Natividad Dias, Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute Met…

SAVANNAH, GA – The head of a sprawling drug operation poisoning communities across southeast Georgia has been handed a hefty sentence. Natividad Dias, 46, a Mexican national residing in Sylvania, Georgia, received 240 months – 20 years – in federal prison after pleading guilty to Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and to Distribute Methamphetamine. U.S. Attorney Bobby L. Christine announced the sentencing, along with a $10,000 fine and five years of supervised release following his incarceration. There’s no early release in the federal system; Dias will serve every day of that sentence.

“By operating a pipeline of illegal narcotics from Atlanta, California and Mexico, this conspiracy polluted these small communities of the Southern District as surely as if it had dumped toxic waste in the neighborhoods,” Christine stated bluntly. “The law-abiding residents saw something and said something – so we did something by bringing these drug traffickers to justice.” The operation, dubbed “Operation Icehawk,” began in 2015 after concerned citizens of Screven County reported escalating drug trafficking and related violent crime.

Evidence presented in court revealed Dias, also known as “Nat,” “Nate,” “Amigo,” or “Huevos,” wasn’t just a participant – he was the architect of the conspiracy. Investigators proved he was a leader, organizer, and actively recruited others to distribute multi-kilogram quantities of methamphetamine, powder cocaine, and marijuana. The bust wasn’t just about drugs; authorities also seized multiple firearms linked to the operation, underscoring the inherent violence of the trafficking network. The conspiracy’s reach extended beyond Screven County, impacting Effingham, Jenkins, Bulloch, and Evans counties as well.

Dias wasn’t working alone. A lengthy list of co-conspirators face their own consequences. They include John Timothy Collins, 48, of Sylvania; John Kenneth Joyner, 47, of Sylvania; Palmer Alton Bazemore III, 51, of Sylvania; Cassie Jo Barbee, 36, of Sylvania; Jaime Elton Newsome, 39, of Statesboro; Megan Nicole Bazemore, 30, of Millen; Christina Elizabeth Davis, 32, of Sylvania; Derrick Riggs, 42, of Statesboro; Gary Paul Joyner, 51, of Sylvania; Monica Isabell Jimenez, 22, of Statesboro; Zackary Allen Durrence, 26, of Statesboro; John Dillon Joyner, 25, of Sylvania; Jonathan Travis Oliver, 36, of Sylvania; Michael Shane Bishop, 44, of Claxton; Jonathon Evan Oglesby, 27, of Millen; Alfred Anthony Woods, 28, of Sylvania; and Noah Quinn Pope, 25, of Sylvania. One additional defendant is currently undergoing medical evaluation.

Law enforcement officials celebrated the takedown as a victory for the region. Jamie Jones, Special Agent in Charge of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) Southeastern Regional Drug Enforcement Office, praised the collaborative effort. “We are fortunate in the Southern District of Georgia to have such a hard-charging group of local, state and federal personnel pursuing the real bad guys,” Jones said. “Drug distributors poison and disrupt families across the state daily. This organization has been terminated, and hopefully some families will benefit from their demise.”

Robert J. Murphy, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) Atlanta Field Division, emphasized the broader impact. “This defendant infested a number of small communities with more than methamphetamine and marijuana. His drug trafficking activities also led to the spread of violent crime,” Murphy stated. “Thanks to our federal, state and local law enforcement partners who responded to this small communities’ call for help. As a result, this poly-drug trafficker was removed from the streets and will spend well-deserved time in prison.” Beau Kolodka, Assistant Special Agent in Charge of the Atlanta Field Division, added that the case represented a “collaborative effort to rid violent narcotics traffickers from Screven County.”