Ellenwood Man Pleads Guilty to Possessing Nearly 1,000 Pounds of Methamphetamine for Distribution

Gilberto Contreras, 54, of Ellenwood, Georgia, has pleaded guilty to possessing nearly 1,000 pounds of methamphetamine with the intent to distribute. The substantial amount of the dangerous drug was discovered by law enforcement during an investigation led by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).

According to court documents, the investigation began on July 2, 2024, when DEA special agents were tipped off about a local methamphetamine trafficker. Agents located Contreras in a parking lot in Clayton County, Georgia, where they stopped his vehicle and found approximately 44 pounds of methamphetamine in a black trash bag. A subsequent search of Contreras’s residence and backyard uncovered an additional 915 pounds of methamphetamine, along with $40,000 in cash.

Acting U.S. Attorney Richard S. Moultrie, Jr. emphasized the serious threat posed by Contreras’s actions, stating, “Contreras distributed massive quantities of dangerous drugs that posed a significant threat to the health and safety of our communities.”

Acting Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Division, Jae Chung, added, “This case represents the continued commitment of the DEA to identify and hold accountable those who engage in the distribution of dangerous drugs, such as methamphetamine.”

Contreras is scheduled to be sentenced on May 13, 2025, at 2:00 p.m. before U.S. District Judge Thomas W. Thrash, Jr. This case was investigated by the DEA, with support from the Clayton C