Tifton man faces arson, fraud, drug charges

TIFTON, Ga. – A Tifton resident has been charged with first-degree arson, insurance fraud, and several drug charges, authorities say.

Antoniyo Bennett, 43, of Tifton, was taken into custody on April 7, State Insurance and Safety Fire Commissioner John F. King said Tuesday.

Bennett is being held in the Tift County Jail on the charges, which include trafficking in cocaine/marijuana and possession of a schedule 1 or schedule 2 controlled substance with intent to distribute – all felonies, according to the Tift County Sheriff’s Office.

Oakridge Properties, LLC says it filed for a dispossessory warrant on March 10 against Bennett because of back rent owed on a mobile home he was renting at 458 Oakridge Church Road, Lot #1, in the Oakridge Mobile Home Park in Tift County.

On the morning of March 15, the mobile home caught on fire.

State Fire Marshal’s Office investigators responded to the scene on March 30, and investigators received information about potential illicit activity; State Farm Insurance representatives had received the tip from an anonymous caller, said Insurance/Fire Commissioner King.

“A search warrant executed by our agency at a storage unit on April 7 led to the discovery of numerous articles of clothing and household items reported to have been destroyed in the fire,” King said.

“Investigators also found a large number of controlled substances in the unit, including marijuana and fentanyl, which were reported to the Tift County Drug Enforcement Unit.

“Our office is assisted by Tift County Fire Rescue and the Tift County Sheriff’s Office on this investigation,” King said.

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