Prison-Based Meth Distribution Ring Dismantled

G. F. “Pete” Peterman, III, United States Attorney for the Middle District of Georgia, announces sentences imposed on 19 defendants since January of this year resulting from the dismantling of a drug ring distributing methamphetamine and other drugs and operated from within the prisons of the Georgia Department of Corrections.  The following sentences, all of which were imposed by the Honorable Leslie J. Abrams, United States District Judge in Albany, Georgia, resulted from guilty pleas by each defendant for distribution and/or conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine in violation of federal law, except as specifically noted otherwise below, to-wit:

1) Curtis Wood, age 55, of Waycross, Georgia, was sentenced on March 16, 2017, to 120 months imprisonment;

2) Tiffany Leverette, age 33, of Nahunta, Georgia was sentenced on February 1, 2017, to 36 months imprisonment;

3) Austin Brown, age 43, of Rebecca, Georgia, was sentenced on March 16, 2017, to 120 months imprisonment;

4) Jamie Crews, age 42, of Okeechobee, Florida, was sentenced on December 14, 2016, to 200 months imprisonment;

5) Jacob Herrin, age 23, of Hoboken, Georgia, was sentenced February 1, 2017, to 48 months imprisonment;  

6)  Loretta Hunt, age 47, of Tifton, Georgia, was sentenced on August 29, 2017, to five years of probation for conspiracy to distribute marijuana;

7)  Adam Arnold, age 40, of Charleston, West Virginia, was sentenced on August 29, 2017, to 80 months imprisonment;

8)  Jimmy Waldrop, age 45, of Leesburg, Georgia, was sentenced on August 29, 2017, to 96 months imprisonment for illegal use of a communication facility to facilitate drug trafficking;

9) Tony Carrithers, age 47, of Tifton, Georgia, was sentenced on August 29, 2017, to 72 months imprisonment;

10)  Jimmy Barrentine, age 55, of Tifton, Georgia, was sentenced on August 29, 2017, to 60 months imprisonment;

11)  Jimmy Taylor, age 42, of Tifton, Georgia, was sentenced on August 29, 2017, to 180 months imprisonment;

12) Gaye Miles, age 46, of Tifton, Georgia, was sentenced on August 30, 2017, to 36 months imprisonment;

13) Tonya Harp, age 38, of Tifton, Georgia, was sentenced on August 30, 2017, to 60 months imprisonment;

14) Sarah Taylor, age 41, of Tifton, Georgia, was sentenced on August 30, 2017, to 18 months imprisonment;

14)  Dexter Davis, age 53, of Enigma, Georgia, was sentenced on August 30, 2017, to 144 months imprisonment;

15)  Dorian Holt, age 40, of Fairburn, Georgia, was sentenced on August 30, 2017, to 135 months imprisonment;

16) Leslie Howard, age 47, of Chula, Georgia was sentenced on August 30, 2017, to 120 months imprisonment;

17) Anthony Moore, age 30, of Hoboken, Georgia, was sentenced on August 30, 2017, to 210 months imprisonment;

18) Antron Miles, age 48, of Tifton, Georgia, was sentenced on October 10, 2017, to 360 months imprisonment (to begin in 2020 and run consecutive to his Tift county sentence); and

19) Rehjan Mujanovic, age 27, a citizen of Bosnia, residing in Gwinnett County, Georgia was sentenced on August 30, 2017, to 240 months imprisonment, with sentencing on separate charges in the State of Georgia to take place subsequently.

 Co-defendant Bobby Grantham is awaiting sentencing.

Investigative efforts in this case revealed that several inmates in the custody of the Georgia Department of Corrections, including Antron Miles, Anthony Moore, and Rejhan Mujanovic had engaged in a conspiracy with one another and with other persons, who were not inmates, to acquire and distribute a variety of controlled substances such as methamphetamine, heroin, cocaine and marijuana.  Miles, Moore and Mujanovic were able to engage in this criminal activity due to cell phones that had been smuggled into the Georgia Department of Corrections and to which they had access.

Based on an order authorizing a wiretap on the phone used by Miles, agents learned that Miles, a native of Tifton, Georgia, was obtaining controlled substances, primarily methamphetamine, but also marijuana, cocaine/cocaine base and heroin from persons associated with Mujanovic.  Miles’ nephew, Dorian Holt, regularly met with the suppliers and transported the bulk quantity narcotics from the Atlanta area to the Tifton area.  In some instances the controlled substances were shipped via United States Mail to Enigma, Georgia, where Loretta Hillman Hunt was the Relief Post Master.  Ms. Hunt would divert the packages from the normal flow of mail and provide them to either Tonya Harp or Dexter Davis for distribution.

In Tifton, the drugs were warehoused and distributed by Leslie Howard, Tonya Harp and Sarah Frost Taylor assisted by Jimmy Taylor, Tony Carrithers and Dexter Davis.  Anthony Moore routed customers such as Curtis Wood, Tiffany Leverette, Jacob Herrin and Jamie Crews from the Ware, Coffee and Brantley County areas through Miles to arrange meetings with Miles’ co-conspirators in Tifton. Jimmy Barrentine assisted in transporting the controlled substances to Wood on some occasions.   Miles’ wife, Gaye, took control of the proceeds of the sales and assisted in acquiring supplies necessary for processing the methamphetamine.  Other listed defendants, including Austin Brown, Adam Arnold and Jimmy Waldrop, were repeat customers who acquired regular multi-ounce quantities of methamphetamine and heroin for resale in Georgia and West Virginia.

The agents monitored the wiretap from May 22, 2015 to June 8, 2015.  Before, during and after the conclusion of the wiretap, agents engaged in controlled purchases of controlled substances.  They conducted surveillance and traffic stops based on the information obtained through the wire-tap.  Additionally, they executed search warrants at many of the Tifton area storage locations. 

As a result of these efforts, agents seized multiple kilograms of high purity methamphetamine, hundreds of grams of heroin and marijuana, along with small amounts of cocaine and prescription pills such as Oxycodone and Xanax.  Agents also seized in excess of $30,000 in United States Currency.

“This prosecution is the result of an ongoing and unrelenting investigation by the federal, state and local agencies listed below as well as the dedicated prosecution team in the Albany Branch of this office,” said United States Attorney Peterman.  “This effort has dismantled a major drug distribution network in Southwestern Georgia, an operation that had continued even from prison.  It is an outstanding example of what a dedicated team of law enforcement professionals can accomplish when working together across jurisdictional lines.”  

This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration Macon Division; GBI Sylvester, Ben Hill County Sheriff’s Office, Tift County Sheriff’s Office, and Mid South Narcotics Task Force.  Assistant United States Attorney Leah E. McEwen prosecuted the case for the Government.

Questions concerning this case should be directed to Pamela Lightsey, Public Information Officer, United States Attorney’s Office, at (478) 621-2603.