Jackson County & Stephens County, GA (May 26, 2023) - On May 18, 2023, the Appalachian Regional Drug Enforcement Office arrested and charged a Toccoa man and woman with the following:

• Leonardo Gabriel Steeple, age 45, was charged with two counts of Trafficking Cocaine, one count of Felony Possession of Marijuana and two counts of Possession of Firearm by Convicted Felon.

• Aija Monique Wilson, age 38, was charged with one count of Trafficking Cocaine and one count of Felony Possession of Marijuana.

After a traffic violation, the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office initiated a traffic stop near the intersection of Highway 59 and Steve Reynolds Industrial Parkway in Commerce, GA, on a vehicle driven by Steeple. A search of the vehicle revealed that Steeple was in possession of over one pound of cocaine. As a result, Steeple was arrested, and a search warrant was obtained to search his home in Toccoa, GA.  As a result of the search, Wilson was also arrested after additional amounts of cocaine and marijuana were located and seized from the home.

Steeple was booked into the Jackson County Jail, and Wilson was booked into the Stephens County Jail. 

This is an ongoing investigation. If you have information related to drug activity, you are encouraged to call GBI ARDEO at (706) 348-7410.  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. 

The Jackson County Sheriff’s Office, Toccoa Police Department, Stephens County Sheriff’s Office, Banks County Sheriff’s Office, FBI Gainesville, and Appalachian Regional Drug Enforcement Office all assisted with this investigation.

The Appalachian Regional Drug Enforcement Office is a multi-agency unit that covers 30 counties in North Georgia and consists of the following Sheriff’s Offices and Police Agencies: White County, Lumpkin County, Banks County, Jackson County, Habersham County, Stephens County, Rabun County, Franklin County, Gilmer County, Fannin County, the Cleveland Police Department and the Toccoa Police Department, along with the Georgia National Guard Counter Drug Task Force, the Georgia State Patrol, Georgia Department of Community Supervision, and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.