Multi-county gun probe results in raid at Cairo home Monday

A multi-county investigation resulted in a search Monday afternoon of a local home for stolen firearms and the arrest of a Cairo man on drug charges.

Although no stolen guns were discovered in the search, Matthew Martin, 42, a resident of the home, was arrested and charged with possession of methamphetamine after officers allegedly found a quantity of the illegal substance on his person.

Drug agents with the Grady County Sheriff’s Office obtained a search warrant for the residence located at 204 Fourth Avenue S.E., and it was executed at 4:14 p.m. Monday.

“Due to the stolen firearms and narcotics information obtained during the investigation, the Thomas County Sheriff’s Office SWAT team made the initial entry into the residence while Grady County Sheriff’s Office investigators and patrol units served as a perimeter team,” states information from Michael Logue, commander of the G.C.S.O. Drug Unit.

Commander Logue says officers forced their way into the house when the residents refused to acknowledge them.

“Officers did knock and identify themselves as sheriff’s deputies with a search warrant. The occupants did not come to the door,” he says.

Once inside, Grady County Sheriff’s investigators allegedly found methamphetamine on Martin. No other arrests were made in the search.

Martin’s girlfriend, who also resides in the home, was at the residence, along with two children, at the time the search warrant was executed, and the Department of Family and Children Services was notified, Logue says.

The search of the home was the result of an investigation opened by the Grady County Sheriff’s Office Drug Unit on Wednesday, Nov. 25. The probe centered around concerns that stolen firearms were being sold from the residence that was searched Monday.

Working with investigators with the Decatur County Sheriff’s Office, the Grady County drug investigators “conducted an operation” to recover stolen weapons.

“An AR-15 style rifle was purchased from one of the targets of the investigation during this operation and the rifle was confirmed by Thomas County Sheriff’s Office as having been stolen during a burglary of a residence in Thomas County. During that burglary two additional firearms were also stolen. Drug Unit agents also learned the firearms were being sold and/or traded for methamphetamine,” states Logue in a press release. “Additional warrants have been taken in Grady and Thomas counties for the theft and possession of the stolen firearms.”

Anyone who may have information related to the case is asked to call the Grady County Sheriff’s Office at (229) 377-5200 or the Thomas County Sheriff’s Office at (229) 225-3300.