Lee County Gang Member Sentenced to 10 Years for Cocaine Trafficking and Money Laundering

Roderick Terrell Ferrell, also known as “Rude Boy” within the Westside Rattler criminal street gang, has been sentenced to 120 months (10 years) in federal prison, followed by six years of supervised release, after pleading guilty to one count of distribution of cocaine. The sentence was handed down on June 25, 2025, after a multi-year investigation into his drug trafficking and money laundering operations in Lee County.

According to the Lee County Sheriff’s Office, Ferrell, a convicted felon, attempted to portray himself as a legitimate businessman and aspiring restaurateur while allegedly trafficking cocaine and marijuana. However, his “establishments” were never operational, making his money laundering efforts “glaringly obvious and equally unsuccessful.”

The investigation, which spanned from 2021 through 2024 and involved local, state, and federal partners, saw Ferrell arrested on November 30, 2023, with approximately 10 pounds of marijuana following a traffic stop by the Georgia State Patrol and the Lee County Sheriff’s Office. He attempted to flee on foot but was swiftly apprehended and transferred from the Lee County Jail to federal custody.

A concurrent money laundering investigation by the DEA further exposed Ferrell’s criminal activities, revealing he laundered approximately $383,057 in drug proceeds between 2021 and 2023 through his bank account, CashApp, a local business, and a co-conspirator’s accounts, despite having no declared employment or income on his taxes. Investigators found that Ferrell and his girlfriend used drug proceeds to purchase a 2021 Mercedes-Benz GLE, luxury goods from high-end brands, take luxury vacations, rent a home near Atlanta, and invest in a non-operational local business.

Sheriff Levon Allen issued a stern warning to other criminals, stating, “Don’t be like Roderick Ferrell. Don’t sell drugs. Don’t launder money. Get a job. Be an honest person. And whatever you do, don’t bring this foolishness to Lee County. This man went to Atlanta one day and still hasn’t made it home. Let that sink in.”

The Lee County Sheriff’s Office expressed gratitude to all participating agencies, including the Drug Enforcement Administration, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Georgia Bureau of Investigation, Georgia State Patrol, and the Albany-Dougherty Special Investigations Unit. The case was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Georgia, Albany Division.