Atlanta drug trafficking organization has been successfully dismantled

ATLANTA - Esteban Niere has been sentenced for conspiring to distribute cocaine and methamphetamine.  Niere was a member of a drug trafficking organization operating in southwest Atlanta that was successfully disrupted following a federal, state, and local law enforcement investigation.

“This group of drug traffickers targeted vulnerable communities in our district for distributing illegal narcotics,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan.  “Through the diligent efforts of our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners, we dismantled the organization’s distribution chain and prosecuted the suppliers.  This case demonstrates our commitment to removing dangerous drugs from our streets as well as the dealers who peddle them.”

“The DEA is committed to deploying resources to combat and interrupt the dangerous drug trafficking organizations that have set up business in the Atlanta area,” said Robert J. Murphy, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Division. “We will continue to work aggressively to hold accountable those who are trafficking dangerous drugs.”

According to U.S. Attorney Buchanan, the charges and other information presented in court: In 2019, DEA special agents identified a prolific drug trafficker, Kevin Clark, who coordinated multiple narcotics transactions in and around his residence in southwest Atlanta. Through an investigation that followed, law enforcement was able to disrupt and eventually dismantle a drug trafficking organization comprising Clark’s sources-of-supply, including Esteban Niere, Alejandro Elias-Miranda, and Eduardo Gutierrez, and mid-level traffickers, including Christopher Jones, Christopher Allen, and Tierre Freeman.  Law enforcement also seized multiple vehicles, firearms, cash, and jewelry, which were used in the commission, or purchased with the proceeds, of the offenses. 

Each of the following defendants in the case pleaded guilty to the charge of drug trafficking conspiracy and received the following sentences imposed by U.S. District Judge Michael L. Brown:

• Kevin Clark, 46, of Atlanta, Georgia, entered a guilty plea to the drug trafficking conspiracy and received a sentence of seven years, three months in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release.

• Esteban Niere, a/k/a “Perfecto Neri-Diaz,” 50, of San Luis Potosi, Mexico, entered a guilty plea to the drug trafficking conspiracy and received a sentence of ten years in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release.

• Eduardo Gutierrez, a/k/a “Santos Campos-Rios,” 43, of Morelia, Mexico, entered a guilty plea to the drug trafficking conspiracy and received a sentence of sentence of six years, eight months in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release.

• Christopher Jones, 42, of Norcross, Georgia, entered a guilty plea to the drug trafficking conspiracy and received a sentence of 15 years in prison, to be followed by 10 years of supervised release.

• Tierre Freeman, a/k/a “Tierre Ford,” 46, of Stockbridge, Georgia, entered a guilty plea to the drug trafficking conspiracy and received a sentence of 10 years in prison, to be followed by four years of supervised release.

• Christopher Allen, 48, of Austell, Georgia, entered a guilty plea to the drug trafficking conspiracy and received a sentence of two years in prison, to be followed by four years of supervised release.

• Lamon Brown, 50, of Jonesboro, Georgia, entered a guilty plea to the drug trafficking conspiracy and received a sentence of two years, seven months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release.

• Alejandro Elias-Miranda, 37, of Toluca, Mexico, entered a guilty plea to the drug trafficking conspiracy and received a sentence of six years, eight months in prison, to be followed by eight years of supervised release. 

This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the U.S. Marshals Service, and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, with valuable assistance provided by the Georgia State Patrol, Atlanta Police Department, Gwinnett County Police Department, Henry County Police Department, Douglasville Police Department, Rockdale County Sheriff’s Office, Cartersville Police Department, Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office, Covington Police Department, Troup County Sheriff’s Office, and the Lee County Sheriff’s Office.

Assistant U.S. Attorney C. Brock Brockington prosecuted the case.

This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (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.

For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at USAGAN.PressEmails@usdoj.gov or (404) 581-6016.  The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.