Pubdate: Wed, 08 Jun 2005 Source: Macon Telegraph (GA) Copyright: 2005 The Macon Telegraph Publishing Company Contact: http://www.macontelegraph.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/667 Author: Associated Press EFFINGHAM COUNTY DEPUTY INDICTED ON GUN, DRUG CHARGES SPRINGFIELD, Ga. - A sheriff's deputy arrested by her own co-workers has been indicted on felony drug and gun charges, a court clerk said. Former Effingham County deputy Melinda Stewart Johnson was arrested in March and charged with possession of marijuana with intent to distribute and possession of a firearm - police issue - during the commission of a crime. She was indicted Monday, but the indictments were not made public until Tuesday. The arrest came after Johnson bought marijuana during a sting operation conducted by Effingham County deputies. Johnson was on patrol - in uniform, driving a marked police car - when the deal went down, police said. Johnson had been with the department for about seven months when drug agents got a tip that she was buying marijuana. Deputies arranged a sting operation in the parking lot of a grocery store in the small community of Guyton. The deputy, who was still on probationary status, drove her police car into the parking lot and purchased an undisclosed amount of marijuana as deputies watched from hidden locations, police said. She was arrested and later released from the county jail on a $10,000 bond. She was fired shortly after her March 8 arrest. One of Johnson's former co-workers said Tuesday that no one is above the law. "We will police our own," said Chief Deputy Richard Bush. "We cannot and will not let anyone get away with breaking the law." - --- MAP posted-by: Josh