Four Candler County men were arrested earlier this week by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation following a joint investigation by the GBI’s Southeastern Regional Drug Enforcement Office, the Metter Police Department and the GBI’s Atlanta Gang Task Force.
In a release Wednesday, the GBI announced the following arrests:
• Efram “Todd” Donaldson, 55, charged with trafficking methamphetamine, use of a communication facility to commit a felony and conspiracy to commit a felony.
• Justin Eugene Aldrich, 38, charged with trafficking methamphetamine and conspiracy to commit a felony.
• Nakia Quaterrio Donaldson, 34, charged with trafficking methamphetamine, use of a communication facility to commit a felony and conspiracy to commit a felony.
• Byron Jamal Brown, 35, charged with trafficking methamphetamine and conspiracy to commit a felony.
They were all booked into the Candler County Sheriff’s Office Jail.
According to the GBI, a multi-agency drug investigation began in February 2024 and led to two search warrants. Police executed a warrant at a home located in the 600 block of Marcus Street in Metter and the other was for a truck located in the 700 block of Kevin Lane in Metter.
During the search, police seized three vehicles, three rifles, four handguns, over $30,000, approximately three pounds of suspected marijuana and one ounce of suspected methamphetamine.
Over the course of the investigation, law enforcement bought approximately one kilogram of methamphetamine in undercover buys.
Multiple GBI work units, along with Metter Police Department, the Treutlen County Sheriff’s Office, Statesboro Police Department, Rincon Police Department and the Candler County Sheriff’s Office executed the search warrants and made the arrests.
“Several agencies conducted this investigation to make an impact on the current street level drug distribution within Candler County and promote a safer place for productive citizens,” the release stated.
The Southeastern Regional Drug Enforcement Office and the Metter Police Department request anyone with information related to drug activity to call the Southeastern Regional drug office at (912) 685-5345. Anonymous tips may be submitted by calling (800) 597-8477.
The Regional drug office covers a 39-county area in Georgia.