Drug Kingpin Sentenced to 135 Months

A 26-year-old Atlanta man has been sentenced to 135 months in prison for his role in a large-scale drug conspiracy, federal authorities announced today.

Stedman J. Bates, 26, of Atlanta, Georgia, was sentenced in connection with his involvement in the distribution of cocaine and marijuana in South Carolina.

According to the evidence presented at his change of plea hearing, Bates owned and operated marijuana grow houses in California and arranged for large quantities of marijuana to be transported to Georgia for redistribution in South Carolina.

In addition to his marijuana trafficking operation, Bates also sold kilogram quantities of powder cocaine and used a stash house in Fountain Inn, South Carolina, to store his illicit goods.

Bates used various drug couriers to bring his product from Atlanta to Fountain Inn, where they would deliver the drugs and then return to Georgia to collect payment from Bates.

Law enforcement estimates that Bates arranged for upwards of 50 kilograms of cocaine to be sold in South Carolina, highlighting the scope of his illicit operation.

The case was investigated by agents with the federal Drug Enforcement Administration, with Assistant United States Attorney Bill Watkins of the Greenville office handling the prosecution.

United States District Timothy M. Cain of Anderson presided over the sentencing hearing, which took place in Columbia, South Carolina.

Contact Bill Watkins at (864) 282-2100 for more information.

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