Eric Lashawn Hayes, Fentanyl Trafficking, Georgia 2021
WAYCROSS, GA - In a major blow to the opioid epidemic, Eric Lashawn Hayes, a/k/a “Pee Wee,” 28, of Blackshear, Ga., has pleaded guilty to his role in a Waycross-area fentanyl and heroin trafficking operation.
The six defendants named in the indictment, U.S.A. v. Hayes, et. al, were targeted for their involvement in a drug distribution network in the greater Waycross area. The investigation, initiated by the Pierce and Ware County Sheriff’s Offices in July 2020, identified Hayes as a source of supply for the illegal drugs.
The investigation culminated in the indictments of the six defendants, all of whom have now pleaded guilty. Hayes faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison, up to life, along with substantial financial penalties, and a minimum of eight years of supervised release upon completion of any prison term.
There is no parole in the federal system. Hayes was one of six defendants named in February 2021 in U.S.A. v. Hayes, et. al, an indictment targeting a drug distribution network in the greater Waycross area.
The case was investigated by the Savannah Office of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, the Ware County Sheriff’s Office, the Pierce County Sheriff’s Office, and the Blackshear Police Department, with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the U.S. Marshals Service, and prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Frank M. Pennington II and Noah J. Abrams.
“Opioid addiction and overdoses, particularly those involving fentanyl, continue to ravage our country,” said U.S. Attorney David H. Estes. “Eric Hayes typifies the gun-carrying drug trafficker whose activities fuel the opioid epidemic and the violent crime it inflicts on our communities. The substantial prison sentence he now faces will make our streets safer.”
Hayes’ brother, Cyrlus LaShawn Hayes, a/k/a “Dubo,” 45, of Waycross, Ga., is serving 120 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute, and to Distribute, Fentanyl and Heroin; and Crystal Champagne, 34, of Waycross, is serving 30 months in prison after pleading guilty to Distribution of Fentanyl.
Preston Connor Luke, 27, of Blackshear; Renalba Jamar Green, a/k/a “Reno,” 35, of Waycross, Ga.; and Davey Green, a/k/a “Little Dave,” 35, of Waycross – await sentencing after pleading guilty to related charges in the conspiracy.
“Fentanyl is 50 to 100 times more potent than morphine and 30 to 50 times more potent than heroin – the combination of these deadly substances has claimed many lives,” said Robert J. Murphy, the Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Field Division. “Because of the efforts of federal, state and local law enforcement, these defendants can no longer distribute these dangerous and potentially deadly substances.”
Defendant: Eric Lashawn Hayes
Criminal Charges: Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime, and Possession of Fentanyl with Intent to Distribute
City and State: Blackshear, Georgia
Exact Date: February 2021
Sentence or Outcome: 10 years in prison, up to life, along with substantial financial penalties, and a minimum of eight years of supervised release upon completion of any prison term
Defendant: Eric Lashawn Hayes
Key Facts
- State: Georgia
- Category: Drug Trafficking
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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