DADE COUNTY, Ga.  – At the request of the Dade County Sheriff’s Office, GBI agents are investigating the death of John Richard Sweatt, age 46. On Thursday, July 3, 2025, at about 2:40 p.m., a call was made to Dade County 911 reporting a body floating in a pond. Dade County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded […]

GEORGIA – Two separate boating accidents on different North Georgia Lakes have resulted in serious injures sustained by the boaters. Around 3:30 this afternoon, Union County Fire Chief David Dyer confirmed that a boat carrying at least seven people, exploded on Lake Nottely. Two individuals were life-flighted to Grady while five others were seen at […]

CATOOSA COUNTY, Ga. – District Attorney Clayton M. Fuller announced today that Brandon Edward Jackson will serve the remainder of his original sentence in prison following repeated violations of probation, marking a good example of the application of the Lookout Mountain Judicial Circuit’s new Three Strikes and You’re Out policy for probationers. Jackson was originally […]

PRESS RELEASE – A joint investigation between the Fannin County Sheriff’s Office and the Union County Sheriff’s Office Narcotics Division has led to the arrest of five individuals involved in the possession and trafficking of illegal narcotics. In the early morning hours of June 20, 2025, investigators conducted a traffic stop in Fannin County, Georgia, […]

UNION COUNTY, Ga. – A joint investigation between the Fannin County Sheriff’s Office and the Union County Sheriff’s Office Narcotics Division has led to the arrest of five individuals involved in the possession and trafficking of illegal narcotics. In the early morning hours of June 20, 2025, investigators conducted a traffic stop in Fannin County, […]

CHEROKEE COUNTY, NC – An inmate escaped after shooting a Cherokee County Detention Center Officer and wounding another while at Erlanger Western Carolina Hospital facility Monday afternoon, June 30. Cherokee County Detention Center Officer Francisco Flattes and Officer George Feinauer were transporting a Federal inmate, Kelvin Simmons to the orthopedic office when the tragedy occurred. […]

PRESS RELEASE: The following press release has been issued by Union County Sheriff’s Office in response to a new scam going around. “We have had several reports of a new scam that is going around involving people pretending to be from United Community Bank. One of the phone numbers involved in this scam was (770) […]

PRESS RELEASE – On Saturday night, June 22, 2025, the Towns County Sheriff Investigators received reliable information in regards to drug activity at the Texico in the city of Hiawassee. Investigators set up a surveillance and made contact with two suspects. Probable cause was developed and a search conducted. During the search a variety of […]

WALKER COUNTY, Ga. – On May 23, 2025, Jeremy McCrary, a 46-year-old man from Chickamauga, was convicted by a Walker County jury of Felony Murder, Aggravated Assault, and Possession of a Firearm During the Commission of a Felony, for his role in the March 2022 shooting death of Danny Claire, a 53-year-old man from Chickamauga. […]

WALKER COUNTY, Ga. – A Walker County woman has been sentenced to 20 years, with five to serve in prison, after pleading guilty to trafficking fentanyl—an extremely potent synthetic opioid linked to a wave of overdose deaths across Northwest Georgia. Mary Louis Harvey was convicted following an investigation by the Lookout Mountain Judicial Circuit Drug […]

GORDON COUNTY, Ga. – The GBI and the Calhoun Police Department have arrested and charged Casey Herron, age 36, of Calhoun, GA, with Terroristic Threats and Acts. On Sunday, June 22, 2025, Herron contacted the Georgia Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency (GEMA/HS) and made threats stating he was going to shoot GBI agents. GEMA/HS […]

PICKENS COUNTY, Ga. – On Tuesday evening, Pickens Fire and Hinton VFD were dispatched to a motor vehicle accident around 11:25 PM on Hwy. 136 West just past the Lou Chastain bridge. Initial report was that a tractor-trailer was in the ditch on its side, but a few minutes later confirmed to be an F-150. […]

PRESS RELEASE – The Murray County Sheriff’s Office Narcotics Division, after an extended investigation, arrested Eric Hefner of Dalton, GA and Jonathan Powell of Knoxville, TN for drug-related activity. This investigation led to the seizure of approximately 35 grams of methamphetamine, 6 lbs of marijuana, 86 grams of psilocybin, a firearm, and $5,238 cash. Eric […]

PRESS RELEASE – Narcotics investigators and Patrol units in Murray County, Georgia, conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle as part of an ongoing surveillance operation in an area of Murray County that had received several citizen complaints for illegal drug activity. The driver of the vehicle, Timothy Hagan of Chatsworth, was arrested for possessing […]

PRESS RELEASE – On June 3 2025, The White County Sheriffs Office received information that a subject named Richard Lee (56) of Cleveland, GA was trafficking and selling methamphetamine in the White County area. During the course of the investigation, a search warrant was executed at his residence located on Young Dr., Cleveland, Ga. Mr. […]

CHATTOOGA COUNTY, Ga.– On Wednesday June 18, 2025, the GBI arrested and charged former Trion Police Officer Joel “Chris” Wooten, age 52, of Summerville, GA, with Aggravated Battery and Violation of Oath by a Public Officer. On June 11, 2025, the GBI was requested by the Chattooga County Sheriff’s Office to investigate allegations of excessive […]