A Black woman in North Georgia has seen her new career as an elected official get off to a rocky start after her attempt to go to the local sheriff’s office for help led to her arrest.
Almost a month after Commerce City Councilwoman Roshuanda Merritt was sworn into office, she was arrested on felony charges of marijuana distribution.
Ironically, the charges came after the 43-year-old lawmaker asked the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office to intervene against someone who had allegedly posted inappropriate photographs of her on social media, Jackson County Sheriff Janis Mangum said.
“She reached out for help and filed a report about inappropriate photos. She was the victim,” Mangum said to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
Georgia law criminalizes the distribution of sexually explicit images without the consent of the person depicted. Sharing revenge porn is considered a felony when a person posts a sexually explicit image on a website. In such cases, the offender may face a prison sentence of one to five years and/or a fine of up to $100,000.
If the act involves posting the explicit content on any other electronic platform, it is treated as an aggravated misdemeanor, carrying a potential prison sentence of up to 12 months and a fine of $5,000.
After starting an investigation, the JCSO discovered evidence pointing to a different crime where the public school teacher-turned-politician was placed under the microscope.
Merritt allegedly sent a photo of four THC-infused gummies packages with the text message:“Let her know if anyone wanted to purchase said gummies,” according to an arrest warrant, the AJC reports.
“At that point, I stopped my investigation and requested the GBI,” Mangum continued. “I felt like it would be best for them to become involved because of her position (on the Commerce City Council) and because she was a (Jackson County) school employee.”
The JCSO handed over discovery, pictures, and text messages on her phone of THC gummies that they allege point to the councilwoman selling the cannabinoid narcotics out of her Jackson County home.
The GBI arrested Merritt on Jan. 19 after reviewing evidence and charged her with a criminal attempt to commit the sale of marijuana and use of a telecommunication facility to facilitate a felony. Merritt, who represents Ward 5, turned herself in and was booked into the Jackson County Jail.
Merritt is being represented by attorney Jason Black, who questions how the law enforcement went from working on her behalf to investigating her.
“How was a case able to be made against my client before they were able to solve a revenge porn situation where my client is the victim?” Black told the AJC. “And people wonder why nobody goes to the police for help.”
The lawyer did not deny the gummies were his client’s but said Merritt had sent the text messages before she was ever employed as a teacher or elected to the city council.
“They charged her with conspiracy, except nobody knows what those pictures were. Are they THC or CBD or gummies out of a Captain Crunch box at the store?” Black asked.
“What they did was they made a whole lot of assumptions and claimed she was attempting to distribute THC and added the use of a telephone for basically asking, ‘Do you want one of these?’” Black added.
Still, his client is facing swift backlash and distancing from those who believe the charges are enough for them to step away.
Jackson County School Systems released a statement saying it “is aware of the ongoing investigation regarding a former employee of the system, and we are cooperating with law enforcement agencies.”
While the district referred to her as a “former employee,” as of Tuesday, Jan. 23, she was listed in the East Jackson High School staff directory as a CTAE (career, technical, and agricultural) teacher.
City of Commerce Assistant City Manager Matthew Hailey released a statement regarding the arrest and the municipality’s position on Merritt’s status in the City Council.
“Because this matter involves an open and ongoing investigation,” the statement said. “The City of Commerce has no comment at this time.”
Commerce City Clerk Sandra Haggard was not as vague.
“This is a personal matter, done on personal time,” Haggard told the AJC.
“It occurred prior to her election,” she continued. “It has nothing to do with the city, whatsoever. Our city charter says there is nothing for us to do unless there is a felony conviction in a court of law, and everybody is innocent until proven guilty.”