Pubdate: Sat, 21 Sep 2013
Source: Chattanooga Times Free Press (TN)
Copyright: 2013 The Associated Press
Contact:  http://www.timesfreepress.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/992
Note: Paper does not publish LTE's outside its circulation area

DEPUTY CHARGED WITH SELLING POT

ATLANTA (AP) - Federal authorities have filed drug and firearms 
charges against a Georgia sheriff's deputy they say sold marijuana to 
an undercover law enforcement agent.

Newton County sheriff's Deputy Darrell Mathis sold marijuana to a 
confidential law enforcement source and to an undercover agent on 
multiple occasions, according to an FBI agent's sworn statement filed 
in federal court in Atlanta this week.

During his initial court appearance Friday, a lawyer was appointed to 
represent him and he was granted $25,000 bond.

"This defendant used his position as a police officer to openly 
violate the very laws that he was sworn to uphold," U.S. Attorney 
Sally Quillian Yates said in a statement. "Selling marijuana out of 
his police car while wearing a badge and uniform is outrageous."

The FBI began investigating Mathis in April after two law enforcement 
officers said a confidential source told them he or she had seen a 
large amount of marijuana in Mathis' Lithonia apartment during a 
social visit, the FBI statement says. Mathis told the source he sells 
marijuana and says he doesn't worry about being stopped by police 
because he drives safely and flashes his police credentials if he is 
pulled over.

The FBI had the source contact Mathis to buy marijuana on several occasions.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom