Sunday night just before 8 p.m., a Coffee County sheriff’s deputy stopped a City of Pearson work truck that had been the object of an ongoing illegal drug investigation. The stop took place on the east side of Douglas near the intersection of Highway 158 east and the bypass. Ultimately, the driver of the vehicle, identified as Marcus Moore, was released without being charged.
But there’s more to the story.
Moore stated that he had been taking Pearson Mayor Robert Johnson to Baxley to pick up a vehicle. During the stop, Moore stated that there was nothing illegal in the vehicle. However, officers reported that Moore was acting nervously during the stop.
Other officers brought a drug dog to the scene. The dog gave two alerts during open air sniffs; however, officers did not find any illegal drugs in the vehicle. While the stop was ongoing, two Pearson officials responded, public works director Rodney Minor and mayor pro tem Antonio Williams. Minor stated that he heard reports of that same vehicle being involved in alleged illegal drug activities. He had also told city employees, including Mayor Johnson, that City of Pearson vehicles were not to be driven out of the city.
Sunday night, Moore was released without being charged.