This is the result of Operation Silent Hand – a six-month investigation conducted by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) Appalachian Regional Drug Enforcement Office (ARDEO) in collaboration with the FBI North Georgia Major Offenders Task Force and several local police departments.
Date: Search and arrest warrants were issued on March 4, 2026 (officially announced on March 5, 2026).
Location: The network operated in six counties in North Georgia: Hall, Habersham, Franklin, Stephens, White, and Gwinnett. The main supply line originated from metro Atlanta.
Main Result:
16 people were arrested, all charged with violating the Georgia RICO Act (serious organized crime).
Seized:
32 kg of methamphetamine (approximately 70 pounds)
4 pounds of fentanyl (approximately 1.8 kg – enough to kill hundreds of thousands of people)
Multiple types of redirected opioids (oxycodone, roxycodone…)
Multiple firearms
Full list of 16 suspects (names, ages, residences – all detained at Hall County or Habersham County Jail):
William Doug Allen, 54, Lula
Tonya Doster Pitts, 51, Lula
Chad O’Neal Davis, 54, Demorest
Bart William Starks, 58, Canon
Randall Stewart Hill, 57, Canon
Leslie Nicole Brown Cedillo, 39, Cleveland
Yvonn Parker Brown, 64, Toccoa
Amy Michelle Williams, 51, Toccoa
Breann Denae Coalley, 54, Mount Airy
Haven Douglas Allen, 31, Alto
Arthur Lee Poore, 63, Gainesville
Rodney Wayne Crump, 59, Alto
Kandi Nicole Stewart, 48, Demorest
Mona Lisa Summers, 62, Mount Airy
Sarita King Davidson, 60, Cornelia
Linda Waddell Thompson, 62, Demorest
Response & Status (as of March 20, 2026):
The GBI considers this one of the strongest recent blows to the meth and fentanyl trafficking ring in the mountains of North Georgia.
The investigation is ongoing; further arrests or charges may follow.
Video:
