A local man who was previously given probation and a chance at drug rehabilitation after seriously injuring a Columbia County deputy in a 2023 crash is now facing prison time after being expelled from his treatment program.
Garrett Devore, 26, of Augusta, was arrested Tuesday on two counts of probation violation after failing to complete a two-year in-patient rehabilitation program. According to a probation warrant, Devore was removed from the 143 Ministries program due to the use of illegal drugs.
In February, Chief Judge Sheryl B. Jolly sentenced Devore to 10 years of probation and two years of in-patient rehabilitation following the Thanksgiving Day 2023 crash. At the time, authorities said the victims had supported the decision for Devore to receive treatment instead of prison.
Devore was driving under the influence of six different drugs when he struck Deputy John Boy Muldrow with his Ford F250 on Old Evans Road at Harden Street. The off-duty deputy and his passenger were both hospitalized with serious injuries.
Authorities charged Devore with two counts of serious injury by vehicle, DUI, driving with a suspended license, failure to maintain lane, and a seat belt violation. Blood tests revealed he was under the influence of cocaine, methamphetamine, fentanyl, benzodiazepines, alprazolam, and promethazine at the time of the crash.
It was also revealed that Devore had been arrested by Georgia State Patrol the night before the crash. However, the Columbia County Detention Center declined to accept him due to medical concerns. A trooper later dropped him off at his home.
During a court appearance in February, Devore told the judge he had been sober for eight months and was actively participating in a residential substance abuse program.
The crash sparked outrage among local residents, many of whom felt Devore should have received a prison sentence. After he was sentenced to probation, criticism quickly appeared on social media. One user asked, “How are you going to feel, Judge, when he kills someone? It is going to happen. Just a matter of time.” Another commented, “He is not going to stop because he keeps getting a slap on the wrist. The penalty for a DUI with injury deserves prison time.”
Devore has a history of similar offenses. He has been arrested multiple times in the past, including two prior DUI charges and a boating under the influence arrest. In May 2021, he was arrested for possession of Schedule I drugs and later pleaded guilty, receiving probation. At the time, he had fentanyl pills in his possession.
Devore’s brother, Bentley Devore, also has a troubled past. In February 2023, Bentley was sentenced to 16 years in prison for a DUI-related crash that killed 20-year-old Morgan Shea in 2020. Bentley had been driving a modified golf cart on Morris Calloway Road when he crashed, ejecting both himself and Shea. In 2019, Bentley was also charged with fleeing law enforcement and evading arrest at speeds reaching up to 147 miles per hour.
