VALDOSTA —
A marijuana grow operation was discovered in a home owned by Joseph Ivan Driggers, 41, the director of the Lowndes County’s Children’s Advocacy Center (CAC) late Thursday evening.
Bail was denied to Driggers Friday afternoon, and he will stay in the Lowndes County Jail until his arraignment on multiple charges.
The grow operation was discovered when the Lowndes County Special Operations Division executed two separate warrants at two of the director’s Lake Park residences.
Eight marijuana plants were discovered by investigators at Driggers’ secondary residence, located in the 4200 block of Frontage Drive, reports stated.
Grow lights, fans, electrical ballasts, pots, fertilizers, timers, seeds and ten pounds of marijuana were also discovered when investigators raided the grow house, according to reports.
Four pounds of marijuana, four firearms, scales, a camera, $1,100 in cash and a gram of cocaine were uncovered when investigators executed the second search warrant at the suspect’s primary residence in the 5400 block of Forest Drive, according to reports.
The Frontage Drive residence appeared to have been used solely for the purpose of growing marijuana, said Lowndes County Sheriff Chris Prine.
Driggers submitted a building permit to Lowndes County in 2008 for improvements to the mobile home on his Frontage Road property. The construction included a well and septic tank and costs were estimated at just over $10,000, according to the building permit. The county assessors’ report valued the improvements at $5,000.
Sheriff’s office investigators said they acted on an anonymous tip when they raided the primary and secondary residences of Driggers. Both search
warrants were executed at the exact same time, they stated.
Driggers was arrested on the site and charged with manufacturing marijuana, possession of cocaine, unlawful possession of a sawed off shotgun, trafficking marijuana, possession of marijuana with the intent to distribute and two counts of possession of tools for the commission of a crime, according to reports.
Driggers is a licensed clinical social worker and is listed as the executive director, clinical director and child and adolescent therapist for the CAC. He became the center’s executive director in April of this year.
Driggers has been placed on unpaid leave and Delthia Conrad, a member of the branch’s founding task force, will function as interim director, according to a press release statement from the Children’s Advocacy Center Friday.
In the official statement, a spokesperson for the CAC said the center was “shocked” and “saddened” by the news of Driggers’ arrest.
“The core mission of the CAC to minimize the trauma of child abuse by responding to their immediate and long term needs in a child friendly, safe environment does not waiver,” stated the release. “The CAC will continue under the leadership of the Interim Director and the CAC’s professional staff.”
Sheriff Prine expressed his disappointment in Driggers as well. He also reaffirmed his resolve in investigating illegal drug activity in the area.
“The (Children’s Advocacy Center) is such an important agency and we continue to support their mission,” said Sheriff Prine. “The Sheriff’s Office will continue to investigate illegal drugs in Lowndes County regardless of who is involved.”
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