Feds Charge Oconee County Man with Drug and Weapon Violations
Winfred Turner, a/k/a “Outlaw Bubba,” is one of 23 defendants charged with drug and gun offenses in a federal investigation of north Georgia motorcycle clubs, the U.S. Attorney’s Office announced Thursday.
An Oconee County man is one of 23 defendants, most with ties to the Outlaw Motorcycle Club in Georgia and its affiliated clubs, who have been charged with federal drug and gun offenses arising from a undercover investigation conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, according to a news release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Twenty-one were arrested Thursday and the FBI executed seven search warrants at the Outlaw Motorcycle Club clubhouse on Cascade Road in Southwest Georgia; the Hoodlums Motorcycle Club headquarters on South Waterworks Road in Buford, Georgia; and the residences of several defendants.
The Oconee County Sheriff's Office reported a home in the 1100 block of Crooked Creek Road in the Brookwood Subdivision was among those searched.
Winfred Turner, a/k/a “Outlaw Bubba,” 61, of Watkinsville is charged with cocaine conspiracy, aiding and abetting the possession of cocaine with intent to distribute it, and using and carrying firearms during the commission of a drug trafficking crime, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
The news release stated that criminal charges all relate to acts by individuals or small groups of individuals and do not allege that any of the criminal acts were performed on behalf of the motorcycle gangs or as an official part of membership in the gangs.
In his initial appearance before Magistrate Judge Cole Thursday, the government asked for Turner and 20 others to be held without bond, and Judge Cole scheduled detention hearings for these defendants on August 21 and 23.
This case is being investigated by special agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation with assistance from the North Georgia Major Offenders Task Force, which is composed of the law enforcement officials from the FBI, Georgia Bureau of Investigation, Hall County Sheriff’s Office, Gainesville Police Department, Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office, and Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office. In addition, the White County Sheriff’s Office provided significant assistance in the investigation.
“All but two of the defendants charged in this investigation have direct ties to the Outlaw Motorcycle Club or other motorcycle clubs that are affiliated with and controlled by the Outlaws,” said United States Attorney Sally Quillian Yates in a released statement. “The charges unsealed today allege that these motorcycle club members engaged in substantial drug trafficKing and weapons offenses. This case is a big step forward in maKing sure that these groups don’t threaten the safety of our North Georgia communities.”
Brian D. Lamkin, Special Agent in Charge, FBI Atlanta Field Office, stated: “Today’s arrests of the numerous members of the Outlaw Motorcycle Club and those of several of its affiliate clubs represents the unified efforts of our region’s law enforcement in addressing a serious and very structured crime problem. The Outlaw Motorcycle Club, its affiliate clubs, and its membership are not above nor beyond the law and today’s arrests, the culmination of a two-year intensive investigation, should serve as clear evidence of that.”
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Oconee Watchdog
8:29 pm on Thursday, August 16, 2012
Chief Weems and Sheriff Berry are pretty silent on this one? The usually make it to the media before the warm body is in the jail? I would guess that they are going to defer to the FBI, but they released a lenghthy statement, so why no comment? I think Weems and Berry do a pretty good most of the time [especially on releasing arrest info], so why the silent treatment? If we have Outlaws in our backyard, maybe we have Hells Angels, Crips, bloods, and god knows who else...? Like I said, I think we need our Sheriff to explain this. Thanks!
Dave Ballard
1:22 pm on Friday, August 17, 2012
If the Sherrif's office is the one reporting, then by definition there is no "silent treatment." From the article: "The Oconee County Sheriff's Office reported a home in the 1100 block of Crooked Creek Road in the Brookwood Subdivision was among those searched." Also, it was the Feds who did the arresting, not the locals, and the Feds DID announce the arrests. No secrets there, either.
If you're wondering why the Oconee and Watkinsville Sherriffs didn't have a huge press conference, or pages and pages of comments to release to the local papers, maybe it's because the Feds are the ones leading this investigation, and not the the local law enforcement agencies. Maybe it's also because, while Oconee law enforcement did assist in the operation, the task force was made up of many local law enforcement agencies from around the state, and Oconee was just a piece of it.
I know all this because I read the whole article before I commented, not because I have special knowledge of the goings-on.
Oconee Watchdog
2:03 pm on Friday, August 17, 2012
Thanks for the clarity, Dave. If you have read other media outlets, to include the FBI press release then you would be more informed. It is very interesting that they mention all of the agency names in the task force and then name White County (not a part of the task force) but never mention Oconee as being a part of the investigation. That is strange; wouldn't you agree??
Dave Ballard
4:01 pm on Friday, August 17, 2012
I don't have time to track down every scrap of publically available paper on this, but I can read what this article says. Your comment before was nonsensical because the Sherriff's office DID have something to say, but you said they didn't. (And btw, even if they HAD been completely silent, so what? It's the FBI's investigation.)
Now you're saying that the names don't all agree - a totally separate issue which took you three comments to bring up, and which, again, doesn't wash given the scope of the issue (statewide and beyond), the leadership of the investigation (the FBI), and the content of this very same article (which DOES mention Oconee's participation, and btw, White Co. used to have people on that task force, whether they still do or not, I don't know).
I'm getting that there's a serious concern on your mind, but the questions you've asked so far are all answered by just this one article. What is it you're REALLY concerned about, Watchdog?
Dave Ballard
4:07 pm on Friday, August 17, 2012
Beg pardon, two comments, not three.
Oconee Watchdog
8:44 pm on Friday, August 17, 2012
Dave, I don't have a motive. I was just stating the facts. The truth can be an ugly thing sometimes! Like I said, I think the Sheriff and his police chief do a ok job, and I respect the OCSO. The chief is a stellar blogger, I might add! So to answer your question about what i'm REALLY concerned about; NOTHING!
Oconee Watchdog
8:45 pm on Friday, August 17, 2012
Where has that blogger and chief been anyways?
Dave Ballard
9:13 pm on Friday, August 17, 2012
Well, OK, then!
I guess it kept us both off the streets for a few minutes, anyway.
=D