DEA and IRS agents raid K.C. Pit BBQ restaurant in Sandy Springs, Georgia
On Thursday morning, federal law enforcement agents searched K.C. Pit BBQ on Roswell Road in Sandy Springs, Georgia. The reason for the raid is currently unknown.
The Atlanta Journal Constitution has the story.
Agents from the Internal Revenue Service and the Drug Enforcement Administration spearheaded the raid which took place around 10:30 a.m. In addition to federal agents, North Metro SWAT and Sandy Springs Police were on hand to provide assistance. According to the Treasury Department, IRS and DEA agents also raided the restaurant owner’s home earlier in the day. The owner of the barbeque restaurant is listed as Jiles Johnson.
During the raid, employees were forced to wait in the parking lot. Agents also checked the cell phones of some of the employees while they waited outside.
Federal authorities have not yet commented on the purpose of the raids.
Our criminal defense lawyers have handled many federal drug and tax investigations, and recently won a major federal drug case at trial. After the search warrants have been executed, the agents and prosecutors will usually review the evidence before deciding on any formal charges or indictments. That's a good time for the defense lawyers to attempt to avoid an indictment, or prepare to defend the case at trial. Federal charges often carry much more prison time than state charges, so an investigation like this is potentially very serious.
