Durham Reporter

The Durham County's Strike Team scored a big win for law enforcement with the arrest of a suspect in a human trafficking case that originated in Georgia.

“This is the reason why I created the Strike Team at the Durham County Sheriff’s Office,” Durham County Sheriff Clarence F. Birkhead said in a news report. “The team focuses on locating and apprehending dangerous wanted persons making our community safer for those who live, work and visit.” 

The team arrested Demetrius Lamont Edwards Jr., 30, aka “Drama,” who a grand jury in Fulton County, Georgia, indicted on two counts of human trafficking a person for sexual servitude, as well as a criminal attempt to commit a felony and violation of Georgia’s RICO Act, the report said.

The charges came in connection with an investigation into members of the Pyrez Music Group. Deputies checked into reports that the members were luring women into prostitution. Along with Edwards, Atlanta rapper Jon Michael Hakeem Gibson, known as “Cash Out," and three others were also indicted. There have been no reports of Gibson’s arrest.

The Strike Team works in conjunction with law enforcement representatives from nearby counties. Members focus on suspects who commit crimes outside of the individual counties involved. The four counties’ law enforcement agencies have been collaborating on the Strike Team concept since September 2020, according to Chapelboro.com.