10 indicted in Augusta-area meth-trafficking operation

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – Ten defendants in the Augusta area have been indicted on federal charges for participating in what the United States Department of Justice calls a “major methamphetamine trafficking operation.”

The defendants are charged with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and to distribute methamphetamine, along with individual charges related to meth possession and distribution and gun possession, said Jill E. Steinberg, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia.

Conviction on the conspiracy charge carries a statutory penalty of up to 20 years, along with fines and supervised release upon completion of any prison term, officials say.

“The charges in this indictment succinctly spell out the danger that trafficking in illegal drugs presents to the safety of our communities – particularly when those engaged in drug trafficking also illegally possess weapons,” said Steinberg. “We commend the challenging work of our law enforcement partners in identifying and disrupting these operations.”

The case was investigated under the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces.

The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, the Aiken County Sheriff’s Office, the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office, the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office, the McDuffie County Sheriff’s Office and prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorney Bradley R. Thompson.

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