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Two people from Troup County were arrested as part of a multi-county joint drug investigation, according to a press release from the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.

Matthew Wilson Strickland, 44, was charged with possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute, possession of marijuana with intent to distribute, and four counts of possession of a firearm by convicted felon.  Natasha Brazil, 38, was charged with possession of methamphetamine.

Strickland and Brazil were part of 11 arrests made as part of a joint drug investigation by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation’s West Metro Regional Drug Enforcement Office, Northwest Georgia Drug Task Force, Haralson County Sheriff’s Office, Troup County Sheriff’s Office and the DEA Birmingham District Office Task Force Group 42, and 7th Judicial Circuit Major Crimes Unit.

The other nine individuals arrested were the following:

• Daniel Lee Provo, age 39, of Haralson County, charged with trafficking methamphetamine, possession of marijuana with intent to distribute, and two counts of possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony.
• Clarissa Carla King, age 44, of Haralson County, charged with trafficking methamphetamine and possession of marijuana with intent to distribute.
• Oakley John Evans, age 41, of Haralson County, charged with trafficking methamphetamine and possession of marijuana with intent to distribute.
• David Bell, age 67, of Haralson County, was arrested on previous outstanding warrants.
• Michael Bryan Reynolds, age 59, of Haralson County, charged with conspiracy to traffic methamphetamine.
• Joseph Todd Youngblood, age 46, of Haralson County, charged with conspiracy to purchase methamphetamine.
• Deanna Marie Bunner, age 45, of Carroll County, charged with conspiracy to traffic methamphetamine.
• Candace Dawn Awbrey, age 27, of Heard County, charged with trafficking methamphetamine, possession of marijuana with intent to distribute, and two counts of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
• Donald Wayne Massey, age 34, of Cleburne County, Alabama, charged with conspiracy to traffic methamphetamine.

According to a press release from GBI, in September, the West Metro Regional Drug Enforcement Office began investigating Daniel Provo. Through the investigation, agents identified members of a drug trafficking organization living in Haralson, Carroll, Heard, and Troup counties in Georgia and Cleburne County, Alabama. On Nov. 9, agents executed an operation that involved search warrants at Provo’s home in Temple, King’s home in Buchanan and Strickland’s home in LaGrange. Police made several arrests outside of the search warrants as a part of the investigation.

During the operation, agents seized around 4 kilograms of suspected methamphetamine, 2 pounds of suspected marijuana, 6 firearms and around $14,000.

Provo, Awbrey, Reynolds, King, Evans, Massey, Bunner, and Bell were booked into the Haralson County Jail. Youngblood was booked into the Cleburne County, Alabama Jail. Strickland and Brazil were booked into the Troup County Jail.

Multiple agencies conducted this investigation to make an impact on the current street-level drug distribution within Haralson, Carroll, Heard, and Troup counties in Georgia and CleburneCounty, Alabama.

Once the investigation is completed, the case file will be given to the Tallapoosa Judicial Circuit District Attorney’s office for prosecution. Anyone with information about this investigation may contact the Georgia Bureau of Investigation West Metro Regional Drug Enforcement Office at (770) 830-1375. Anonymous tips can also be submitted by calling 1(800) 597-TIPS (8477), online at https://gbi.georgia.gov/submit-tips-online, or by downloading the See Something, Send Something mobile app.