Wilcox County Deputy Sheriff Arrested for Transporting Drugs

MONTGOMERY, AL—Greg Barge, 45 years old, of Camden, Alabama, was arrested yesterday for attempting to possess with the intent to distribute cocaine powder, announced George L. Beck, Jr., United States Attorney for the Middle District of Alabama.

According to the complaint filed in federal court, on April 10, 2013; May 7, 2013; and June 26, 2013, Barge transported a package that contained what he believed to be multi-kilograms of cocaine powder from Montgomery, Alabama to Camden, Alabama. The package actually contained a substance that appeared to be cocaine but was not cocaine. On each of those dates, Barge obtained the supposed kilograms of cocaine in Montgomery and transported them to Camden using his law enforcement vehicle and dressed in his sheriff’s deputy uniform. Barge was paid $800 on April 10, 2013, and $1,200 on May 7, 2013. On June 26, 2013, Barge was arrested in Camden after transporting the kilograms of fake cocaine from Montgomery to Camden.

An arrest warrant and complaint merely allege that crimes have been committed, and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. If convicted, Barge faces a minimum sentence of five years in prison. He is also subject to fines and a period of supervised release if convicted.

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with assistance from the Alabama Alcoholic Beverage Control Board and the Alabama Department of Public Safety. Assistant United States Attorney Clark Morris is prosecuting the case.