COFFEE COUNTY SHERIFF FACES MARIJUANA CHARGES

Coffee County Sheriff Carlton Evans was charged today with growing marijuana
as part of a 10-man ring that included his brother, his brother-in-law and
seven other men.

The federal charges were the result of a yearlong investigation by the FBI,
GBI, Irwin County deputies and the Governor's Drug Task Force.

Those named in the charges also included Maj. Benjamin Hodge, Evans' former
chief deputy, and Dewey Wayne Harper, a former captain in the department,
who were arrested last fall when GBI agents discovered more than 350
marijuana plants growing in the woods in neighboring Irwin County.

The federal indictments charge the 10 men with conspiracy to manufacture and
possess with intent to distribute more than 1,000 marijuana plants. Seven of
the men are also charged with aiding and abetting the manufacture of
marijuana.

Evans, who presided over one of South Georgia's most prosperous counties,
lost a runoff in August for his fourth term as sheriff. He was charged in
both indictments, as were his brother Sage Evans, Hodge, Dewey Harper, Gary
Lewis Harper, Richard Davis and Dennis Franklin Griffin. Charged only with
growing the marijuana were Keith Allen Spivey, Brian Clifton Fussell and the
sheriff's brother-in-law, Jerry "Pool" Powell.

The charge of growing the weed with intent to distribute carries a maximum
penalty of life in prison; the aiding and abetting charge can draw a maximum
of 40 years in prison.