James Maxwell a/k/a ‘Sonny Spoon’ Pleads Guilty to Drug Trafficking

James Maxwell, a/k/a “Sonny Spoon,” a 43-year-old Macon, Georgia man, pleaded guilty on December 15, 2016 to two counts of possession with intent to distribute marijuana, admitting his role in a sprawling multi-state drug ring that flooded central Georgia with kilos of illicit cannabis.

According to court documents filed in the Middle District of Georgia, Maxwell and co-conspirator Ira Christopher Jackson orchestrated a trafficking network between January 13, 2014, and October 31, 2014, sourcing bulk marijuana from suppliers in Texas and California. The drugs were shipped via the U.S. Postal Service to operatives in Macon and other locations, where they were stored and sold to local dealers across the district.

In October 2014, law enforcement intercepted Maxwell en route to Texas with $184,980.00 in cash—money intended to pay Jackson for more drugs. Officers in Butler, Georgia stopped the hired limousine and seized the cash during a search. Days earlier, on October 17, Maxwell had received approximately nineteen pounds of marijuana, which he distributed from his studio at 4546 Columbus Road in Macon.

A subsequent raid on October 31, 2014 at a co-conspirator’s residence in Macon led to the discovery of Maxwell’s van parked nearby. A search of the vehicle turned up another nineteen pounds of marijuana, cementing the evidence against him. The investigation was led by the DEA, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Homeland Security Investigations, and IRS-Criminal Investigation.

U.S. Attorney G.F. “Pete” Peterman, III noted this is not Maxwell’s first brush with federal justice. In 2007, Maxwell—once known as “Sonny Spoon” of “Dirty Bird” fame—was convicted on drug and gun charges. After his release, he publicly claimed redemption, speaking to youth and civic groups. “It is very disappointing,” Peterman said, “that a man of his talent, given the opportunity to atone and start over, returned to a life of crime.”

Maxwell is scheduled to be sentenced on April 12, 2017 at 9:00 a.m. in Macon. He faces up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine on each count. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Charles L. Calhoun, Elizabeth Howard, and Tamara A. Jarrett. For more information, contact Pamela Lightsey, Public Information Officer, at (478) 621-2603.