WARREN RESPONDS TO SECRETARY'S ARREST IN ATLANTA ON DRUG CHARGES

Athens County Prosecutor C. David Warren said last week that a
secretary in his office, arrested Thursday with her husband in
Atlanta for alleged drug smuggling, did not pose any risk of
compromising ongoing criminal investigations while she worked in his office.

Members of a multi-county crime task force had informed Warren over
the summer that [Name redacted], 33, and her husband [Name
redacted], 42, were under investigation for possible drug offenses.

When he learned this, Warren said Friday, he immediately directed
the task force officers to report their progress to a special
prosecutor, David L. Landefeld of Fairfield County.

"I told them, 'Don't tell me any more. Here's a prosecutor for you
to talk to. Do your investigation just like any other investigation.'"

He added that he changed [Name redacted] duties in the office so
that she no longer had access to any information from secret
investigative grand juries, which could allow her to compromise
ongoing investigations.

"When this issue was raised, I took precautions to make sure she
didn't get to see secret stuff," he said.

Warren said that he informed one assistant prosecutor and one
investigator that the Major Crimes Team had the [Name redacted]
under observation, but did not tell any of the other clerical
employees who worked with [Name redacted].

The Major Crimes Team announced Friday that it had
been investigating the couple since June, on suspicion of selling
prescription drugs and smuggling drugs into the United States from
Switzerland.

On Thursday the team, working with customs and border agents and the
Clayton County Police in Georgia, stopped and searched the [Name
redacted] when they arrived from Switzerland at Jackson
International Airport in Atlanta.

After searching the two, officers allegedly found that [Name
redacted] had hashish and "white-widow" marijuana concealed in a
body cavity, and [Name redacted] was carrying marijuana seeds he had
gotten in Amsterdam.

A later search at the couple's Long Run Road home allegedly found 56
marijuana plants growing there. The two were being held in the
Clayton County jail as of the time of the press release.

Warren said he is deeply disappointed in his employee. "I had hoped
against hope that (the crime team's suspicion) was all blown out of
proportion, but I wasn't about to get in their way," he said. "I am
truly disappointed. I really am."

He said that whenever [Name redacted] gets out of jail, he will be
discussing her employment status at the prosecutor's office with her.