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Crime Wave Hits GA with 5 Defendants Pleading Guilty in Drug Trafficking Case
SAVANNAH, GA – In a shocking revelation, federal prosecutors announced that the last of five defendants in a two-state drug trafficking organization has pleaded guilty to felony charges in federal Court. The defendants, who were part of ‘Operation All Eyes On Me,’ an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces investigation, were involved in distributing cocaine, crack cocaine, methamphetamine, heroin, and marijuana in middle and south Georgia and Florida.
Jacqueline Somesso, 55, of Savannah, faces a statutory sentence of up to 30 years in prison after pleading guilty to an Information charging her with Misprision of a Felony and one count of Bank Fraud. The guilty plea acknowledges Somesso is responsible for using fake bank statements to illegally receive COVID-19 relief funding of nearly $600,000. After completion of any prison term, Somesso will be required to serve up to three years of supervised release.
‘The exceptional work of our law enforcement partners identified and dismantled this operation that poured illegal drugs into our communities while also ripping off the American taxpayer,’ said U.S. Attorney Jill E. Steinberg. ‘The five guilty pleas in this case stand testament to the strength of the prosecution painstakingly built through collaboration with our office.’
The investigation identified Somesso’s boyfriend, Dennis Rodriguez Kinchen, 44, of Dublin, Ga., as a source of the drugs distributed through the conspiracy. Kinchen faces a statutory sentence of up to 40 years in prison after pleading guilty in December 2022 to Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute, and to Distribute, 500 Grams or More of Cocaine, and an Amount of Methamphetamine, Heroin, and Marijuana; and Conspiracy to Commit Money Laundering. Kinchen agreed to forfeit an Atlanta condominium purchased with proceeds received through the conspiracy.
Other defendants include Sherman Levon Scott, 54, of Pooler Ga., Angel Amaral, 56, of Hollywood, Fla., and Tony Heldore, 52, of Richmond Hill, Ga. Scott awaits sentencing after pleading guilty in March 2023 to Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute, and to Distribute, Cocaine, Crack Cocaine, and Marijuana. Amaral and Heldore also await sentencing after pleading guilty in January and March 2023, respectively, to Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute, and to Distribute, Cocaine and Marijuana.
The government is seeking forfeiture of nearly $900,000 in assets, including an Atlanta condominium, cash, and other properties purchased with proceeds from the conspiracy. The case is a result of a long-term investigation by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and agents from the Savannah-Chatham Counter Narcotics Team.
Key Facts
- State: Georgia
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Fraud & Financial Crimes|Violent Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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