Timothy Roland Wimpey, 32, of Dawsonville, was taken into custody Saturday at approximately 2:45 p.m. in the midst of Dawsonville’s 40th Annual Mountain Moonshine Festival for allegedly selling a controlled substance, said Dawson County Sheriff Billy Carlisle.

Wimpey, a former City Council member and one of five candidates vying for two open seats on the council, was arrested along with Guy Lee Kuhnhausen, 35, also of Dawsonville, who was charged with misdemeanor possession of a drug related object.

Arrest warrants, signed by Magistrate Court Judge Johnny Holtzclaw and taken out by Dawson County Sheriff’s Office narcotic investigators, allege Wimpey sold what has been described as 57 morphine sulfate pills, a violation of the Georgia Controlled Substance Act, at a location on Maple Street.

Carlisle said the investigation into Wimpey developed more than four weeks ago when investigators learned about alleged transactions of narcotics pills involving the former City Council member. "It’s taken us this long to make the case," he said.

"Even though we have the Moonshine Festival going on, and that’s a lot of work for us, we still don’t let other crimes going on in the county go. That’s the thing about these investigations. You can’t pick the time, the place or the date — you have to go with it as it comes," Carlisle said.

Bonnie Lowe Jones, Wimpey’s attorney, released a statement on her client’s behalf on Monday, saying Wimpey wished to make both the public and his constituency aware of several facts, including Wimpey’s clinically diagnosed cerebral palsy, a noncontagious disease that permanently affects body movement and muscle coordination, and neck, back and shoulder injuries resulting from a lifting accident several years ago.

"Mr. Wimpey is and has been under the care of a licensed physician for some time. In addition to other medications, Mr. Wimpey has been prescribed morphine to help him control his pain levels," Jones said. "Because this investigation is ongoing, Mr. Wimpey is reluctant to go into greater detail at this time; however, he hopes to make more information about the circumstances surrounding his arrest known in the near future. Suffice it to say in the interim, however, that the situation has been taken out of its proper context."

With the City Council election to take place on Nov. 6, speculation over whether Wimpey would withdraw his name from the election mounted since the weekend arrest, but Jones cleared up the rumors in the released statement.

"He has instructed me to make it known that he is not withdrawing his name as a candidate for Dawsonville City Council. His name will remain on the ballot," Jones said.

As of Monday afternoon, Wimpey remained in Dawson County custody without bond, which must be set by a superior court judge, according to the arrest warrant.