An Eatonton man was arrested earlier this week by deputies with the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigations Division Drug Unit.
Deputies stopped and arrested Shawn Daniel Malm on May 10 as he drove into Putnam County after allegedly picking up methamphetamine in Macon, according to Lt. Harry Luke.
Luke said Malm picked up the meth sometime between 11:30 p.m. and midnight, then delivered portions of it to locations in Gray and Milledgeville before his vehicle was stopped by PCSO detectives in Putnam County around 5:30 a.m.
Malm, 44, of Capps Lane in Eatonton, is being held without bond in the Putnam County Jail on charges of violation of the Georgia Controlled Substance Act for trafficking methamphetamine, possession of a firearm during the commission of or attempt to commit certain crimes, possession or transport of a firearm by a convicted felon, and possession of less than one ounce of marijuana.
“Anytime you’ve got over 28 grams of methamphetamine, it’s trafficking,” Luke explained. “And the possession of a firearm during the commission of certain crimes — well, one of those crimes is that you can’t have a firearm within arm’s reach when you’re possessing or trafficking meth, so that’s a separate charge.”
Malm was already on probation at the time of his arrest. Luke said he also has a criminal record in other counties in addition to Putnam County.
“We know that probation’s not monitoring him the way they should because his listed address with the probation office is Canton, but he’s been living here the whole time,” Luke said. “His vehicle hadn’t even hit on Flock up there in Canton in four months. He’s been living here in a shed behind a family member’s house on Capps Lane.”
According to Putnam County Superior Court records, Malm has been arrested and convicted of drug-related crimes multiple times over the past 24 years. On one occasion, he was banned from the county, but was later arrested in Putnam County during that ban.
Following each arrest, Malm was placed on probation and entered into the Ocmulgee Judicial Circuit Adult Treatment Court Collaborative program.
The Adult Treatment Court Collaborative is a voluntary program that provides offenders an opportunity to recover from drug or alcohol dependence in lieu of incarceration. The program typically lasts 24 months and consists of five phases, including frequent court appearances, random drug screenings, individual and group counseling, and additional treatment requirements, according to the Ocmulgee Judicial Circuit ATCC program.
Although the program has produced several success stories, court records show Malm was arrested twice for possession of methamphetamine while enrolled in the ATCC program. In both cases, he pleaded guilty and was allowed to re-enter the program.