Drug charges filed against five after high school students hospitalized

Jones County authorities filed drug-related charges against five people after two Jones County students were hospitalized.

A Jones County High School student was taken to the hospital Monday night, and a Jones County Achievement Academy student went on Tuesday after ingesting pieces of sheets that contained a synthetic hallucinogen, according to the Jones County Sheriff’s Office.

The students were acting out of character and showing signs of medical problems. School Superintendent Chuck Gibson said they consumed postage-stamp-size pieces of the paper.

In a letter to the community, Gibson called the situation “an extremely dangerous safety issue that has affected several of our Jones County students.”

The substance appears to be some sort of lysergic acid diethylamide, also known as LSD or acid, but that not has been confirmed, the sheriff’s department said. The GBI crime lab is working to identify the drug.

Sheriff’s deputies arrested Aaron Devin Kimbrough, 21; Laura Nicole Sellers, 21; Dylan Michael Thomas, 17; Aaron Michael Gaultney, 23; and a 15-year-old juvenile, all Jones County residents. They face charges of distribution and/or possession with intent to distribute. About 2,600 “hits” of the hallucinogen and other illicit drugs were seized.

A statement urged parents to talk to their children about the dangerous substance.

“This action has resulted, in some cases, (in) serious side effects that required medical attention. Please be vigilant, and address any concerns as they may arise,” Gibson said.

Officers are working closely with the Jones County school system and are asking anyone with additional information to call 478-986-3489.

“The safety of our schools and children are paramount, and we will not cease until all persons who are responsible are apprehended,” Sheriff Butch Reece posted on Facebook late Tuesday.

The drug sheet featured a graphic of a man riding a bicycle in front of a mountain, with the year 1943 at the bottom. The artwork referenced April 19, 1943, also known as “Bicycle Day,” when Swiss chemist Albert Hofmann first discovered the effects of LSD during a bicycle ride, according to online research.

This story was originally published August 30, 2017 at 5:07 PM with the headline "Drug charges filed against five after high school students hospitalized."