Robert Lewis Mathis, Jr. was charged with four counts of Violation of the Georgia Controlled Substance Act. Following a jury trial, he was convicted of Counts 1, 2, and 4. Mathis appeals from the denial of his motion for new trial. He alleges that the evidence was insufficient to support the verdict and that his trial counsel was ineffective. Finding no error, we affirm. Viewed in a light most favorable to the verdict,1 the evidence shows that during the months of February through December 2001, Herman Sampson, a deputy with the Bibb County Sheriff’s Department, was working as an undercover agent in Crawford County as part of the Middle Georgia Task Force. On July 27, 2001, Deputy Sampson went to the home of Eloise Gibson, who lived on the same street as Mathis, in an attempt to purchase $50 worth of crack cocaine. After finding out what Deputy Sampson wanted, Gibson made a phone call and asked for Robert. Gibson then directed Deputy Sampson to follow her to Hortman’s store. Mathis came out of the store and spoke with Gibson. Deputy Sampson and Gibson went back to Gibson’s house and waited in the yard. Minutes later, Mathis drove up and went into his house. Mathis came out of his house, and Deputy Sampson observed Gibson exhange the $50 he had given her earlier for a package that Mathis had in his hand. Gibson turned the package over to Deputy Sampson who testified that it was a piece of tissue containing crack cocaine.
Between July 26 and September 2001, Deputy Sampson continued to see Mathis around town. On September 7, 2001, at 6:45 p.m., Deputy Sampson went to the BP station where Mathis often went to play the 7:00 p.m. lottery game. Deputy Sampson testified that the purpose of his trip to the BP station was to try and purchase illegal drugs. Deputy Sampson parked in the BP station parking lot with his truck’s hood open and stood as if working on his truck while waiting for Mathis to exit the building. When Mathis came out, he walked over to Deputy Sampson’s truck and placed an item in a white tissue on the hood of Deputy Sampson’s truck. Deputy Sampson pointed to $50 he had earlier placed under the hood of the truck. Mathis picked up the money, counted it, stated to Deputy Sampson that it was too much, and gave him $10 back. When Deputy Sampson opened the tissue it contained crack cocaine.2
