over a half ounce of crack cocaine, scales and a vehicle in that bust.

And that was followed with the arrest of two Richmond Hill men, Jonathan Taylor Gibson, 18, and Aaron Lee Howard, 20, and a 16-year-old juvenile.

“We had information that a large shipment of Xanax would be brought in a vehicle,” ECSO Detective David Ehsanipoor said.

Agents blocked the suspects’ car with an unmarked police vehicle. Gibson then shifted his car into reverse in an attempt to ram his way out. He then went into drive. But three agents were able to open the car door and pull him out.

“He’s facing a lot of charges,” Ehsanipoor said. “They made a bad situation a whole lot worse. The whole incident could have turned out to be a bad situation.”

Along with the three arrests, deputies removed hundreds of Xanax pills off the street and seized a vehicle, Ehsanipoor said.

The Xanax pills were a shipment from Jacksonville, Fla., according to Ehsanipoor.

That arrest, coupled with the earlier arrests, has led to the seizure of the Xanax shipment, a pound of marijuana, a quantity of crack cocaine and three vehicles.

“A lot of folks have been coming from out of town,” Ehsanipoor said. “We’re putting out the word that we won’t let drugs into the county.”

Ehsanipoor pointed out that the drug investigation unit is separate from other sheriff’s detective units and only works cases related to drugs.