MACON, Ga. — A Macon man convicted of various drug charges was sentenced to prison this week in the January 2020 "Operation Extended Stay" investigation into a multi-gang drug trafficking organization centered around several west Macon hotels.
According to a news release from the United States Attorney’s Office Middle District of Georgia, 33-year-old Carlos Brown was sentenced to 150 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release on Tuesday after he previously pleaded guilty to distribution of methamphetamine.
The release says court documents show FBI and Bibb County Sheriff’s Office agents began investigating Brown for distributing methamphetamine at various hotels around the Eisenhower Parkway corridor in Macon in June 2019. As part of the investigation, agents utilized a confidential source (CS) to conduct several purchases of methamphetamine between July and Sept. 2019. After an investigation that started in Sept. 2019, investigators confirmed Brown was distributing meth to people in the Macon area. They also found that Brown had several sources of methamphetamine supply. During the course of the investigation, the methamphetamine organization distributed more than 4.5 kilograms of “ice” methamphetamine.
“The sentencing of Brown and his many co-defendants demonstrates the FBI’s commitment to work diligently along with our local and federal partners to investigate and dismantle drug trafficking organizations,” said Chris Hacker, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta.
“We are grateful to see Carlos Brown and his cohorts receive proper justice for their evil deeds. This is one group of individuals who have been stopped from spreading dangerous drugs in our community. Our citizens can appreciate the clear results from the partnership between the Bibb County Sheriff’s Office and the FBI,” said Bibb County Sheriff David Davis.
In January 2020, Bibb County Sheriff David Davis said his office received 137 complaints about crimes involving drugs, sex offenses, and shots fired around hotels and motels in the I-475 and US 80 area.
Davis named some hotels and motels including the Bridgeview Inn & Suites, the Discovery Inn, and America's Best Inn.
He says deputies took more than 15 pounds of drugs like methamphetamine, marijuana, heroin, cocaine, and other drugs off the street. Davis says the drug business is evolving and they are seeing it more in hotel settings.
"You order some drugs and they'll deliver. We talk about Grubhub and Waitr. Well, you go from Grubhub to Drughub," said Davis.
24 people were arrested as a result of the investigation.
The following co-defendants have been convicted and have been sentenced for their crimes or are awaiting sentencing in this case:
The following co-defendants are awaiting sentencing:
- Roderick Chester, 34, of Macon, was convicted by a federal jury following a three-day trial on Wednesday, Aug. 25, of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine, distribution of methamphetamine and being a felon in possession of a firearm. Chester is facing a mandatory minimum of ten years up to a maximum of life in prison. Sentencing is scheduled for Feb. 2, 2022;
- Tamara Fryer, 34, of Macon, pleaded guilty to use of communication facility in causing or facilitating the commission of felonies under the controlled substances act and is facing a maximum of four years in prison. A sentencing date has not been scheduled;
- Milton Hill, 38, of Macon, pleaded guilty to use of communication facility in causing or facilitating the commission of felonies under the controlled substances act and is facing a maximum of four years in prison. A sentencing date has not been scheduled.
The following co-defendants have been sentenced for their crimes:
- Robert Lee Whisby, Jr. aka Lil Pumpkin, 46, of Macon and Stone Mountain, Georgia, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and was sentenced to serve 240 months in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release;
- Rodney Morris, Sr., 46, of Macon, pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and was sentenced to serve 200 months in prison to be followed by four years of supervised release;
- Cartney Pitts aka Blue, 37, of Macon, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and was sentenced to serve 200 months in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release;
- Joshua Barham aka Gambino, 32, of Macon, pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and was sentenced to serve 175 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release;
- Shauna Bush aka Brittany, 26, of Macon, pleaded guilty to distribution of methamphetamine and was sentenced to serve 121 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release;
- Keyundre Stafford aka Dre, 26, of Macon, pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime and use of communication facility in causing or facilitating the commission of felonies under the controlled substances act and was sentenced to serve 108 months in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release;
- Stephanie Davis, 32, of Macon, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and was sentenced to serve 100 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release;
- Kyra Williams aka K-Boo, 29, of Macon, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and was sentenced to serve 100 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release;
- Morley Culver, 44, of Macon, pleaded guilty to two counts use of communication facility in causing or facilitating the commission of felonies under the controlled substances act and was sentenced to 96 months in prison to be followed by one year of supervised release;
- Troy Faulks, 49, of Macon, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and was sentenced to 87 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release;
- Lori Harrell, 34, of Macon, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and was sentenced to serve 80 months in prison to run consecutively to sentences imposed in Bibb County, Georgia, Superior Court to be followed by three years of supervised release;
- Albruce Green aka B, 41, of Macon, pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and was sentenced to serve to 60 months imprisonment to run consecutively to a sentence imposed in an unrelated case to be followed by three years of supervised release;
- Ray Kendrick aka Unk, 63, of Macon, pleaded guilty to use of communication facility in causing or facilitating the commission of felonies under the controlled substances act and was sentenced to 48 months in prison to be followed by one year of supervised release;
- Theon Robinson, 40, of Macon and Sarasota, Florida, pleaded guilty to use of communication facility in causing or facilitating the commission of felonies under the controlled substances act and was sentenced to serve 46 months in prison to be followed by one year of supervised release;
- Melvin Cason, 32, of Macon, pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and was sentenced to serve three years of probation.