CORDELE — The Crisp County Sheriff’s Office issued the following press release regarding Friday’s bust at the Ashburn Inn Motel.

After a lengthy undercover investigation into drug sales at the Ashburn Inn, a search warrant was served on room 144 Friday. The investigation was started after Sheriff Billy Hancock received information that 43-year-old Eric Newsome was distributing various narcotics from motel rooms in Cordele. Sheriff Hancock passed the information on to agents with the Mid-South Narcotics Task Force.
During the investigation, undercover drug agents with the Task Force were able to purchase hydrocodone from Newsome and 40-year old Anetrice Buckles on various occasions. Both Newsome and Buckles were staying in the motel room at the Ashburn Inn. Deputies and agents with the Task Force surveilled the motel room Friday and witnessed Newsome pull up to the room. The search warrant was then served and Newsome was arrested.
During the search of the room agents and deputies seized packets of powdered cocaine, crack cocaine, methamphetamine, Hydrocodone, Xanax and marijuana. Also found during the search were numerous bundles of U.S. currency both in the room and on Newsome. Over $19,000 was seized from Newsome as drug proceeds.
While at the room agents encountered two other people that had come to see Newsome. They were 49-year old Shelly Johnson and 48-year old Willie Roger Potter Jr.; both are from Cordele. It was discovered that Potter was wanted on an arrest warrant from Clayton County, Georgia and was taken into custody on the outstanding warrant. During this time Johnson was found to be in possession of a schedule IV controlled substance, Xanax. Johnson was also arrested for illegally possessing the Xanax.
Both Eric Newsome and Anetrice Buckles, who came to the room later, were both charged with selling hydrocodone and possessing with the intent to distribute cocaine, methamphetamine, hydrocodone and marijuana. All four people arrested were transported to the Crisp County Detention Center. More arrest are expected to be made in this case.