You have probably seen drug busts happen all the time on the news or in movies, but did you ever expect to see one go down here in DeKalb County?
Probably not!
According to local authorities, a former member of the Russian Mafia was accused of supplying drugs to dealers in several Atlanta counties—including DeKalb. He was arrested after police officers raided a meat packing warehouse and discovered his base of operations.
Police began investigating Eduard Bobrik in 2020, when members of Johns Creek and the Forsyth County Drug Task Force combined forces in an operation against a methamphetamine dealer in Forsyth County.
All of the information they gathered was brought to a Forsyth deputy, and that’s when it was discovered that the meth was originating from DeKalb County.
“The information obtained identified the individual as an excommunicated Russian Mafia member responsible for supplying multiple types of illicit drugs to retail-level drug dealers in Forsyth, DeKalb, Rockdale and Gwinnett counties,” said Stacie Miller, the sheriff’s office spokeswoman.
When the police learned the drugs were coming from a 16,000-square-foot warehouse in Decatur, they got a federal search warrant to check out the premises. During the raid, the police and agents found a meth lab and pill press inside the warehouse office, as well as thousands of dollars’ worth of drugs, $60,000 in cash and several weapons.
“Drugs were located inside the industrial refrigerator that was also stocked with meat and other foods that were to be distributed to legitimate businesses,” Miller said.
According to the report, agents found the following illegal items inside the warehouse:
- 11 pounds of methamphetamines
- 400 grams of meth-infused gummy bears
- 300 grams of heroin
- 200 oxycodone pills
- ∼100 MDMA pills
- Vial of ketamine
- 50 grams of marijuana
- 7 loaded guns
Bobrik has been charged with trafficking methamphetamine, but that isn’t his only problem. He also has several federal charges pending, including meth trafficking and possession of firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
Hurt at work during the commission of a crime
What a wild story!
But let’s say one of the meatpacking employees had been at the warehouse, and was unaware of the drug operation. What if they had walked in on the drug dealers and had been shot? What if they tripped on one of the bags of drugs and hurt themselves?
In other words, the question we want to look into is:
Are you still eligible for workers’ compensation when a crime happens at your workplace?
Workers’ compensation exists to provide for your needs when you’re hurt at work; that’s at the heart of the program. If you are hurt during the commission of a crime at your place of employment, you should still be covered—it just means more paperwork.
As the victim of a crime, you have these rights:
- Just and fair treatment from any law enforcement officers
- Reasonable protection from the criminal(s)
- Ability to speak at the hearing(s) and court proceedings of the criminal(s)
- Restitution for your injuries from the criminal(s)
In addition to notifying your employer of your injuries, you must also inform the police of what happened: what crime took place, how it happened and what injuries you sustained. Be sure to cooperate with the authorities throughout the investigation as they take your statement, etc.
Georgia also has a victims’ compensation program available as well as workers’ comp. These funds can go toward your physical and mental recovery by also covering your therapy bills. Eligible people can receive up to $25,000 to help with their debt.
However, if you were a participant in any of the illegal activity and become injured, your workers’ comp claim will likely be denied. To understand the specifics of your case, discuss what occurred with your lawyer and they’ll let you know if you can obtain benefits.
