Andrew Whittington Gets 110 Months for Heroin, Meth, Firearm Run

Andrew Whittington, 40, of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, is headed to federal prison for 110 months after pleading guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm. The sentence, handed down March 7, 2018, by Senior U.S. District Judge C. Ashley Royal in Athens, Georgia, marks the end of a violent, drug-fueled highway run that ended in a physical brawl with law enforcement.

On December 18, 2016, Whittington was pulled over for speeding on Interstate 20 in Morgan County, Georgia, by a Georgia State Patrol trooper. What began as a routine traffic stop exploded into chaos when Whittington consented to a search—then turned violent. After suspected methamphetamine was found on his person, Whittington launched into a physical struggle that lasted several minutes before officers could subdue and handcuff him.

A full search of Whittington’s vehicle turned up 234.15 grams of methamphetamine, 14.476 grams of heroin, and a stolen .22-caliber pistol. At the time of his arrest, Whittington already had five prior felony convictions—making the firearm possession not just dangerous, but a direct violation of federal law designed to keep weapons out of the hands of violent career criminals.

U.S. Attorney Charles E. Peeler made no apologies for the stiff sentence: “A career criminal dealing in the poison of illegal drugs, violently resisting apprehension and carrying a deadly weapon to protect his stash, Andrew Whittington is the exact person Congress had in mind when it passed the law making it illegal for a felon to possess a firearm. He richly deserves the hefty sentence he received today,” Peeler said.

The case was prosecuted under Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a federal initiative reinvigorated in 2017 by then-Attorney General Jeff Sessions to combat rising violent crime through coordinated law enforcement action. PSN focuses on targeting repeat offenders who traffic in drugs and weapons, with the goal of dismantling networks that fuel urban and rural violence alike.

Investigation was led by the Georgia State Patrol and the Morgan County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Graham A. Thorpe handled the prosecution. With no parole in the federal system, Whittington will serve nearly a decade behind bars. Questions about the case should be directed to Pamela Lightsey, Public Information Officer for the U.S. Attorney’s Office, at (478) 621-2603.