A Dalton man pleaded guilty to planting methamphetamine on the car of a woman so she would get arrested, the U.S. Attorney’s office said Friday.
Clifford J. Joyce, 27, is one of several men involved in a scheme to frame the Murray County woman, who had complained about a judge’s sexual advances. In an effort to discredit the woman, Joyce and others participated in a scheme to frame the woman for drug possession, U.S. Attorney Sally Quillian Yates said.
“The defendant attempted to manipulate the criminal justice system to serve his own purpose by framing someone for drug possession,” Yates said in a press release. “While the narcotics charges were ultimately dismissed, this outrageous conduct cannot stand.”
In April 2012, Angela Garmley, went to court take out warrants against people she alleged had beaten her. While there, Magistrate Judge Bryant Cochran solicited her for sex, Garmley previously told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Cochran told Garmley to meet him in his office, where he told her he needed a mistress he could trust and asked her to return a few days later wearing a dress, but no underwear, Garmley said.
On or about August 12, Joyce hid a metal tin containing five small packets of meth under the tire well of the woman’s car, according to testimony. Two days later, Murray County Deputy Sheriff Joshua Greeson, who has since been convicted of witness tampering for lying to law enforcement officers, conducted a traffic stop of the woman’s car.
During the traffic stop, Greeson searched the vehicle for drugs. Ultimately, after receiving information from Capt. Michael Henderson, who has also been convicted of witness tampering, Greeson found the metal tin of drugs under the tire well. After locating the drugs, Greeson and Henderson arrested Garmley and the driver of the car on narcotics charges. The charges against the woman were dismissed Aug. 23.
Cochran resigned Aug. 15 after an investigation revealed he had pre-signed warrants when he was out of the office. He denied he had propositioned Garmley.
Joyce’s sentencing is scheduled for August 23 at 1:30 p.m., before U.S. District Judge Harold L. Murphy.
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