NAHUNTA — Three people were arrested Sunday after the Nahunta Police Department received a call from a concerned citizen reporting a reckless driver within the city limits.
CSIU Detective Travis Smith quickly located the vehicle and conducted a traffic stop September 21 following the approximately 12:44 call.
During the investigation, it was determined the driver, Crystal Elaine Niece, 38, of Patterson, was operating the vehicle with a suspended tag, no insurance, and had a suspended driver’s license.
Brantley County Sheriff’s Office Sgt. Wade Bennett arrived on scene. He observed a backseat passenger discard an object from the vehicle.
The object was recovered and identified as a syr inge containing a substance that appeared to be fentanyl. A further search of the vehicle uncovered additional suspected fentanyl and drug-related objects.
All three occupants of the vehicle were taken into custody without incident. They were transported to the Brantley County Detention Center and released to the jail pending further investigation and warrants to be secured.
Niece was charged with Driving with Suspended Tag, No Ins urance, Driving while License Susp ended, Possession of Fentanyl and Possession of Drug-Related Objects.
Jacoby Antwon Thomas, 40, of Brunswick, was charged with Possession of Fentanyl and Possession of Drug-Related Objects.
Jerry Ritch Raulerson, 46, of Nahunta, was also charged with Possession of Fentanyl and Possession of Drug-Related Objects.
Detective Smith is the lead investigator in this case.
Nahunta Mayor Marty Lee emphasized the importance of community involvement in keeping roads safe.
“This arrest demonstrates how vital our community partnership is,” he said. “A single citizen’s call about a reckless driver led to dangerous narcotics being removed from our streets.
Niece
Thomas
Raulerson
“Our officers, along with the Brantley County Sheriff’s Office, will continue to respond swiftly and investigate thoroughly. Working together, we can keep impaired and reckless drivers off the road.”
The Nahunta Police Department and CSIU remain committed to proactive enforcement, community partnership, and interagency cooperation to ensure the safety of all residents.
