GAINESVILLE, Ga. – Michelle Dawn Dorsey, Nigel Alan Waddell, and Tyler Josiah Matthews have been arraigned on federal charges of trafficking in heroin.  A fourth defendant, Derrik Omar Frazier, was arraigned on July 20.

Appalachian Regional Drug Enforcement Office Special Agent in Charge Mitchell Posey said, “This indictment absolutely saved lives.  We will never know exactly how many lives were saved but we know families whose lives would have otherwise been shattered will enjoy time together today because of this team’s hard work.  That makes you bounce out of bed each morning so we can get to work!”

According to U.S. Attorney John Horn, the charges, and other information presented in court: Dorsey, Waddell, Matthews and Frazier allegedly conspired to distribute heroin in North Georgia. Dorsey and Waddell sold quantities of heroin in White and Habersham counties. They obtained the heroin primarily from Frazier. Matthews worked for Dorsey and were responsible for transporting heroin from Frazier’s residence in Stone Mountain to Dorsey’s residence in Demorest.

Two heroin users allegedly overdosed on heroin they obtained from Dorsey, but they were revived after being administered Naloxone by emergency medical personnel in White County in one instance and Habersham County in the other. Naloxone is used to treat narcotic overdoses as it can reverse the effects of an overdose in most cases. Both overdose victims likely would have died, but for the life saving measures taken by medical professionals.

“The indictment brought against these defendants is the result of a two-year, joint federal-state investigation by law enforcement to take down a significant heroin distribution network operating between communities in North Georgia and the Atlanta area,” Horn said. “Heroin and fentanyl are poisoning our communities, and the overdoses and deaths are climbing in truly alarming numbers.  Our office, along with state and local law enforcement agencies, are taking a strong stance against those who deal heroin and opiates.”

The overdose victims in this case were transported to medical facilities by friends who were also in possession of heroin.  However, those individuals have not been charged with any offense. Georgia’s 911 Medical Amnesty Law protects individuals from arrest, prosecution, and conviction of certain drug offenses if the evidence of their drug crime results from the individuals seeking medical assistance for someone thought to be suffering from a drug overdose.

On July 20, in conjunction with Frazier’s arrest at his residence in Stone Mountain, agents with the ARDEO and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation West Metro Regional Drug Enforcement Office executed a search warrant. The agents seized one ounce of heroin, one ounce of methamphetamine, one ounce of cocaine, and a cache of firearms.

Each defendant is presumed innocent of the charges and it will be the government’s burden to prove each defendant’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.

Fetch Your News is a hyper local news outlet that covers Dawson, Lumpkin, White, Fannin, Gilmer, Pickens, Union, Towns and Murray counties as well as Cherokee County in N.C. If you would like to follow up-to-date local events in any of those counties, please visit us at FetchYourNews.com