Ink is on the Wall for Dozens Arrested in Gun and Drug Sting
Although tattoo artistry has proved a great success for the TLC network through programs such as “Miami Ink” and “L.A. Ink,” you won’t see “Augusta Ink,” except perhaps on local nightly news. That’s because “Augusta Ink” is a 16-month sting operation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and Richmond County Sheriff’s Department. ATF agents and Sheriff’s deputies posed as employees of a tattoo parlor in Hephzibah, Georgia, attempting to purchase illegal firearms and drugs from local gang members. The operation netted 400 firearms and boxes of drugs. The arrest operation in November further resulted in 71 arrests. These individuals are now being prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Georgia.
