JARRETT GOODMAN
Staff Writer
The Marion County Commission approved the purchase of a Magnet Forensics-branded GrayKey licensing system on Monday, April 28.
County Mayor David Jackson presented commissioners with a packet outlining the cost of the system, which totals $32,758.04. The software will be used by the Marion County Sheriff’s Department. All costs will be covered by Opioid Abatement funds previously approved during the commission’s January meeting.
Commissioner Gene Hargis, who also serves as Chief Detective for the Sheriff’s Department, explained the system will help track drug sellers by accessing buyers’ contact information. The system works by allowing authorized personnel to connect directly to a device through a wired connection. Once connected, it enables users to recover and analyze critical data—even deleted information—to determine who the victim of a drug overdose last communicated with.
Thanks to the system’s capabilities, the department has previously been able to file second-degree murder charges against several fentanyl dealers. Fentanyl and methamphetamine remain two of the most commonly trafficked drugs in the county.
“Methamphetamine and fentanyl are the two worst, and the problem with fentanyl is they’re mixing it with everything,” stated Hargis.
With the commission’s approval, the Sheriff’s Department will move forward with installing the new forensic licensing system as part of its continued efforts to combat drug-related crime
