Georgia Drug Traffickers Plead Guilty Following Interstate Bust
Oscar Dominick Waters, 39, of Roanoke, Virginia, and Keisha Jackson-Murchison, 36, of Springfield, Massachusetts, have pleaded guilty to charges related to trafficking large quantities of fentanyl, cocaine, heroin, and other illegal narcotics. The two were apprehended after a traffic stop on Interstate 85 led to the discovery of the drugs.
The Incident
On September 18, 2023, a Grantville, Georgia, police officer stopped a vehicle for speeding on I-85. Jackson-Murchison, a convicted felon, was driving the car, with Waters, a convicted drug dealer, as her passenger. An initial search uncovered bags of marijuana inside the vehicle.
As officers attempted to detain Waters, Jackson-Murchison retrieved a backpack and duffel bag from the car and fled barefoot across three lanes of traffic, narrowly avoiding oncoming vehicles. She disappeared into a wooded area, prompting a search by Coweta County Sheriff’s officers and a K-9 unit.
Jackson-Murchison was eventually found in the woods along with the bags she carried. Inside, officers discovered nearly three kilograms of fentanyl and fentanyl analogue, more than 2.5 kilograms of powder cocaine, a quarter-kilogram of crack cocaine, five ounces of heroin, and additional marijuana.
Investigation Findings
Further investigation revealed that Waters hired Jackson-Murchison to drive him to Alabama, where he intended to distribute the narcotics.
Sentencing Details
Both defendants will be sentenced on February 25, 2025, in the courtroom of Chief U.S. District Judge Timothy C. Batten, Sr.:
- Oscar Waters: Faces sentencing at 10:30 a.m. for trafficking narcotics.
- Keisha Jackson-Murchison: Faces sentencing at 10:00 a.m. for concealment of a felony.
Law Enforcement Statements
“Fentanyl and heroin pose extraordinary dangers to public safety and have destroyed countless lives,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan. “Individuals who seek to profit from distributing these deadly drugs will be brought to justice.”
Steven N. Schrank, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Atlanta, added, “HSI will continue to work with our partners to identify, apprehend, and prosecute individuals involved with these deadly, illicit drugs.”
The case was investigated by HSI with assistance from the Grantville Police Department, Coweta County Sheriff’s Office, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Theodore S. Hertzberg and Noah R. Schechtman are prosecuting the case.
