Former chief deputy accused of selling department’s weapons to fund drug addiction

THOMAS COUNTY, Ga. (WCTV/Gray News) - A former chief deputy in Thomas County is accused of trading departmental weapons over several years to support his drug addiction.

Ron James, who worked for the Thomas County Sheriff’s Office, was booked into jail on May 29 following allegations that he had stolen multiple firearms for the department.

James’ charges included nine counts of theft and one count of violation of the office, dating back to 2018, Thomas County Sheriff Tim Watkins said.

According to investigative documents, the sheriff’s office requested the Georgia Bureau of Investigation to look into the matter involving James in early April that resulted in the now former chief deputy’s arrest.

Documents that have been released share further details about the investigation, including accusations that James was using methamphetamine and exchanging guns to support his drug habit.

According to documents, Watkins was notified of a video on March 26 of James appearing to use what appeared to be a methamphetamine smoking device at his residence while off duty.

Watkins then confronted James in reference to the footage while also allowing him to view it, a Thomas County Personnel Action Form detailed.

James was said to have admitted that he had an addiction to prescription medication and requested intervention from the county’s assistance program.

After being asked about the smoking device observed in the video, the action form stated that James claimed to be smoking THC and not methamphetamines.

James was then ordered to provide a urine sample for narcotics testing at an urgent care facility. Authorities said James’ department car was driven back to the office, where a device commonly used for smoking methamphetamines was found under the passenger’s seat.

The device found was tested by the narcotics division, which said it returned a positive result for meth.

According to authorities, Watkins and Captain Chuck McDonald met with county officials to reveal what they’d learned about James at this point in the investigation.

Lieutenant Kevin Dennis also advised Watkins about the guns in question, which were reportedly found to have been given to an ex-employee by James without the sheriff’s knowledge.

Dennis then contacted the former employee and retrieved five firearms that were provided by James in exchange for Adderall, documents stated.

In April, Watkins met with county commissioners regarding the findings, and they instructed that James be removed from medical leave status and placed on administrative leave without pay until the GBI completes its investigation.

However, James resigned before the GBI investigation was completed, according to Watkins.

James’ formal notice of resignation stated that the decision was “by far the hardest thing” he had to make regarding his work in law enforcement.

“Serving this community and this agency for the past 33 years has been one of the greatest honors of my life. Due to the circumstances surrounding recent events and their impact on my health, my family and my ability to continue serving effectively, I believe it is in my best interest to step down,” a portion of the notice read.

Authorities said the case remains an open investigation.