Six Charged in Middle Georgia-China Fentanyl and Synthetic Drug Trafficking Ring
MACON, Ga. — Six people, including two Georgia prison inmates and two Chinese nationals, have been charged in a newly unsealed federal indictment alleging a conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and other synthetic controlled substances sourced from China into the Middle District of Georgia.
A federal grand jury returned the indictment on May 14, 2025, and it was unsealed on Aug. 7. Those charged include:
- Devito Duran Young, 44, of Macon State Prison and Marietta, Ga., charged with conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance. He faces a maximum sentence of life in prison and an $8 million fine.
- Trace Davrin Works, 29, of Mableton, Ga., charged with conspiracy to distribute fentanyl, facing a maximum sentence of life in prison and an $8 million fine.
- Xin Wang, 27, of China, charged with conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance, facing up to 40 years for the fentanyl charge and 20 years for the controlled substance charge.
- Andreaus Benard Oliver, Sr., 43, of Macon State Prison and Cordele, Ga., charged with conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance, facing up to 30 years in prison.
- Andreaus Benard Oliver, Jr., 26, of Cordele, Ga., charged with conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance and maintaining a drug premises, facing up to 20 years in prison.
- Gao Yong, 29, of China, charged with conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance, facing up to 20 years in prison.
Young, Works, and Oliver Sr. are in custody and were arraigned Aug. 7 before U.S. Magistrate Judge Charles H. Weigle. Oliver Jr. had his initial appearance Aug. 7 and is scheduled for arraignment Aug. 11 in Albany, Ga.
According to the indictment, Young and Oliver Sr., both inmates at Macon State Prison, allegedly conspired beginning in 2023 to obtain and distribute fentanyl and synthetic cannabinoids from China. Wang and Yong are accused of facilitating global sales of the substances, receiving cryptocurrency payments, and shipping products to the U.S., including addresses in Cordele, Ga.
Young allegedly used a contraband cellphone in prison to place multiple orders from Wang and Yong via encrypted apps, directing Works to receive and ship the drugs. Oliver Jr. allegedly received shipments of synthetic cannabinoids at his residence, referred to in the indictment as the “lab,” where authorities later seized large quantities of processed drug-soaked sheets, chemical containers, cash, shipping labels, and ledgers.
A search of Oliver Jr.’s home on July 22, 2024, reportedly uncovered more than 175 metal pans with sheets of paper, over 350 dried sheets soaked in cannabinoids, labels addressed to inmates nationwide, and other evidence. Authorities also seized $170,000 in cryptocurrency from Wang.
The FBI and U.S. Postal Inspection Service are leading the investigation, with assistance from the GBI and Georgia Department of Corrections. Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel Peach is prosecuting the case.
