DeKalb County Magistrate Court employee arrested for drug distribution

BUTTS COUNTY, Ga. - An investigator with DeKalb County Magistrate Court remained behind bars Monday night in Butts County. The Butts County Sheriff’s Office said Marques Smith and another man were arrested late Thursday night on Interstate 75 with a pound of marijuana and several weapons in their vehicle.

“Right here, we got a pound of weed and we got four weapons that was seized on the interstate,” said Major Jeffery Nix as he showed FOX 5 News a confiscated pound of marijuana, two handguns and two AR 15 rifles.

That in itself is always of concern to Major Jeffery Nix, more so this time because the weed and guns were in Smith’s car.

“Mr. Marques Smith, he represented himself as an investigator with the Magistrate Judges Office in DeKalb County. He does, in fact, work there,” said Major Nix.

Major Nix said Smith was pulled over on I-75 late Thursday night for failure to maintain a lane and following too close.

On dash cam video 35-year-old Smith exchanged remarks with the deputy about working for Magistrate Court in DeKalb County.

Deputy: “How long you been with DeKalb?”

Smith: “Going on six years. Yeah, I love it, man.”

Smith and the passenger with him, 32-year-old Travis Singleterry, were arrested after a drug-sniffing dog found the pound of pot in the trunk of Smith’s car. The canine was used after the deputy smelled a very strong odor of the raw weed emanating from it.

“This amount of narcotics in the car leads me to one speculation, he’s a drug dealer,” said Major Nix.

Nix said Smith presented a DeKalb Court ID to the officer when he said he worked as an investigator for DeKalb County Magistrate Court. He said Smith is not certified as a police officer but is certified with the GCIC, the Georgia Crime Information Center, granting him access to sensitive records for the court.

“We’re held to a higher standard and if he’s going to present himself as an investigator with the court system he too should be held to a higher standard,” said Major Nix.

Smith and Singleterry are both facing charges of possession with intent to distribute and possession of firearms during the commission of a felony.

FOX 5 News reached out to DeKalb County Magistrate Court but did not get a response.