Albany, GA (August 18, 2020) – On Thursday, August 13, 2020, members of the GBI Southwestern Regional Drug Enforcement Office, Dougherty County Sheriff’s Office, Lee County Sheriff’s Office, Drug Enforcement Administration, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and U.S. Marshals Service, conducted an arrest operation as part of an undercover drug investigation which began during the fall of 2019. The subjects were arrested following a Federal Grand Jury Indictment and will be prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Middle District of Georgia. An indictment is only an allegation of criminal conduct and all defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty in a court of law beyond a reasonable doubt.

Arrested on drug charges during the operation and taken into Federal custody were:

  • Joshua Lee Walls, 35, of Albany, Georgia – Charged with Distribution of Methamphetamine and Possession of a Machine Gun
  • Cody Ray Harmon, 35, of Albany, Georgia – Charged with Distribution of Methamphetamine
  • Emanuel Jermaine Cobb, 36, of Albany, Georgia– Charged with Distribution of Methamphetamine
  • Amanda Knight, 34, of Albany, Georgia – Charged with Possession of Methamphetamine with Intent to Distribute Within 1000 Feet of a School and Possession of Heroin with Intent to Distribute Within 1000 Feet of a School
  • Jessica Ann Bridges, 25, of Albany, Georgia – Charged with Sale of a Controlled Substance

The suspects in this case were living in and operating out of hotels/motels in the Dougherty County and Lee County area. Throughout the investigation, numerous investigative acts, to include controlled purchases and surveillance, were conducted. Agents were able to recover methamphetamine, heroin, cocaine, MDMA (ecstasy), other prescription pills, marijuana, synthetic marijuana (Spice), drug paraphernalia, a Smith & Wesson M&P15 rifle (modified to be fully automatic), and a handgun. During the investigation, information was obtained that Joshua Walls was also selling weapons. Agents made a controlled purchase of a Smith & Wesson M&P15 rifle (modified to be fully automatic) from Walls at a local hotel in Dougherty County.

During the arrest of Emanuel Cobb, agents conducted consent searches of multiple hotel rooms. The searches resulted in the seizure of marijuana, synthetic marijuana (Spice), cocaine, MDMA (ecstasy), crack cocaine, methamphetamine, heroin, and a handgun.

Agents also arrested two individuals having outstanding arrest warrants that were not part of this investigation and they were booked into the Dougherty County Jail:

  • Holli Michelle Freeland, 27, of Albany, Georgia – Charged with Contempt of Court
  • Byron Bradley, 40, of Albany, Georgia – Charged with Probation Violation

The GBI Southwestern Regional Drug Enforcement Office is in Albany and services 42 counties in Southwest Georgia. The office is a collaborative effort between the GBI, Albany Police Department, Dougherty County Sheriff’s Office, Dougherty County Police Department, Turner County Sheriff’s Office, and Dougherty County District Attorney’s Office, and is partially funded with Byrne/JAG grant funds.

Contact

Special Agent in Charge Joe Chesnut

[email protected]