Woodstock man sentenced to 15 years without parole in drug bust
James Wylie Stroud Jr. (Cherokee County Sheriff's Office)
WOODSTOCK, Ga. - A 57-year-old Woodstock man will spend the next 15 years in prison without the possibility of parole after pleading guilty to 13 drug-related and firearm charges in Cherokee County.
Cherokee County drug conviction
What we know:
A repeat offender is heading to prison following a major narcotics and weapons investigation in Cherokee County.
James Wylie Stroud Jr., 57, entered a non-negotiated guilty plea to 13 charges, including selling methamphetamine, possessing controlled substances and multiple counts of possessing a firearm as a convicted felon, according to District Attorney Susan K. Treadaway.
Superior Court Judge Jennifer L. Davis sentenced Stroud on May 19 to serve 25 years, with the first 15 years ordered to be spent behind bars. Because Stroud was sentenced as a recidivist offender under Georgia law, he is completely ineligible for parole during his prison term.
The case stems from an investigation by the Cherokee Multi-Agency Narcotics Squad that launched in October 2025.
Agents discovered Stroud was selling methamphetamine and utilizing a detached garage on his mother's property for storage. Undercover agents completed two controlled transactions with Stroud in October and November 2025, purchasing 8.1 grams of methamphetamine at the garage and inside a Kroger parking lot near his home. L
aw enforcement executed a search warrant on Nov. 29, 2025, uncovering bags containing 11 grams of methamphetamine, a gram of dimethyltryptamine, distribution scales and ammunition inside the garage.
Agents also searched the basement of the mother's home, where they uncovered a gun safe packed with eight firearms, including four pistols, three rifles and a shotgun that Stroud later admitted belonged to him.
Narcotics squad investigation
What we don't know:
Officials have not yet confirmed which specific unrelated drug charge Stroud was previously sentenced for in September 2025, which initially made him familiar to narcotics agents.
The sheriff's office has not released information regarding who owned the text messages describing trading and selling guns, though investigators noted the conversations were uncovered during a forensic extraction of Stroud's phone.
Authorities have not specified the exact street address of the mother's property or the Kroger location where the undercover drug deals took place.
What they're saying:
"During this investigation, CMANS agents uncovered a significant amount of evidence, including controlled purchases of methamphetamine, narcotics seized during the execution of a search warrant, firearms possessed by a convicted felon, and text messages documenting criminal activity," said Assistant District Attorney Elliot Stone. "The thorough work of law enforcement allowed the State to present a compelling case that resulted in a substantial prison sentence."
District Attorney Susan K. Treadaway emphasized the severity of the pattern, noting that the community must be protected from repeat offenders. "This defendant’s criminal history shows a pattern of drug-related offenses spanning decades. When an individual continues to violate the law and harm the community, the State’s pursuit of a lengthy prison sentence is the only appropriate response," Treadaway said. "We are thankful that a dangerous drug dealer has been removed from our streets."
The Source: The information in this story was gathered from the Office of the District Attorney for the Blue Ridge Judicial Circuit, who detailed the guilty plea and sentencing in a news release, as well as evidence compiled by the Cherokee Multi-Agency Narcotics Squad and the Cherokee Sheriff’s Office.