Jailhouse Kingpin: Meeks Gets 20 Years in Gun & Drug Scheme

ROME, Ga. – James Lewallen Meeks, a seasoned criminal already serving time, proved that incarceration isn’t a barrier to continued lawlessness. The 39-year-old of Dallas, Georgia, has been sentenced to 20 years in federal prison – on top of his existing state sentence – for running a drug and gun trafficking ring from inside the Wheeler Correctional Facility. His co-conspirators, Jamey Michael Latty and Mark Anthony Powell, are also headed to federal lockup, authorities announced today.

According to U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan, Meeks used a contraband cell phone, a luxury for any inmate, to coordinate the illegal deals beginning around February 2022. He hooked up with Latty and Powell to push methamphetamine, fentanyl, and firearms throughout Northwest Georgia. The operation wasn’t limited to simple street-level transactions; Meeks brokered the sale of an UZI .22 caliber long rifle with a silencer, a weapon clearly intended for more than just recreational shooting. “While serving a sentence for a violent crime in a Georgia Correctional Facility, Meeks continued his criminal activity,” Buchanan stated. “Meeks will now serve two decades in federal prison after completing his state sentence, and his co-defendants are headed to federal prison as well.”

The scheme involved multiple sales. In March 2022, Meeks directed Latty to sell methamphetamine in Rockmart, Georgia, and then again, along with a Glock pistol, in Cave Springs. Simultaneously, Meeks was coordinating with Powell to sell a deadly mixture of fentanyl and xylazine to the same individual in Carrollton, Georgia. Powell also moved ammunition and five firearms at Meeks’ direction. A month later, Latty upped the ante, peddling ammunition and an AR-style rifle modified to function as a machine gun in Rome. Law enforcement finally caught up with Latty in June 2022, finding approximately one kilogram of methamphetamine in his possession while in Hiram, Georgia. Powell wasn’t far behind, leading police on a chase in Carrollton and tossing another kilogram of methamphetamine out the window of his truck before being apprehended. A pistol and fentanyl were also recovered from his vehicle.

A subsequent raid on a Carrollton residence linked to the operation yielded six more firearms – rifles, shotguns, and pistols. Adding insult to injury, both Latty and Powell were already prohibited from owning firearms due to prior felony convictions. But Latty wasn’t content to simply face justice. After being indicted, he fled Georgia and attempted to establish a new life under a false identity. It took a coordinated effort from multiple state and federal agencies, including U.S. Deputy Marshals, to track him down in Collinsville, Alabama.

The trio all eventually pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute a controlled substance, possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance, and carrying a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime. U.S. District Judge William M. Ray, II handed down the following sentences: James Lewallen Meeks, 39, received 20 years in prison, to be served consecutively with his state sentence, followed by eight years of supervised release. Jamey Michael Latty’s sentence has yet to be announced. Mark Anthony Powell’s sentencing is also pending. ATF Assistant Special Agent in Charge Alicia Jones emphasized, “This case exemplifies our commitment to prevent drug trafficking and criminal activity from poisoning our communities.”

DEA Atlanta Division Special Agent in Charge Robert J. Murphy added, “Our communities remain under attack by criminal drug trafficking organizations with no regard for the harm and destruction they cause.” The investigation underscores the persistent threat of organized crime operating even within the confines of correctional facilities, and the relentless pursuit of federal agencies to dismantle these dangerous networks. The message is clear: trafficking drugs and firearms, even from behind bars, will be met with swift and severe consequences.”