A federal indictment has charged 14 defendants in a south Georgia drug trafficking conspiracy alleged to have been directed from inside a Georgia state prison.
The indictment in Operation Pope’s G.O.A.L., an Organized Crime Drug Trafficking Task Force investigation, alleges the drug trafficking conspiracy distributed methamphetamine, heroin, and fentanyl since as early as 2018 in at least seven south Georgia counties, said David H. Estes, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia.
All 14 defendants are charged with Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and to Distribute 50 Grams or More of Methamphetamine, and a quantity of Heroin and Fentanyl, a charge that carries a minimum statutory penalty of 10 years in prison, up to life, along with substantial fines and at least five years of supervised release following completion of any prison term.
There is no parole in the federal system.
The use of contraband cell phones and other devices inside prisons for coordination of criminal activity outside prison walls is an increasing danger to our communities, said U.S. Attorney Estes.
Our law enforcement partners, including the Georgia Department of Corrections, did outstanding work in identifying and infiltrating this network to bring an end to this illegal conspiracy.
The indictment alleges the drug trafficking operation began as early as April 2018 and operated in Glynn, Brantley, Bacon, Pierce, Coffee, Camden, and Ware counties, and beyond.
Those charged in the indictment include Jonathan Alvin Pope, 38, an inmate at Calhoun State Prison, charged with Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and to Distribute 50 Grams or More of Methamphetamine, and a quantity of Heroin and Fentanyl.
Other defendants include Christy Renee Pope, a/k/a Christy Renee Dowling, 42, an inmate at Pulaski State Prison, charged with Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and to Distribute 50 Grams or More of Methamphetamine, and a quantity of Heroin and Fentanyl.
Jason Wildes, 40, an inmate at the Ware County Detention Center, charged with Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and to Distribute 50 Grams or More of Methamphetamine, and a quantity of Heroin and Fentanyl, and Conspiracy to Use, Carry, or Possess Firearms.
The defendants face a minimum statutory penalty of 10 years in prison, up to life, along with substantial fines and at least five years of supervised release following completion of any prison term.
There is no parole in the federal system.
Related Federal Cases
- Jonathan Bufford, Methamphetamine Trafficking, TN 2016 · Oklahoma
- Matthew Charles Blevins, Methamphetamine Trafficking, VA 2024 · Tennessee
- Robert Holman, Methamphetamine Trafficking, VA 2023 · Georgia
- Tony Raymond Ouzts, Methamphetamine Trafficking, SC 2023 · Georgia
- Shantuan Daniel, Heroin Trafficking & Firearm Possession, GA 2023 · Georgia
Key Facts
- State: Georgia
- Category: Drug Trafficking
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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