Press Release
☷Richmond County Sheriff s Office and FBI Take Large Amount of Guns Drugs and Criminals Off Street During Operation Grace
Federal Bureau of Investigation ( By Press Release office)
Sep 22,2022
| 10| 2
ATLANTA—The FBI’s Safe Streets Task Force and the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office announced the results of a three - month operation targeting Violent Crime and Street Gangs in the Augusta area . Operation Grace focused on disrupting and dismantling dangerous drug and gang organizations in the community while also targeting those that support and enable the criminal enterprises . Through proactive steps involving dozens of traffic stops and other investigative means , law enforcement officials made 119 felony arrests . Approximately 35 of these people are being referred for potential federal prosecution . Richmond County Sheriff Richard Roundtree advised that this continues his commitment to reducing gun and gang violence . “Operation Grace is what happens when all of our federal , state , and local partners work together and the numbers speak volumes . What is even more impressive are the hundreds of contacts made with law - abiding citizens in the afflicted areas . We want the citizens to know that you do have a voice and we hear you “loud and clear . ”“Taking these offenders off the streets of Richmond County makes our community a safer place for everyone , ” said Keri Farley , special agent in charge of FBI Atlanta . “ The FBI’s Safe Streets Task Force and our law enforcement partners will continue to work non - stop to disrupt these violent gang operations and get illegal weapons and drugs out of their hands . ”Operation Grace included participants from the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office , FBI Atlanta , Bureau of Alcohol , Tobacco , Firearms and Explosives , GBI , Georgia State Patrol , U . S . Marshals , Georgia Department of Community Supervision , Augusta Judicial Circuit District Attorney’s Office , and the U . S . Attorney’s Office Southern District of Georgia . Authorities took 176 guns out of the hands of suspected criminals and recovered a large amount of illegal drugs including:More than 1/2 pound of Fentanyl ( including more than 2200 Fentanyl Pills ) 483 Pills including Oxy , Hydrocodone , MDMA , and others603 . 6 grams of cocaine1 . 5 pounds of methamphetamine45 . 1 grams of heroin33 pounds of marijuanaLaw Enforcement officials also seized $214 , 763 . 00 in cash , allegedly tied to the illegal acts . “We have to reach our kids before the gangs do , ” shared District Attorney Jared Williams of the Augusta Judicial Circuit . “Operation GRACE is a great step forward and a feat of agency coordination and community engagement . ”“Operation Grace is just the latest example of the success of cooperative law enforcement operations in fighting violent crime in our communities , ” said David H . Estes , U . S . Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia . “It is especially important that we continue to take firearms out of the hands of those who threaten the safety and security of our neighborhoods . ”During Operation Grace , the Georgia State Patrol also issued 252 citations , another 299 warnings , and arrested 41 people for DUI . The participating agencies in Operation Grace vow to continue to focus in on violent gangs and drugs , disrupt their operations , and make Richmond County a safer place for its citizens .
PLAY the NEWS
* May be useful for visually impaired persons .
Press release information:
Direct link to press release:
Click here .
