THOMASVILLE — For the second time in a few days, trafficking amounts of crack cocaine have been seized in Thomas County.

Tax refund revenue is making much of the activity possible, according to the local narcotics/vice chief.

During a Friday night multijurisdictional road check in Pavo, more than five ounces of crack cocaine were seized from a vehicle and occupants who approached the road check on Ga. 122.

Officers walking up to the Isuzu Rodeo smelled a strong odor of marijuana coming from the vehicle.

The driver, Randall Simon, 26, 601 McKinley St., was asked to get out of the SUV.

“As he stepped to the rear of the vehicle, officers saw Simon throw a quantity of cocaine on the ground,” said Kevin Lee, commander of the Thomas County/Thomasville Narcotics/Vice Division.

Simon and a passenger, Cedrick Clark, 32, 129 Payne St., were placed under arrest.

Lee said Simon took more crack cocaine from a pocket and threw it on the ground.

On the passenger-side floor of the Rodeo, officers found a larger quantity of crack cocaine.

“It ended up being more than five ounces of crack cocaine total, which is five times the minimal limit of trafficking cocaine,” Lee explained.

Bond was denied for Simon and Clark, both of whom are charged with trafficking cocaine and remain in the Thomas County Jail.

The drug has a street value of more than $10,000.

When asked where the men obtained the coke, Lee said, “They won’t talk to us.”

Lee thinks the suspects picked up the drug in Lowndes County or Cook County and were headed back to Thomasville to sell it.

The two recent big cocaine busts are being made possible, in part, by tax refunds.

“People — dealers and users — have more money than usual to spend on drugs,” Lee explained.

Also, vacancies have been created in the drug world.

“We’ve taken some of the higher-end dealers out of circulation in recent months,” Lee said. “What you have now is somebody trying to replace them.”



Senior reporter Patti Dozier can be reached at (229) 226-2400, ext. 220.