United States Attorney Michael J. Moore, Middle District of Georgia,  announces the sentencing of Corey Faison, age 32 of Valdosta, on January 27, 2011 before the Honorable Hugh Lawson, United States District Judge, and also the sentencing of Jerome Fletcher, age 40 of Albany, and Joe Nathan Morgan, age 39 of Baker County, before the Honorable W. Louis Sands, United States District Judge, on January 27, 2011.  All three Defendants entered guilty pleas before sentencing.

            Corey Faison pleaded guilty to Possession with Intent to Distribute Crack Cocaine in violation of Title 21 United State Code Sections 841(a)(1) and 841(b)(1)(C) and was sentenced to 110 months in federal prison followed by 3 years supervised release.  As a part of his plea of guilty, Faison admitted that on January 31, 2008, he facilitated a transaction involving the sale of crack cocaine to a confidential source who was acting on behalf of the Drug Enforcement Administration.

            Faison was designated a career offender based on his prior convictions for Sale of Cocaine in Lowndes County Superior Court Case Number 03-CR-581A on April 11, 2003 and  Attempt to Possess Cocaine with the Intent to Distribute Cocaine in Lowndes County Superior Court Case Number 05-CR-800 on July 7, 2005.

In an unrelated case, Jerome Fletcher pleaded guilty to Possession with Intent to Distribute Crack Cocaine in violation of Title 21 United State Code Sections 841(a)(1) and 841(b)(1)(B)(iii) and was sentenced to 360 months in federal prison followed by 6 years of supervised release.  As a part of his plea of guilty, Fletcher admitted his involvement in two drug transactions, one involving crack cocaine and one involving actual methamphetamine also known as Ice.  On June 8, 2008, Jerome Fletcher sold 5.31 grams of crack cocaine to a confidential source acting on behalf of law enforcement.  This transaction took place in Albany, Dougherty County, Georgia.

            Fletcher’s potential range of sentence was increased based on the Government filing a Sentence Enhancement Information setting forth Fletcher’s prior convictions for Sale and Distribution of Cocaine in Dougherty Superior Court Case Number 92-R-868 on November 12, 1992 and for Possession of Marijuana with Intent to Distribute in Dougherty Superior Court Case Number 00R231 on September 29, 2000.

            In the third case, Joe Nathan Morgan pleaded guilty to Possession with Intent to Distribute Crack Cocaine in violation of Title 21 United State Code Sections 841(a)(1) and 841(b)(1)(C) and was sentenced of 120 months in federal prison followed by 3 years of supervised release.  As a part of his plea of guilty, Morgan admitted that on August 20, 2008, agents with the Pataula Drug Task Force received information from a reliable confidential informant that Morgan would be traveling from his house in Hawkinstown, Georgia to Newton, Georgia and that he would be in possession of a quantity of crack cocaine.  Agents set up surveillance along the route at the predicted time.

            Morgan was designated a career offender based on his prior convictions for Possession of Cocaine With Intent To Distribute in the Superior Court of Mitchell County Case Number 96-R-227 on January 6, 1997 and  Sale of Cocaine in the Superior Court of Mitchell County Case Number 94-R-013 on April 14, 1994.

            United States Attorney Michael Moore said, “We will continue to attack the scourge of cocaine and methamphetamine distribution in the Middle District of Georgia.  The prosecution and sentencing of these Defendants, who will spend a combined total of almost fifty years in prison, should be taken as a message to those who want to sell drugs.  We are going to catch you and put you in prison for a long time.”

            These cases were investigated by Agents with the Macon Drug Enforcement Administration, Officers with the Valdosta Police Department, Agents with the Sylvester Georgia Bureau of Investigation, and Agents with the Pataula Drug Task Force.  Assistant United States Attorney Leah McEwen prosecuted the cases.