Violent Drug Dealer Sentenced to 23 Years in Federal Prison

ATLANTA – Royce Cobb, a/k/a “Rapp,” 47, of Atlanta, Georgia, a multi-time convicted felon who was distributing kilogram quantities of dangerous drugs from an Atlanta stash house, will serve a 23-year prison sentence following his convictions for cocaine trafficking and illegal possession of a loaded semiautomatic firearm. Cobb previously served prison sentences in Georgia and North Carolina for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, trafficking and attempted trafficking in cocaine, trafficking in marijuana, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Cobb’s aggravated assault conviction followed a 2001 shooting during which Cobb killed one of his drug customers.

“More than a decade behind bars failed to deter Cobb from trafficking large amounts of drugs from an Atlanta stash house while armed,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. “Thankfully, the determined investigation of the DEA and their state and local partners finally halted Cobb’s illicit activity.”

“Far too many victims have suffered at the hands of repeat offenders who show no remorse for the chaos they create,” said Jae W. Chung, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Division. “DEA is committed to dismantling criminal networks and protecting our communities.”

“When we team our resources with the resources of our local, state, and federal partners, gang members better beware,” said ATF Assistant Special Agent in Charge Beau Kolodka. “The removal of drugs, weapons and gang members from the streets immediately makes those communities safer.”

“This case underscores the powerful impact that can be achieved when law enforcement agencies unite with purpose, harnessing their collective strength to dismantle complex drug trafficking networks and deliver a decisive blow to criminal organizations,” said Acting Director Andy Dimond of the Atlanta-Carolinas High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (Atlanta-Carolinas HIDTA).

According to U.S. Attorney Hertzberg, the charges, and other information presented in court: Cobb, a large-scale drug trafficker, was responsible for distributing at least 50 kilograms of cocaine, 4 kilograms of methamphetamine, and various quantities of fentanyl and heroin. In 2022, DEA investigators began surveilling Cobb’s southwest Atlanta drug stash location, which enabled them to seize kilograms of illegal drugs, firearms, and thousands of dollars of drug proceeds from Cobb’s customers and associates. Agents observed dozens of drug traffickers, including some from neighboring states, visit Cobb’s residence for suspected drug deals. Agents’ seizures included approximately 17.6 kilograms of cocaine concealed under the bed of a tow truck and approximately 22 kilograms of cocaine in an associate’s vehicle in South Carolina. In 2023, DEA agents seized multiple kilograms of cocaine and other narcotics, and drug proceeds, from drug transporters working with Cobb and his conspirators. 

In July 2023, agents executed a search warrant at Cobb’s primary drug stash house, where they seized counterfeit pills containing fentanyl and methamphetamine, three bricks of marijuana, and a loaded semiautomatic firearm with a large-capacity magazine. Agents also seized ammunition for two other firearms, money counters, and a pill counter. At another of Cobb’s Atlanta stash locations, agents seized seven kilograms of cocaine. Agents recovered more than a quarter-million dollars of cash from the two stash houses combined.

Yesterday, United States District Judge J.P. Boulee sentenced Cobb to 23 years in prison to be followed by 10 years of supervised release. Cobb was convicted on April 16, 2024, after he pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine, possession with intent to distribute cocaine, and unlawful possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.

This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Atlanta-Carolinas HIDTA, Fulton County Sheriff’s Office, Suwanee Police Department, and Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office, with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Georgia State Patrol, Spalding County Sheriff’s Office, and Anderson County Sheriff’s Office (South Carolina). 

Assistant United States Attorneys John T. DeGenova and Dwayne A. Brown, Jr., along with former Assistant United States Attorney Rebeca M. Ojeda, prosecuted the case.

This case was 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 Neighborhood.

For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at USAGAN.PressEmails@usdoj.gov or (404) 581-6185. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.