Atlanta Resident Supplying Armed Meth, Fentanyl Organization Pleads Guilty

MACON, Ga. – The supplier of an armed methamphetamine and fentanyl trafficking organization who was providing kilogram quantities of narcotics out of her high-rise condominium located in Atlanta’s Buckhead community pleaded guilty to her crimes today.

Heather Breland, 39, of Atlanta, pleaded guilty to one count of aiding and abetting co-defendant Randall Heath’s possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine before U.S. District Judge Marc T. Treadwell. Breland faces a mandatory minimum of ten years up to a maximum of life in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release and a maximum $10,000,000 fine. Co-defendant Randall Heath, 62, of Macon, pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine today and faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison to be followed by at least three years of supervised release and a maximum $1,000,000 fine. The remaining seven co-defendants indicted in this case have all previously entered guilty pleas:

Raiford Reeves aka “RH,” 43, of Warner Robins, Georgia, pleaded guilty to distribution of methamphetamine and faces a mandatory minimum of ten years imprisonment up to a maximum of life in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release;

Travis Warthen aka “Trap,” 39, of Warner Robins, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances and faces a mandatory minimum of ten years up to a maximum of life in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release;

Jeremiah Kaleta, 46, of Warner Robins, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison to be followed by at least three years of supervised release;

Lucretia Snellgrove, 51, of Warner Robins, pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison to be followed by at least three years of supervised release;

Kendall Howard, 31, of Centerville, Georgia, pleaded guilty to use of a communication facility to unlawfully conspire to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and faces a maximum sentence of four years in prison to be followed by one year of supervised release;

Kenneth Maddox, 31, of Warner Robins, pleaded guilty to use of a communication facility to unlawfully conspire to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and faces a maximum sentence of four years in prison to be followed by one year of supervised release; and

Luis Acosta, 35, of Centerville, pleaded guilty to use of a communication facility to unlawfully conspire to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances and faces a maximum sentence of four years in prison to be followed by one year of supervised release.

Sentencing will occur for all defendants at dates determined by the Court. The defendants are not eligible for parole.

“Heather Breland went to great lengths to evade justice for supplying kilos of deadly narcotics to her network of drug distributors in Central Georgia. Ultimately, she was caught and will now be held accountable for her crimes, along with her co-defendants,” said U.S. Attorney Peter D. Leary. “This case is the result of a lengthy investigation by the Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force, a group of law enforcement agencies working hand-in-hand across the Middle District of Georgia to crack down on criminal organizations doing the most harm in our communities.”

“These violent and dangerous drug traffickers are enriching their lives by profiting off someone else’s pain and addiction,” stated Robert J. Murphy, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Division. “These defendants will now face significant federal prison time.”

“Heather Breland and Randall Heath were involved in an organized network designed to peddle poison onto the streets of our community. Most law enforcement agencies don’t have the resources to handle investigations to combat organizations like this one. We are fortunate to have federal, state and local law enforcement agencies in Middle Georgia that recognize the benefit of working together in order to keep our communities safe,” said Peach County Sheriff Terry W. Deese.

“The successful prosecution and disruption of this organization exemplifies what can be done when local, state and federal agencies work together. These efforts have made Warner Robins and Peach County safer. I am extremely proud of the part our officers provided in this case and its outcome,” said Warner Robins Interim Police Chief Roy Whitehead.  

According to court documents, DEA agents and local law enforcement investigated co-defendant Reeves’s Warner Robins-based drug trafficking organization between Oct. 2021 and June 2022. Breland—the supplier to the organization—was distributing kilogram quantities of narcotics, primarily methamphetamine and fentanyl, to Reeves out of her condominium located in the Buckhead community in Atlanta. Law enforcement obtained court orders to intercept the phone calls and text messages from cell phones belonging to Breland and Reeves and conducted controlled purchases of methamphetamine from Reeves. Reeves would supply other co-defendants with some of the narcotics to sell. Agents observed Breland travel to Macon to provide narcotics to Reeves; she also had a self-storage unit in Macon on Riverside Drive to store drugs.

Agents learned Breland was planning to provide co-defendant Heath with narcotics. On May 21, 2022, Heath took an airport shuttle service to Atlanta; Breland ordered Heath a ride-hailing service from the shuttle station to her condominium. Heath returned to Macon on the same shuttle service on May 25 and was seen exiting the shuttle station with a suitcase and got into his car. A traffic stop was conducted, and a K9 alerted to the presence of narcotics in the car. Agents found a kilogram of methamphetamine inside his suitcase. On May 26, agents executed a search warrant at a motel Reeves and co-defendant Howard occupied in Warner Robins; Reeves was in the process of flushing methamphetamine down a toilet when agents entered the room. Agents seized methamphetamine, fentanyl, oxycodone, alprazolam, clonazepam, codeine and a 9mm semi-automatic pistol. That same day, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Breland’s condominium. Breland immediately fled in her Range Rover as agents arrived. In her residence, agents seized 3.266 kilograms of pure methamphetamine, 14.72 grams of fentanyl, cocaine, marijuana, a 9mm semi-automatic pistol, a .22 magnum caliber revolver, two cellphones and $78,353 cash. On the same day, agents executed a search warrant at her storage unit in Macon and seized eight pounds of marijuana in a Louis Vuitton duffle bag.

Following the execution of the search warrant, Breland fled to North Carolina, created a fictitious license plate, and changed her hair length and color. She was arrested by U.S. Marshals on Oct. 20, 2022, at a hotel and casino in Biloxi, Mississippi. When she was arrested, she had methamphetamine and ID cards with a similar appearance but false identifying information. Breland has seven prior felony convictions for forgery, possession of methamphetamine, burglary and identity fraud. Co-defendant Reeves has prior convictions for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, felon in possession of a firearm and possession of a firearm during commission of a felony.

This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.

The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), the Warner Robins Police Department, the Houston County Sheriff’s Office, the Bibb County Sheriff’s Office and the Peach County Sheriff’s Office with assistance from the U.S. Marshals Service.

Deputy Criminal Chief Will Keyes is prosecuting the case.