Savannah, GA: Two Savannah men are facing years in federal prison after being sentenced this week in a cross-country drug-trafficking conspiracy that funneled major amounts of cocaine and marijuana to coastal Georgia.
United States District Court Judge William T. Moore Jr. sentenced Edward ‘Skip’ Tyler, 42, to 168 months in federal prison, and Ron Allen, a/k/a ‘Ron Low,’ 41, to 84 months in prison, to be served consecutive to other criminal convictions in state court, said Southern District U.S. Attorney Bobby L. Christine. There is no parole in the federal system, and after their release from prison Tyler and Allen will be on supervised federal release for three years.
Tyler and Allen were part of an illegal drug trafficking organization distributing cocaine and marijuana in Savannah and beyond. As outlined in court records and in various hearings, marijuana sales were used to finance cocaine purchases, with cash proceeds hidden in candy machines and shipped to hubs in Atlanta and California. Co-conspirators in those areas shipped to Savannah via U.S. Mail and in vehicles with hidden compartments.
Tyler, who has an extensive record of violence, including drug and gun crimes, served as one of the main cocaine traffickers for the organization. During the investigation, officers observed Tyler conducting a cocaine deal in the parking lot of a Savannah business while carrying a female child. He was on state probation at the time; he pled guilty to Possession with Intent to Distribute, and is awaiting sentencing.
Allen, who was on federal court supervision after release from prison on a previous drug trafficking conviction, served as a major marijuana dealer for the organization. He also supervised the transport of money to conspirators in other states and was in frequent contact with his inmate relative and co-conspirator, Eugene Allen, a/k/a ‘Poncho,’ who is alleged to be a ringleader of this organization. Eugene Allen is serving a life sentence for murder in a Georgia Department of Corrections facility and is alleged to have run his organization using phones smuggled into prison.
In addition to Ron Allen’s 84-month sentence for his guilty plea on the charge of Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute, he is facing revocation of his federal supervised release and additional time in prison.
This investigation culminated in the August 2017 indictments by a federal grand jury that charged 20 defendants with drug trafficking offenses. Most of them have pled guilty. In this investigation, agents seized eight firearms, more than 200 pounds of marijuana, multiple kilograms of cocaine, and hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Key Facts
- State: Georgia
- Category: Drug Trafficking
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
ðŸâ€Â’ Get the grimiest stories delivered weekly. Subscribe free →
MORE FEDERAL CRIME NEWS
Drug TraffickingDrug TraffickingDrug TraffickingDrug Trafficking