Fourteen Sentenced in Massive Prison-Based Drug Trafficking Ring

Fourteen individuals have been sentenced to federal prison for their involvement in a prison-based drug trafficking ring responsible for distributing methamphetamine and heroin in the metro Atlanta area. This operation, led by inmates at the Jenkins Correctional Center in Millen, Georgia, spanned several years and resulted in the trafficking of over 14 kilograms of methamphetamine and 860 grams of heroin.

The scheme was initially uncovered by special agents with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) in January 2018. According to Acting U.S. Attorney Richard S. Moultrie, Jr., “Several of the defendants even continued their criminal activity by orchestrating drug transactions from prison, posing a serious risk to public safety.”

The inmates involved, Jesus Garcia-Gutierez and Miguel Elorza, used contraband cellphones to coordinate multiple drug deals from within the prison. Their activities were assisted by numerous individuals both inside and outside of the correctional facility. Garcia-Gutierez and Elorza coordinated drug distribution networks that spanned the metro Atlanta area, enlisting a range of individuals to carry out the transactions.

Key incidents in the trafficking operation include:

May 24, 2018: Garcia-Gutierez arranged for David Crider, Jr. to receive two ounces of methamphetamine in Atlanta. After the transaction, Georgia State Patrol (GSP) troopers stopped Crider’s vehicle and seized the drugs.
June 3, 2018: Garcia-Gutierez directed Anthony Bernard Jordan to facilitate the transport of methamphetamine and heroin. Sheila Hardy, Larry Mosley, and Nathaniel Jackson traveled from Albany, Georgia, to pick up the drugs in Atlanta. Following the deal, GSP troopers seized 982 grams of methamphetamine and 475 grams of heroin from their vehicle.
August 16, 2018: Christopher Butler, Elorza’s former cellmate, coordinated with Joseph Brown to sell a kilogram of methamphetamine in Douglasville, Georgia. However, the deal was thwarted when they noticed they were being followed by law enforcement, and they discarded the drugs in a yard, which were later recovered by Douglas County Sheriff’s officers.
August 30, 2018: Quantavius Foster, a counselor at Jenkins Correctional Center, met with Berenice Corea-Uriostegui in Augusta to smuggle over 100 grams of methamphetamine into the prison for Garcia-Gutierez. Foster was stopped by Richmond County Sheriff’s officers, who seized the drugs.
October 16, 2018: Garcia-Gutierez arranged for Darrell White, an Alabama-based heroin distributor, to pick up drugs in Doraville, Georgia. White’s vehicle was stopped by GSP troopers, who found more than 100 grams of heroin hidden on his person.
November 1, 2018: Garcia-Gutierez and Corea-Uriostegui organized a deal involving Tiffany Julian and Jonathan Tyler Bryant, who were sent to pick up methamphetamine and prescription pills in Atlanta. Bryant led GSP troopers on a high-speed chase on I-75, tossing the drugs out of the car window during the pursuit. Law enforcement recovered the discarded drugs later.

In total, the drug trafficking organization was responsible for smuggling and distributing 14 kilograms of methamphetamine and 860 grams of heroin throughout the Northern District of Georgia.

The individuals involved in the trafficking operation received the following sentences:

Jesus Garcia-Gutierez, 43, of Atlanta, was sentenced to 15 years and six months in prison, to be served consecutive to a state sentence, followed by five years of supervised release.
Miguel Elorza, 32, of Atlanta, received a 14-year sentence, served consecutive to a state sentence, followed by five years of supervised release.
Anthony Bernard Jordan, 33, of Albany, Georgia, was sentenced to 10 years in prison followed by five years of supervised release.
Nathaniel Jackson, 65, of Albany, was sentenced to seven years and six months in prison, followed by four years of supervised release.
Tiffany Julian, 37, of Atlanta, received six years and six months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release.
Darrell White, 41, of Anniston, Alabama, was sentenced to six years and five months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release.
Christopher Butler, 37, of Atlanta, was sentenced to six years and two months in prison, followed by five years of supervised release.
David Crider, Jr., 52, of Atlanta, was sentenced to five years in prison, followed by four years of supervised release.
Jonathan Tyler Bryant, 30, of Atlanta, received four years in prison, followed by five years of supervised release.
Berenice Corea-Uriostegui, 28, of Atlanta, was sentenced to three years and four months in prison, followed by five years of supervised release.
Larry Mosley, 46, of Albany, Georgia, was sentenced to three years in prison, followed by five years of supervised release.
Sheila M. Hardy, 51, of Albany, received a sentence of two years and one month in prison, followed by five years of supervised release.
Quantavius Foster, 33, of Swainsboro, Georgia, was sentenced to one year and three months in prison, followed by one year of supervised release.
Joseph Brown, 58, of Villa Rica, Georgia, was sentenced to one year and one day in prison, followed by three years of supervised release.

The investigation into the trafficking ring was conducted by the DEA and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI), with support from the Georgia State Patrol, the Georgia Department of Corrections, the GBI West Metro Regional Drug Enforcement Office, the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office, the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office, and the Doraville Police Department.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Bethany L. Rupert and Nicholas Joy prosecuted the case, which highlights the collaborative efforts of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies in dismantling a dangerous drug trafficking network that impacted both communities and the prison system.