By Joe Johnson
Two dozen residents of Athens-Clarke County and many more from surrounding counties were recently indicted in U.S. District Court in Athens as part an ongoing, large-scale drug trafficking investigation dubbed “Operation Wu Block.”
According to an announcement Thursday by Charlie Peeler, U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Georgia, the operation has yielded criminal charges for 68 individuals and the seizure of multiple kilos of methamphetamine and heroin, with more indictments expected in the coming months.
The two-year Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation is being conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Macon office, FBI’s Middle Georgia Safe Streets Gang Task Force, Athens-Clarke County Police Department, and sheriff offices in Hart, Madison, Oconee and Oglethorpe counties, the Northeast Regional Drug Task Force and the Georgia Department of Corrections, all in partnership with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Georgia.
Those agencies continue to target large scale drug trafficking organizations operating in northeast Georgia and throughout the state, according to Peeler’s announcement.
The investigation has so far resulted in the seizure of more than 58 kilos of methamphetamine, more than two kilos of heroin, 31 firearms, $56,000, as well as multiple indictments covering the 68 defendants. Charges brought thus far include conspiracy, possession with intent to distribute controlled substances, distribution of controlled substances, and firearm possession, with penalties ranging from five years up to life in prison, depending on the charge.
“Law enforcement in Georgia are aggressively working to find and arrest individuals distributing dangerous drugs in our communities,” Peeler said. “This investigation is a textbook example of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies working together in the Middle District of Georgia to stem the flow of illegal narcotics and the severe damage they cause within our communities.”
The federal prosecutor added, “Drug traffickers beware: law enforcement will find you, and you will be prosecuted.”
Robert J. Murphy, special agent in charge of the DEA’s Atlanta field office, said, “Drug traffickers ultimately bring misery and destruction to our communities. DEA and its law enforcement partners take an oath to protect and serve those communities by removing dangerous criminals from the streets. The collection of law enforcement agencies and the subsequent prosecution by the U.S. Attorney’s Office allowed DEA to mount an aggressive assault against a well-established methamphetamine distribution network.”
Chris Hacker, special agent in charge of FBI Atlanta, said, “The removal of drugs, guns and money and 68 defendants from our streets will have an immediate impact on the safety of our citizens, thanks to a two-year cooperative effort with our federal, state and local partners.
“This case is another example of the commitment to dismantle organizations that wreak havoc in our communities and endanger the people who live in them.”
Charges faced by the defendants include conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine with a maximum sentence of life in prison; conspiracy with intent to distribute heroin with a maximum sentence of 40 years imprisonment; possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine or heroin with sentences ranging from 20 years to life in prison; distribution of methamphetamine or heroin with sentences ranging from 20 years to life in prison, depending on the amount of controlled substances charged; possession of a firearm in relation to drug trafficking crime, with a maximum sentence of life in prison.
The defendants are as follows:
1. Arguelles, Joey, 24, Hart County
2. Baza, Frankie, 32, Gwinnett County
3. Bellew, Jason Monroe, 35, Elbert County
4. Bennett, Byron, 41, Athens-Clarke County
5. Bentley, Peggy, 48, Oconee County
6. Bishop, Latasha, 33, Athens-Clarke County
7. Booker, Chuckferrio, 30, Athens-Clarke County
8. Bray, Benjamin, 23, Madison County
9. Carter, Haley, 21, Athens-Clarke County
10. Casey, Jason, 38, Oconee County
11. Clouse, Justin, 38, Athens-Clarke County
12. Coker, Joshua Wayne, 38, Hart County
13. Coker, Larry Thomas, 34, Oconee County
14. Cook, Steven Mark, 32, Athens-Clarke County
15. Cruz Sanchez, Mishel, 29, Gwinnett County
16. Davis, Ashley, 26, Madison County
17. Duarte, Jasmin, 26, Oconee County
18. Eddy, Crystal, 38, Athens-Clarke County
19. Elliott, Jeri Renee, 49, Athens-Clarke County
20. Espino, Juan, 45, Oconee County
21. Fain, Angela, 48, Franklin County
22. Fain, William, 55, Franklin County
23. Fowler, Thomas Joey, Hart County
24. Gee, Jennifer, 33, Athens-Clarke County
25. Gowen, Howard Burnham, 50, Athens-Clarke County
26. Green, Jonathan, 34, Athens-Clarke County
27. Gresham, Cierra, 23, Athens-Clarke County
28. Hancock, Maurice, 46, Barrow County
29. Hernandez, Lazaro, 28, Cobb County
30. Hicks, Bruce, 39, Madison County
31. Houseman Kristy Lynn, 40, Athens-Clarke County
32. Howard, William Mathew, 45, Arlington, Virginia
33. Huckeba, Russel, 40, Gwinnett County
34. Jarrett, Kenneth Lee, 59, Pickens County
35. Kelley, Ronald, 49, Madison County
36. Kraps, Jessica, 35, Athens-Clarke County
37. Leonard, Amy Laura, 51, Johnson City, Tennessee
38. Maddox, Dwayne, 34, Athens-Clarke County
39. Manley, Ashley Michelle, 25, Athens-Clarke County
40. Mata-Bustos, Esmeralda, 38, Gwinnett County
41. McCullough, Daniel Keith, 27, Hart County
42. Melton, Kyle, 34, Athens-Clarke County
43. Moon, Andrew, 31, Athens-Clarke County
44. Moore, Chandler, 35, Bristol, Tennessee
45. Moore, Rodney Lewis, 33, Athens-Clarke County
46. Moore, Scott, 39, Hart County
47. Morris, Mechelle, 44, Oglethorpe County
48. Mull, Madlyn Vista, 21, Hart County
49. Mulligan, Gregory, 29, Athens-Clarke County
50. Mutch, Michelle, 27, Athens-Clarke County
51. Newsome, Greyson, 31, Athens-Clarke County
52. Paige, Audrey Lynn, 30, Athens-Clarke County
53. Ramos, Cindy Isamara, 28, Cobb County
54. Shaver, Mathew, 43, Oglethorpe County
55. Silverio, Mario Alberto, 40, Cobb County
56. Smith, Shana Leeanne, 31, Oconee County
57. Sterling, Kenneth, 50, Athens-Clarke County
58. Sutton, Pamela Lynn, 38, Athens-Clarke County
59. Turbeville, Steven, 38, Barrow County
60. Turrubiartes Amaro, Ricardo, 22, Gwinnett County
61. Wampler, Cecil, 35, Bristol, Tennessee
62. Wheeler, Travis, 36, Athens-Clarke County
63. Wolford, April, 29, Athens-Clarke County
64. Wolford, Garrett, 33, Athens-Clarke County
65. Woodrum, Darien, 27, Athens-Clarke County
66. Young, James Andrew, 26, Oglethorpe County
67. Young, Ricky Keith, 32, Walton County
68. Zavala, David, 28, Gordon County
“Operation Wu Block,” an OCDETF-led investigation, is part of the larger “Operation Crystal Shield,” a national DEA operation first announced on February 20, 2020 during a press conference in Atlanta. The investigation is focused on eight main methamphetamine trafficking transportation hubs across the nation, including Atlanta. Both are on-going operations.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Tamara Jarrett is prosecuting cases arising from this investigation for the Government.