Paulding County Drug House Seized and Forfeited to State After Convictions

On May 8, 2025, a Superior Court Judge in Paulding County ordered the seizure and forfeiture of real property in the Yorkville area, valued at over $230,000.00, following a hearing conducted by District Attorney Robert S. Lane. The court determined that the property had been used to facilitate the sale of illegal drugs and had become known as a local “drug house.” As a result, the property has been declared forfeited and will be transferred to the State of Georgia for law enforcement purposes.

District Attorney Robert S. Lane emphasized his commitment to combating drug dealing in Paulding County, stating, “Before assuming office, I made a promise to the citizens of Paulding County, and to those families who have lost loved ones to drug overdoses, that my office will use every law and tool at its disposal to protect our citizens and make Paulding County and Northwest Georgia an unprofitable place for drug dealers to sell their poison. To the drug dealers in Paulding County, please hear me loud and clear: if you sell drugs in our county, you will go to jail, and you will lose everything you have purchased with your blood money.”

The case originated on September 6, 2023, when the Northwest Georgia Drug Task Force (NWGDTF) and the Paulding County Sheriff’s Office (PCSO) executed a lawful search of the residence. During the search and subsequent arrests of Lenny Scott Moody and Stacey Marie Schmeck, authorities seized 567 grams of methamphetamine and 446 grams of marijuana. Both defendants later admitted in interviews to selling illegal drugs from the residence for several years.

The Paulding County District Attorney’s Office initiated a civil asset forfeiture action on March 13, 2023, to seize the property and related assets. Subsequently, on April 4, 2024, Lenny Scott Moody was sentenced to 15 years (with 5 years to serve in prison) for possession of controlled substances with intent to distribute. Stacey Marie Schmeck was sentenced on February 4, 2025, to 10 years (with 3 years to serve in prison) for the same charge. The final forfeiture of the property was prosecuted by the Paulding County District Attorney’s Office in Superior Court on May 8, 2025.