Thirteen defendants, including ringleader Fernando Lara, 45, of Marietta, Georgia, are behind bars after being sentenced to a combined 145 years in federal prison for their roles in a sprawling methamphetamine trafficking conspiracy that stretched from Atlanta into the Upstate region of South Carolina. Lara was sentenced to 25 years—300 months—followed by five years of supervised release, marking the final judgment in a case that dismantled a network responsible for distributing over 214 kilograms of meth.
The operation, led by the DEA, ATF, and federal prosecutors, culminated in twelve guilty pleas and one conviction at trial—Lara’s—after evidence proved he supplied pure meth in kilogram quantities to co-conspirator Angela G. Skelton, 41, of Starr, South Carolina. On January 16, 2019, Lara and Skelton were intercepted on Interstate 85 in Anderson County with approximately two kilograms of meth and a loaded pistol stashed in their vehicle.
Skelton was sentenced to 52 months in prison, followed by five years of supervised release. Briand F. Zapata-Rodriguez, 45, of Sandy Springs, Georgia, received 280 months—nearly 23 years—for transporting bulk meth from Atlanta into Anderson and Abbeville Counties, then distributing it through a network of runners. Christopher C. Presley, 29, of Honea Path, was sentenced to 145 months; Jonathan E. Gilmer, 37, of Starr, received 360 months—30 years—under federal supervision after.
Agents seized over 30 kilograms of meth, 36 firearms, more than 1,000 rounds of ammunition, and $157,000 in cash during the investigation. Prosecutors emphasized that multiple defendants illegally possessed firearms during drug operations, fueling violence and instability across the region. U.S. Attorney Peter M. McCoy, Jr. stated, “These armed drug dealers posed a serious threat to the people of South Carolina and Georgia, which is reflected in the more than a century of federal prison time imposed.”
Special Agent in Charge Robert J. Murphy of the DEA Atlanta Field Division warned that the sentencing sends a clear message: “Other methamphetamine manufacturers in the upstate of South Carolina and elsewhere should be put on notice that DEA, its law enforcement partners and the U.S. Attorney’s Office will not tolerate their continued efforts to manufacture and distribute this insidious drug.”
U.S. District Judge Donald C. Coggins, Jr. presided over all proceedings. With the final sentence handed down, federal authorities are hailing the takedown as a decisive blow against organized drug networks exploiting the Interstate 85 corridor. “A substantial number of firearms have been recovered, a large amount of narcotics seized and taken off the streets,” said ATF Charlotte’s Special Agent in Charge Vince Pallozzi. “This is a collaborative win for public safety.”
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Key Facts
- State: South Carolina
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Drug Trafficking
- Source: Official Source ↗
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