Defendants Face Justice for Distributing 3,200 Kilos of Methamphetamine

ATHENS, Ga. – A dozen defendants involved in a major methamphetamine ring operating between Mexico and a conversion site in Monroe, Georgia, responsible for converting and distributing thousands of kilograms of methamphetamine shipped in from Mexico and hidden in boxes of jalapeños, are being held accountable for their crimes at the federal level in an Operation Take Back America investigation.

“This Operation Take Back America case amplifies the kind of major law enforcement efforts occurring across the Middle District of Georgia, focused on breaking dangerous cartels and armed drug trafficking organizations that destroy lives,” said U.S. Attorney William R. “Will” Keyes. “I commend our dedicated federal, state and local law enforcement partners who work side-by-side with our office to bring justice and make our communities safer.”

"This investigation is a prime example of the critical work being done to dismantle violent drug trafficking organizations that operate with impunity, bringing dangerous narcotics into our communities,” said Paul Bown, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Atlanta Office. “The FBI’s role in this investigation, alongside our dedicated federal, state and local law enforcement partners, has led to the disruption of a significant methamphetamine operation and the arrest of multiple individuals responsible for poisoning our communities.”

“Methamphetamine destroys families, fuels violent crime and erodes the safety of our neighborhoods,” said Robert J. Murphy, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Division. By taking down this network of a dozen traffickers, we’re not just removing drugs, we’re removing the source of addiction, exploitation and tragedy in our communities.”

“This investigation underscores the power of collaboration between federal, state and local partners to dismantle large-scale drug trafficking operations that threaten our communities,” said GBI Director Chris Hosey. “The sheer volume of methamphetamine seized in this case represents thousands of lives that could have been destroyed. The GBI remains committed to working alongside our partners to identify, investigate and stop transnational criminal networks operating in Georgia.”

“The vast amount of methamphetamine being supplied is truly alarming and serves as a strong reminder that even in safe, close-knit communities like Walton County, we must stay vigilant,” said Walton County Sheriff Keith Brooks. “Collaboration at all governmental levels is essential for operational success, and we appreciate the strong partnerships.”

“This investigation is another great example of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies working together toward the shared goal of keeping our community safe. I’m proud of the collaboration and teamwork invested in this case, which led to the seizure of a significant amount of dangerous drugs. These substances have devastating effects on our community and far too often claim lives unnecessarily. Because of the continued dedication of these men and women, there are fewer narcotics and violent offenders on our streets, and our community is safer as a result,” said Athens Clarke County Police Chief Jerry Saulters.

The following co-conspirators have pleaded guilty and will be sentenced on Jan. 12, 2026:

James Len Ramey, 53, of Comer, Georgia, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine on Oct. 14, and faces a maximum sentence of life imprisonment with a mandatory minimum sentence of ten years in prison and a $10 million fine.

Kendell Cawthon, 60, of Baldwin, Georgia, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and faces a maximum sentence of life imprisonment with a mandatory minimum sentence of ten years in prison and a $10 million fine.

Bonterris Turner, 45, of Athens, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and faces a maximum sentence of life imprisonment with a mandatory minimum sentence of ten years in prison and a $10 million fine.

Demetrius Appling, 38, of Crawford, Georgia, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and faces a maximum sentence of life imprisonment with a mandatory minimum sentence of ten years in prison and a $10 million fine.

Yirla Adame Gomez, 25, of Mexico, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and faces a maximum sentence of life imprisonment with a mandatory minimum sentence of ten years in prison and a $10 million fine.

Rafael Gomez Flores, 22, of Mexico, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and faces a maximum sentence of life imprisonment with a mandatory minimum sentence of ten years in prison and a $10 million fine.

Andrea Robinson, 42, of Cleveland, Georgia, pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and faces a maximum of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

The following co-conspirators have pleaded guilty and will be sentenced on Feb. 11, 2026:

Yuretzi Adame Gomez, 40, of Mexico, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and faces a maximum sentence of life imprisonment with a mandatory minimum sentence of ten years in prison and a $10 million fine.

The following co-conspirators pleaded guilty and have been sentenced:

Christopher Hyatt, 46, of LaGrange, Georgia, was sentenced to serve 292 months in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release on Aug. 5, after he pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine on May 1.

Uriel Garcia, 34, of Mexico, was sentenced to serve 240 months in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release on Aug. 5, after he pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and cocaine on May 2.

Jared Kenyatta Calhoun, 33, of Birmingham, Alabama, was sentenced to serve 210 months in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release, after he pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine on May 8.

Ebony Jones-Tate, 33, of Birmingham, Alabama, was sentenced to 90 days of home confinement and three years of supervised release after she pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine on May 8.

According to court documents and statements referenced in court, the FBI in Athens received information in January 2024 that Ramey was selling kilogram amounts of methamphetamine from Rapid Lube in Athens, where he worked. The FBI investigation revealed that Ramey was supplied with drugs by individuals operating a methamphetamine conversion lab inside a residence on Mountain Creek Church Road in Monroe, Georgia (Walton County). The FBI installed a pole camera outside the Mountain Creek house and frequently observed the occupants taking boxes out of the house and loading them into vehicles, which agents suspected contained kilogram amounts of methamphetamine. The FBI also used two confidential informants to make multiple purchases of methamphetamine from Ramey at his workplace, totaling more than six kilograms of pure methamphetamine and multiple ounces of cocaine between Jan. 19, 2024, and June 25, 2024.

The FBI identified Cawthon as Ramey’s courier, who he frequently directed to drive to various parking lots throughout metro Atlanta to retrieve large boxes containing multiple kilograms of methamphetamine from unidentified Hispanic males and females. After receiving the boxes, Cawthon would immediately transport them to Ramey at Rapid Lube, where the boxes were taken into the garage and stored. On the morning of Sunday, June 30, 2024, Ramey and Cawthon were observed over an FBI-installed pole camera arriving at Rapid Lube and loading boxes into the bed of Cawthon’s truck. Ramey and Cawthon left Rapid Lube driving in tandem.

FBI Task Force Agents surveilled the defendants as they drove towards Ramey’s house in Comer. GSP conducted a traffic stop on Cawthon’s truck; it was searched, and the boxes that he and Ramey had removed from Rapid Lube just minutes before and placed in the bed of his truck were found to contain approximately 20 kilograms of pure methamphetamine. Ramey was arrested on July 3, 2024, and admitted that he was being supplied multiple kilograms of methamphetamine. Ramey said he met his supplier while serving a prison sentence in Georgia. In the weeks and months following Ramey’s arrest, Rapid Lube employees found approximately six kilograms of suspected methamphetamine hidden in oil filter boxes in the Rapid Lube garage.

In August 2024, a federal search warrant was issued for the Mountain Creek House and for a Chevrolet Traverse observed by agents transporting drugs from the residence. On Aug. 13, occupants inside the Mountain Creek House were seen leaving the residence in the Traverse and travelling to a Home Depot parking lot in Monroe. An occupant in the Traverse carried a box from the Traverse to the occupants of a Chevrolet Camaro with an Alabama license plate. Certain that a drug transaction had just occurred in their presence, the FBI asked Walton County Sheriff's Office deputies to stop the Camaro. The deputy smelled marijuana inside the Camaro driven by Jones-Tate; Calhoun was a passenger. Officers found four kilograms of pure methamphetamine in the box inside the car.

Following the arrest of the Jones-Tate and Calhoun, agents stopped the Chevrolet Traverse as it left the Mountain Creek House. Inside the Traverse, agents found 983.3 grams of pure methamphetamine and $4,350 in U.S. currency. Garcia, Yuritzi Gomez, Yirla Gomez and Gomez Flores were arrested. Agents then executed the search warrant on the Mountain Creek House and found, as they suspected, an active methamphetamine conversion laboratory. Over four kilograms of "finished" crystal methamphetamine were found inside the house, while the bulk of the methamphetamine was in liquid form waiting to be converted. Based on measurements and samples obtained at the scene, the DEA estimates that the amount of seized liquid methamphetamine would produce over 300 kilograms of finished crystal methamphetamine.

The cell phones belonging to the occupants in the Traverse were seized and searched. The search of the phones revealed that drugs were sent to the Mountain Creek House from Mexico. concealed in truckloads of boxes of jalapeños, which explained why agents located hundreds of pounds of rotting jalapeños and discarded jalapeño boxes in the backyard of the house. More importantly, inside the residence, agents found a drug ledger which showed that from Feb. 28, 2024, until August 8, 2024, 1,546.5 kilograms of methamphetamine had been converted inside the Mountain Creek House. Approximately 3,200 kilograms of methamphetamine from four different shipments from Mexico arrived at the Mountain Creek House concealed in boxes of jalapenos.

The collaborative effort is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhoods.

The case was investigated by the FBI’s Middle Georgia Safe Streets Gang Task Force, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI), the Walton County Sheriff’s Office, the Athens-Clarke County Police Department and the Georgia State Patrol (GSP).

Assistant U.S. Attorney Mike Morrison is prosecuting the case for the Government.

This press release about a case that occurred during the 43-day government shutdown is now available after the return to normal operations.