Tennessee Man Sentenced to Life for Large-Scale Drug Trafficking
A 34-year-old man from Athens, Alabama, has been given a life sentence for his role in a massive drug trafficking conspiracy in Tennessee.
Patrick Dewayne Smith, 34, was sentenced to life imprisonment without the possibility of release for his involvement in a drug trafficking and money laundering conspiracy that spanned Giles County, Tennessee, Nashville, Tennessee, and Athens, Alabama.
At Smith’s sentencing, U.S. District Judge Aleta A. Trauger found that Smith had four previous drug felony convictions, which, combined with the quantity of drugs involved in the conspiracy, required a mandatory life sentence.
According to the investigation, Smith was involved in a conspiracy with his co-defendants, Travis Gentry and Frank Randolph of Pulaski, Tennessee. The group was accused of operating a large-scale drug trafficking and money laundering operation.
Frank Randolph, a co-defendant, was previously sentenced to 70 months imprisonment and a $750,000 forfeiture judgment. Travis Gentry, another co-defendant, is set to be sentenced on August 26, 2013.
The investigation was conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, the Giles County Sheriff’s Department, the Pulaski Police Department, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sunny A.M. Koshy and Alex Little represented the United States at trial and sentencing.
The case is one of the largest drug conspiracies in the Giles County area, with 20 defendants federally charged in the investigation. Two of the defendants are still pending trial, presumed innocent until proven guilty.
Key Facts
- State: Tennessee
- Category: Drug Trafficking
- Source: DOJ Press Release ↗
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