MILLEDGEVILLE, Ga. — An Atlanta man has been sentenced for attempting to distribute methamphetamine to Milledgeville as part of a large drug operation, according to a press release from the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Middle District of Georgia.
Brandon Ector, 39, of Atlanta, was sentenced to 12.5 years in prison after pleading guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute meth, the release said.
But the U.S. Attorney's Office says the ring Ector was a part of is responsible for supplying and distributing "large quantities of drugs" to Milledgeville, including enough fentanyl to deliver 1.25 million lethal doses.
Ector was among 12 people indicted as part of a massive drug operation, which was unsealed in August 2022.
However, the federal case against them dates back to July 2020. That's when confidential sources offered evidence of "illegal drug activities" in the Milledgeville area. The arrests took place during April 2021 and February 2022.
They say Ector and Lagary Williams — also known as Frog — were found at a luxury high-rise in downtown Atlanta that they shared.
A Milledgeville man, Damon Hayes, was identified by authorities as a "multi-kilogram distributor of methamphetamine, powder cocaine and crack cocaine operating in Milledgeville," according to the release.
They say Hayes' drug supplier was Williams, and Ector was part of Hayes' drug trafficking organization.
When wiretaps from Sept. 10, 2021 showed Hayes was returning to Atlanta to pick up more drugs, a search warrant was issued for the apartment, a previous press release said.
When authorities raided the apartment that same day, both Williams and Ector jumped from the apartment's balcony, causing Ector to break a bone from the fall, the release said.
In the apartment, authorities found 5.5. pounds of fentanyl, which is enough to deliver 1.25 million lethal doses. According to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency, 2 milligrams of fentanyl is enough to potentially kill a person.
Authorities also found 2.2 pounds of meth, 7 pounds of marijuana and almost 4.5 pounds of cocaine base. They also found a Glock 19 9mm pistol and a Ruger model 57 handgun.
Other co-defendants:
In Milledgeville, 10 others were indicted as part of the drug trafficking ring, according to a previous press release from the U.S. Middle District of Georgia.
The indictments were all part of an investigation that dates back to 2020, and it included in total 12 people who were indicted by the U.S. Attorney's Office.
Williams and Ector were the only two Atlanta residents who were arrested as part of the operation.
Williams pleaded guilty on Oct. 30, and his sentencing hearing is scheduled for Feb. 7, 2024. He faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison but faces up to life in prison and up to a $10 million fine.
However, 10 Milledgeville residents were also indicted as part of the ring, according to a press release from August 2022.
In a November 2023 release, the U.S. Attorney's Office said four others had been sentenced for roles in the drug trafficking ring.
Hayes, the Milledgeville drug distributor, was sentenced to almost 23 years in prison followed by 10 years of supervised release for conspiracy to distribute controlled substances.
Derek Ingram, Quinatvius Horton, and Travarious Davis were also sentenced to prison time for conspiring to distribute controlled substances.
Ingram was sentenced to almost 16 years in prison. Horton, also known as "Bloody Bae," was sentenced to 10 years in prison and five years of supervised release.
Travarious Davis was sentenced to 2.5 years in prison followed by five years of supervised release.
One of the other people indicted, Billy Harper, was originally charged with conspiracy to distribute controlled substances but, according to a 2023 press release, his charges were downgraded to maintaining a drug-involved premises. He was sentenced to 1.5 years in prison.
After his 12.5 years in prison, Ector will also face five years of supervised release. He is not eligible for parole.
Six other Milledgeville residents were indicted as part of the ring in 2022 whose information has not been released as of now. They were all charged with conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, but it is unclear where they stand in the court system.
The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Middle District of Georgia will provide more information on that Friday.