Drug traffickers sentenced for distributing nearly 2 kilos of meth during I-75 traffic stop

CHEROKEE COUNTY, Ga. — Two people have pled guilty to their involvement in a drug trafficking case that happened in Cherokee County.

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On March 3, 2022, just after noon, Cherokee County deputies pulled over a silver Honda Civic with a cracked windshield after the driver, later identified as, Christoper Lewis Partin, 36, of Fort Oglethorpe, merged into the right lane without signaling lane change while traveling north on I-75 toward Highway 92.

Partin reportedly told deputies he had recently bought the car but did not have a title, bill of sale, or proof of insurance.

According to the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office, he told authorities that he along with Mandy Macall Maloney, 38, of Rossville, were coming from Savannah, where they had visited a friend for about an hour.

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After running Partin’s information, deputies learned that he had an active warrant from Bartow County for violation of probation for a charge of possession of drugs with intent to distribute.

A K-9 then conducted an air sniff, alerting deputies to the smell of drugs in the car.

The pair then admitted that there was a large amount of marijuana and methamphetamine in the car. Deputies then searched the vehicle on the side of I-75.

During the search, officials found 4 pounds of marijuana inside a backpack in the trunk.

A backpack on the passenger side floorboard reportedly had several bags of methamphetamine weighing nearly 1.5 kilograms.

Both Partin and Maloney were taken to the Oak Grove precinct where they spoke to police. They each claimed to be working with an incarcerated man who sent them to pick up drugs for him. Maloney said she brought Partin in as part of the drug ring.

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On June 23, Partin pled guilty and was sentenced to 30 years with 18 years to serve in prison and the remainder on probation. Due to the state’s prosecution, he will be required to serve the entire prison portion of his sentence without parole eligibility.

Maloney pled guilty on June 26 and was sentenced to 30 years, with the first 25 years to serve in prison and the remainder on probation.

“The deputy who initiated the traffic stop was not surprised to hear the suspects were transporting drugs. They had been acting suspicious from the beginning. The driver was excessively nervous, and there was an overpowering smell of air fresheners coming from the vehicle. When the driver claimed to have traveled five hours to Savannah for a one-hour visit with a friend, the deputy recognized this as likely related to criminal activity,” said Assistant District Attorney Macelyne Williams.”

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