Southwest Georgia Drug Traffickers Plead Guilty in Federal Court, Facing Life Sentences
Two Southwest Georgia residents with extensive criminal backgrounds have pleaded guilty to federal charges related to methamphetamine trafficking and firearms offenses. The pleas follow a detailed investigation involving local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies.
Justin Harris Vinson, 42, of Warwick, Georgia, pleaded guilty on September 17, 2024, to one count of distribution of methamphetamine. Shana Rae Black, 34, of Cordele, Georgia, pleaded guilty to the same charge on August 15, 2024. Both individuals face a mandatory minimum sentence of ten years to life imprisonment, with the possibility of at least five years of supervised release and a $10 million fine. Federal law prohibits parole, and Chief U.S. District Judge Leslie Gardner is presiding over their cases, with sentencing dates to be set.
According to court documents, the investigation began when a confidential informant (CI) working with the Crisp County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO) contacted Black on October 27, 2022, through Facebook. The CI arranged to purchase methamphetamine from Black at a motel in Perry, Georgia. During the transaction, the CI observed a pistol on a nightstand beside a bulk quantity of methamphetamine. On October 31, 2022, an undercover Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) agent met Black at a Walmart in Cordele and purchased methamphetamine while under audio and video surveillance.
The investigation progressed on November 2, 2022, when Vinson was observed meeting with another CI to sell methamphetamine. Vinson and the CI traveled from Vinson’s residence in Warwick to the Sunrise Inn in Cordele to meet Black. During this meeting, Black provided 284.4 grams of methamphetamine and kept most of the cash payment, with Vinson receiving $300 as a brokering fee. Vinson was seen with a firearm during this transaction.
On November 7, 2022, Black was arrested in Crisp County while returning from McDonough, Georgia. A search of her vehicle uncovered 982.7 grams of 97% pure methamphetamine, 15.89 grams of 91% pure methamphetamine, a digital scale, and several cell phones. A subsequent search of Black’s motel room at the Baymont Inn in Cordele revealed a 9mm semiautomatic pistol, a small bag of suspected methamphetamine, four digital scales, and bulk quantities of plastic baggies. Black’s cell phones showed extensive communication with known drug dealers.
Further investigation led to Vinson’s arrest on January 22, 2023, after he sold 277 grams of 98% pure methamphetamine to a CI in Warwick. During this transaction, the CI noticed Vinson placing a firearm in the center console of his vehicle. A search warrant executed at Vinson’s residence on January 26, 2023, uncovered a semiautomatic pistol and five additional firearms inside an open safe. Vinson admitted to selling methamphetamine throughout South Georgia and North Florida, revealing that he had been distributing approximately three kilograms of methamphetamine per week during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Both Vinson and Black have prior felony convictions for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine—Vinson in Lee County, Georgia, and Black in Jones County, Georgia.
The investigation was a collaborative effort involving the FBI, DEA, GBI, and the Crisp County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Redavid is prosecuting the case for the government.
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