Thirty-eight pounds of crystal and liquid methamphetamine seized
Lars Prentice Johnson
By Randy Foster
editor@cherokeescout.com
A Peachtree man was sentenced to up to 23 years in state prison in a drug trafficking case that set a record in Cherokee County.
Lars Prentice Johnson, 53, of 670 Bill Barker Road, was sentenced to 225 months (18¾ years) to 282 months (23½ years) in prison following a four-day jury trial at the Cherokee County Courthouse that ended Nov. 20.
Johnson’s arrest was the largest drug case involving methamphetamine in Cherokee County history, the sheriff’s office said in a release.
Johnson was found guilty of high-level manufacturing of methamphetamine, trafficking by possessing methamphetamine and trafficking by manufacturing methamphetamine. He is appealing the sentence.
The arrest
A vehicle stop on July 13, 2022, led to the arrest of Johnson and another man in the largest meth seizure in Cherokee County history, according to the sheriff.
Cherokee County sheriff’s deputies chased a BMW that had committed a minor traffic violation. The pursuit ended when detectives performed a Precision Immobilization Technique maneuver.
After the arrest of the driver, detectives searched the vehicle and found 73.4 grams of methamphetamine, 37.4 grams of fentanyl, 3 grams of psilocybin mushrooms, $700 cash and a loaded gun.
The driver and passenger of the suspect vehicle were questioned after their arrest. Information was obtained that a large quantity of methamphetamine was being manufactured at a camper trailer located at 644 Daylilly Drive in Marble.
A search warrant was served at the Daylilly Drive address, where detectives found 38 pounds of crystal and liquid methamphetamine there. Carlos Dwaine Palmer, 61, of 735 Old Tomotla Road, was arrested a month later and charged with aiding and abetting manufacturing of methamphetamine.
Palmer was released from custody after posting a $25,000 secured bond. He is facing new drug trafficking charges stemming from an arrest in May in Clay County.
Johnson was arrested a day after Palmer was arrested and charged with manufacturing methamphetamine and high-level trafficking in methamphetamine.
The trial
The trial began Nov. 17, the jury was seated on Nov. 18 and the jury delivered a verdict on Nov. 20. Johnson was represented by Murphy-based assistant public defender Linda Fowler. Judge Craig Croom presided.
Johnson was sentenced to 225-282 months in state prison, with 1,035 days credited for time served prior to his trial. He had been held in detention unable to post the $100,000 bond. He was also ordered to pay $266,931 in court, jail and other fees.
Johnson had pleaded not guilty to second degree arson – a charge that was dismissed – and traffic in methamphetamine, which he was found guilty of.
Priors
Johnson was already on probation for trafficking methamphetamine in Georgia when he was arrested in Cherokee County in 2022.
In 2016, Johnson was arrested when White County, Ga. sheriff’s deputies reportedly found $16,000 of drugs during a traffic stop.
Johnson was charged with trafficking methamphetamine. Johnson was arrested during the course of an Appalachian Regional Drug Enforcement Office investigation.
“Within a concealed container of the vehicle, deputies and agents of the ARDEO discovered more than 1 pound of suspected methamphetamine and a substantial amount of cash,” according to a news release at the time.
The estimated value of the drugs is $16,000. The primary operating points of Johnson’s alleged meth trafficking organization was in Hall, Towns and White counties, as well as parts of North Carolina, authorities said.
Motion to dismiss denied
In April, Fowler filed a motion to dismiss charges because of the length of time for the case to come to trial despite filing a motion for a speedy trial. He was arrested in 2022 and a trial date of July 14, 2025 was set, but his case experienced several complications, including his initial lawyer withdrawing to become a judge.
Another complication was the defense having access to evidence held by the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office.
“Due to the large amount of discovery and the need for the prosecutor to obtain a witness from the state of Georgia, a preemptory trial date was set for July 14, 2025 trial session,” Fowler said in her motion to dismiss.
“The charges against the defendant require the production of evidence held by the Cherokee County Sheriff's Office. In April of 2025, a court order was filed sealing the evidence room and any evidence that had been found to be outside the evidence room for audit. Due to the evidence room being sealed, all matters set for the April trial session of Superior Court was continued to Sept. 1, 2025 due to the fact that it was unlikely that the concerns regarding the security of the evidence held by the Cherokee County Sheriff's Office would be resolved before that time.”
The evidence room had been sealed as a result of an earlier audit in 2020 – prior to when Dustin Smith was elected sheriff – that revealed missing evidence. The evidence room was reopened a short time later after a new audit.
The motion was denied.