Clay County Sheriff’s Office
News Release
On Wednesday, May 29 Towns County Sheriff’s Lt. Ryan Forsyth observed a drug transaction at the Windy Hill Gas Station in Towns County near the North Carolina state line. Forsyth noted the store clerk to be the suspected buyer and identified him as Rodney Alan Powell, 46, of Marble, N.C. The suspected seller was later identified as being Gary Lee Hamrick, 62, of Warne.
Forsyth approached Powell after Hamrick had left the store. Powell was found to be in possession of methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia. He was charged in Georgia with felony possession of methamphetamine and possession of drug related objects. Due to Powell and Hamrick’s connection to North Carolina, Forsyth contacted Clay County Sheriff’s Investigator Nick Queen for assistance.
Powell admitted to having received methamphetamine from Hamrick as observed by Forsyth. Powell also stated that he had purchased methamphetamine on Tuesday, May, 28 from Hamrick at Hamrick’s residence at 983 Ford Road in Warne. As a result of this information, a search warrant was obtained for Hamrick’s residence on Ford Road. At 9:31 p.m. Wednesday, May 29 9:31 the search warrant was executed by Queen, Forsyth, Clay County Lt. Tyler Faggard, Clay County Sgt. Steven Smith, Clay County Sgt. Chris Moral, Clay County Officer Chris Harper, Towns County Investigator Darringer Barrett and Cherokee County Narcotics Agents Nathan Henderson and Drew Payne.
As entry was made into the house, Hamrick was attempting to flee through a bedroom window and was detained. Within this bedroom, officers located a burned glass pipe with possible methamphetamine residue. Also present within the residence during the search was Charlene Whisenant, 71, of Warne. Within Whisenant’s purse, officers found an Altoids tin can containing a crystal-like substance that field tested positive for methamphetamine.
Hamrick was arrested for being wanted as a fugitive from out of state and pending charges for distribution of methamphetamine by the Towns County Sheriff’s Office. He was issued no bond for his release. Whisenant was arrested and charged with felony possession of methamphetamine and felony maintaining a dwelling to keep or sell drugs. She was issued a $10,000 secured bond.
Towns County Sheriff Ken Henderson and Mark Buchanan were pleased to see their officers working together toward the common goal of ridding our streets from dangerous drugs.
“Towns and Clay counties are essentially one community, share common problems and goals, and will always strive to work with each other in making our community safe,” Buchanan said.