11 Arrests, 68 Guns, $12K In Drugs: Paulding, Haralson Shut Down Drug Trafficking Ring

Editor's Note: One or more names in this report have been redacted in light of additional documentation provided regarding this case.

PAULDING COUNTY, GA — Twelve people are behind bars in connection with a sting operation to take down a major stolen gun and drug trafficking ring in Paulding, Douglas and Carroll counties, the Paulding County Sheriff's Office said.

Four homes were involved in the investigation, three in Dallas and one in Hiram. Paulding sheriff's deputies and the Haralson-Paulding Drug Task Force were tipped off on several locations being used for trafficking illegal drugs and storing large amounts of guns, authorities said.

Detectives got search warrants for the four homes in late January and seized "large quantities" of methamphetamine, heroin, ecstasy, cocaine, prescription pills and marijuana, with a street value of over $12,000, the sheriff's office said in a news release Thursday. They also seized over $3,600 in cash.

The Paulding County Criminal Investigations Division was looking to a report of approximately 100 guns stolen out of the county, and during the execution of the search warrants, detectives recovered 68 of the stolen guns.

Twelve people were arrested and they all face various charges:

• Nathan Tyler Jacobs, 26, of Dallas is charged with:
• Trafficking heroin, methamphetamine and cocaine
• Possession with intent to distribute schedule II dextroamphetamine, schedule IV alprazolam, ecstasy and marijuana
• Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon
• Possession of sawed-off shotgun
• Theft by receiving stolen property

• Jessica Nichole Simpson, 35, of Dallas is charged with:
• Theft by receiving stolen property
• Possession of a sawed-off shotgun

• Alysia Ashley Busher, 31, of Dallas is charged with:
• Theft by receiving stolen property
• Possession of a sawed-off shotgun

• Celia Cheyenne Alexander, 26, of Dallas is charged with:
• Theft by receiving stolen property
• Possession of a sawed-off shotgun

• Meghan Renee Dover, 29, Dallas is charged with:
• Trafficking methamphetamine
• Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon

• Toni B. Bertolo, 57, of Dallas is charged with:
• Trafficking in methamphetamine
• Possession of heroin

• Jamie Nicole Ayers, 44, of Douglasville is charged with:
• Driving without a license

• Brittney Paige Bickers, 33, of Dallas is charged with:
• Outstanding arrest warrant in Bartow County

• (name removed)

• Kelley Ann Long, 26, of Dallas is charged with:
• Theft by receiving stolen property
• Possession of marijuana, heroin and methamphetamine

• Chester Wayne Blond, 39, of Douglasville is charged with:
• Theft by receiving stolen property
• Failure to appear warrant
• Crossing the guard line of the jail with contraband
• Possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute
• Possession of methamphetamine

• Zebulon Norman David Hogeland, 32, of Hiram is charged with:
• Theft by receiving stolen property
• Failure to appear warrant
• Possession of methamphetamine

All 12 people were booked into the Paulding County jail.

"This case is a great example of law enforcement utilizing information about criminal activity received from the public, agencies having an open avenue of information exchange, and Detectives/Agents joining forces to aggressively conduct investigative activities in an effort to keep these stolen guns and drugs out of the hands of criminals," the sheriff's office said in a news release. "This investigation continues."

Anyone with information related to drug dealing in Haralson or Paulding counties is asked to call the Haralson-Paulding Drug Task Force at 770-646-9175. You can also send an anonymous message to the Paulding Sheriff mobile app or call the CID Tip line at (770) 443-3047 as well. These reports can be made anonymously if desired.