Four Arrested in Hart County Drug Bust

Stephen Garner

Stephen Garner

Four people are behind bars in Hart County charged with drug possession and drug dealing.

Hart County Sheriff Mike Cleveland said the arrests came last Tuesday at a home on the Bowersville Highway after a lengthy undercover investigation, that included an undercover officer who bought drugs from the suspects.

Heather Marie Hester

Heather Marie Hester

“That got us a search warrant,” Cleveland said. “We had Hartwell Police had a dog there, Alto had a drug dog there, Habersham County was there, and probation officers. We did about a two and a half hour search of the property.”

That resulted in the arrest of Stephen Brett Garner, 38 of 5782 Bowersville Highway,  Bowersville, and his girlfriend, Heather Marie Hester, 27, of 705 Lakeview Road, Lavonia.

Both are charged with Possession of Meth with Intent to Distribute, Possession, Possession of Tools for the Commission of a Crime, and Possession of a Firearm During the Commission of a Crime.  They remain in the Hart County Detention Center without bond. 

Alejandro Mercado

Alejandro Mercado

 

 But Cleveland said it didn’t end there.  Later that same day, he said law enforcement was able to arrest two Hispanic males from Atlanta.

“They were his (Garner’s) suppliers and we got about $5,000 worth of dope off them and we seized their 2000 Chrysler Sebring,” Cleveland said. “We were just as proud to lock up them as the others. At the end of the day, we had seized about $5,000 – $10,000 worth of dope.”

Enrique Herrera

Enrique Herrera

 

Arrested were Enrique Eivera Herrera, 40 and Alejandro Castro Mercado, 42 both of  7359 Bells Ferry Road, Acworth, GA.

Both are charged with trafficking in methamphetamines.

Cleveland said they had hoped the Hispanic suspects would give up their name of their supplier in Atlanta, but instead, they asked for their attorneys.

They also remain in the Hart County Detention Center without bond.