THOMASVILLE — The head of the Thomas County/Thomasville Narcotics/Vice Division said the man arrested Thursday and charged with multiple felonies has been in the drug game more than two decades.

Commander Louis Schofill said Joseph Benjamin Adams Jr. has been a target of the narcotics office for years and has been arrested many times.

Adams’ latest run-in with the law came Thursday afternoon when agents executed a search warrant at 607 West Patterson Still spur, where Schofill said undercover drug transactions have been made.

The Thursday bust goes back to August 2019, when Adams was stopped by Thomasville police for traffic offenses.

“He fled and got away, but left cocaine in the car,” Schofill said. “After finding out where he lives, we’ve been buying off of him,” Schofill said.

When agents entered Adams’ dwelling midafternoon Thursday, Adams was at home, and the odor of synthetic marijuana was overpowering.

“We found four pounds of synthetic marijuana in a box in the top of a closet,” the commander said.

Agents also found crack and powder cocaine, hydrocodone pills and a loaded purple 9mm pistol on a bed.

Adams, 37, is charged with trafficking in a Schedule I substance (synthetic marijuana), two counts of cocaine possession with intent to distribute, two counts of possession of a Schedule II substance (hydrocodone) with intent to distribute, cocaine possession, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime and a number of traffic offenses from the August police traffic stop.

“He’s the type of person we’re after in narcotics,” Schofill said. “All he does is prey on people’s addiction.” 

Senior reporter Patti Dozier can be reached at (229) 226-2400, ext. 1820