Sheriff Stacy Nicholson releases the following information:A consolidated effort, and simply a prime example of “working together” leads to a substantial arrest.

On April 22, 2015, Surveillance Officers of the Georgia Dept. of Corrections made contact with Billy Paul Towry of a Hwy. 382 address for the purposes of conducting a probation search. During this contact, the Officers discovered an amount of marijuana in the possession of Towry. The Probation Officers contacted Deputies Bryce Deboard and Thomas Woody to assist them.

A further search by the deputies netted nearly a half pound of marijuana. The Deputies contacted an agent with the Zell Miller Mtn Parkway Drug Task Force to assist them. During further investigation, the Officers were able to make a connection between Towry and a criminal street gang operating out of the Metro Atlanta area.

Towry was charged with Violation of the Georgia Controlled Substances Act and participation in street gang activity. The original contact with Towry was based upon him being one of Gilmer County’s registered sex offenders being actively monitored by Georgia Dept. of Corrections and the Gilmer County Sheriff’s Office.