UPDATE:
The Leon County Deputy charged with several felony drug trafficking counts has now been terminated. Shonda Knight with the Leon County Sheriff's Office says as of Wednesday afternoon Bill Culpepper Jr. has been terminated as a School Resource Officer with the department. He's been on the force since 2014.
Knight says a temporary School Resource Officer will be placed at Woodville until the position is filled.
Original:
A Leon County Deputy and his son are facing several felony charges following a year-long drug investigation.
56-year-old Bill Culpepper Jr. is the school resource officer at Woodville PreK-8. According to the sheriff's office, he is now on administrative leave and under an internal affairs investigation.
Culpepper and his son Garret Culpepper were both arrested this week. Bill is facing the following charges:
- Conspiracy to Traffick Marijuana
- Possession of a Controlled Substance (THC concentrate) WITS
- Conspiracy to Cultivate Cannabis
- Conspiracy to Manufacture THC Concentrate Cartridges
- Conspiracy of Maintaining a Place where Controlled Substances are Sold
25-year-old Garret Culpepper faces charges including:
- Trafficking Marijuana
- Possession with Intent to Sell
- Drug Produce/MFG Controlled Substance Schedule I
- Drug Produce/MFG Controlled Substance Schedule I
- Public Order Crimes Keep PUB Nuisance Structure for Drug Activity
- Possession of Paraphernalia
On Tuesday, March 18th, 2025, a search warrant was conducted at Garret's home. Detectives located over 15 pounds of marijuana and THC concentrate, and over 1,000 filled THC Cartridges.
The report states detectives also found a package that had Bill Culpepper Jr.'s address on it. Inside the package detectives located parts to a cartridge filling machine.
That same day, detectives obtained a search warrant for Bill Culpepper Jr.'s home in Havanna. Inside, detectives located two fully automatic short-barreled rifles and a Glock with a "switch" making it fully automatic.
Court documents show inside his bedroom, detectives located a lock box. Bill advised this safe was his and he was the only one who had access to it. The report states detectives used a seized key hidden at Garret's home to open the box. Inside was $69,700. The report states this is consistent with the information provided by the RCI that Garret kept his drug proceeds at his father's house.
Detectives say they also located material used to grow marijuana in Bill's attic including carabiners, potting buckets, grow tents, and a pully system.
Both are being held in the Leon County Jail on a $10,000 bond. If released, they are not to be in contact with one another.
The investigation into the Culpeppers dates back to at least March 2024. A reliable confidential informant (RCI) advised LCSO that Garret Culpepper, Bill Culpepper Jr.' son, was selling large amounts of marijuana, THC wax, and THC cartridges in Tallahassee.
Court documents report that the RCI says Culpepper goes by the street name "Immune" because he believes he's immune from arrest or prosecution because of his father working in law enforcement.
The report states at one point Garret Culpepper was afraid that he would be robbed and contacted his father to use his Leon County Sheriff's Office marked patrol vehicle to deter individuals from robbing him by parking it in his driveway.
The report states that based on information gathered during the year-long investigation, Bill Culpepper Jr. conspired with his son, Garret to Traffic Marijuana, Possession of a Controlled Substance WITS, Manufacturing Cannabis, Manufacturing THC Concentrate Cartridges, Maintaining a Place where Controlled Substances are Sold, and Possession of Paraphernalia.
This is a developing story. Click here to read the full court documents.
Want to see more local news? Visit the WTXL ABC 27 Website.
Stay in touch with us anywhere, anytime.
