Monday, October 15, 2018

(News 12 at 6 O’Clock / NBC 26 at 7)

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – A News 12 investigation found in 2018, over 10 months, Richmond County Narcotics investigators confiscated thousands of dollars’ worth of drugs in Harrisburg.

The historic neighborhood of Harrisburg was once home to mill workers. The streets are now decorated with some of Augusta's oldest churches, homes, and also houses a large pocket of Augusta's drug trafficking problem.

Richmond County Sheriff's Office Narcotics Division let us ride-along in Harrisburg.

We were riding along when Investigator Cecil Ridley spotted someone he recognized.

"That guy back there,” Ridley said, pointing to a man. “He is one of the ones we used to deal with on a regular. I didn't know he was out [of jail]. "

That spur of the moment stop led to a drug bust at 2328 Gardner St.

Ridley: "Let me holler at you for a sec? Who been smoking weed? "

Search warrants show investigators found more than 45 grams of crack cocaine, 29 grams of weed, and a firearm in the house.

They arrested twins Tavaras and Travis Peterson.

Tavaras Peterson is charged with trafficking cocaine.

In 2018, investigators have executed ten search warrants in Harrisburg on suspected drug houses, confiscating thousands of dollars worth of drugs.

Search warrants show in the last 10 months, investigators found more than 1,000 grams of weed in those Harrisburg rental homes, more than 80 grams of crack cocaine and 50 grams of meth.

Kelly Wiley: “Do you see repeat offender houses? The same ones?

Investigator Ridley: “A lot of times. And a lot of times what it is, these property owners they will rent to anyone with no credit check, you know stuff like that. And that's the key to the open door there.”

We found a background check in Richmond County's case management would reveal that every tenant listed on the search warrants mentioned had prior drug charges.

We didn't find homes searched twice by RCSO in 2018, but we did find the same landlords popping up.

Richmond County Sheriffs Office Narcotics Division’s Lieutenant Richard Elim says he's not suprised and says they've tried to address it recently.

Lt. Elim says the District Attorney's office is now asking them to keep track of the problem houses, then report that information to her office.

"We are putting them on notice to say, ‘this is your house. This is not the first time we have been there, and if it happens again we are going to be filing a nuisance lawsuit against you’,” explained District Attorney Natalie Paine.

The District Attoney wrote a letter to the landlord of 701 Tuttle St. in Harrisburg saying in part "the Richmond County Sheriff's Office, as well as my office, will be consistently monitoring your property. If further incidents of criminal activity continue to occur at this location, please be advised. I intend to take legal action."

"It being an established neighborhood. A lot of retired people or people who made that their home. You know they try to stay out of the way," Ridley told us.

Richmond County Code Enforcement says they suspect two of those homes where search warrants were executed this year are abandoned. According to information provided by code enforcement, the majority of those homes have gotten a visit from code enforcement more than once.​