Three dozen defendants charged in major South Georgia conspiracy of drug trafficking
Three men from Waycross and two from Alma were named in a newly unsealed federal indictment alleging three dozen defendants, many of them in prison, who participated in an extensive drug trafficking operation spanning several south Georgia communities.
Six were already in law enforcement custody, and another 29 were arrested Thursday morning, January 30, 2025. The four-year long FBI investigation revealed much of the conspiracy was directed from inside Georgia state prisons using contraband cell phones.
Eight individuals are still wanted in connection to this case.
The indictment in USA v. Brinson, et al., names 37 individuals in the Coffee, Atkinson, Ware and Bacon County area as conspirators, charging them with Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and to Distribute Cocaine, Methamphetamine, Oxycodone, and Marijuana, said Acting U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia Tara M. Lyons in the Thursday, January 30 press release.
Conviction on the charge carries a maximum penalty of up to life in prison for most defendants, along with substantial financial penalties and a period of supervised release upon completion of any prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
“This operation makes it clear rural communities aren’t immune from the scourge of drug trafficking,” said Lyons. “We applaud the diligent work of our law enforcement partners in this investigation.”
The three from Waycross are Ernest Goodman, 42, an inmate of the Ware County Jail; Darien McDaniel, 35, and Adrian Munford, a/k/a “Jugg King,” 41.
Residing in Alma were Roger Jenkins, 27, a/k/a “Glee Jenkins,” a/k/a “WMG Glee,” and Brian Wright, 48.
Goodman was charged with Possession of a Controlled Substance with Intent to Distribute (methamphetamine, Schedule II), Possession of a Controlled Substance with Intent to Distribute (cocaine; Schedule II), Possession of a Firearm in Futherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime and Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person.
Munford must forfeit any property constituting, or derived from proceeds obtained, directly or indirectly for any property used, or intended to be used, in any manner or part, to commit, or to facilitate the commission of violations, and any firearm and ammuntion in the commission of offenses.
McDaniel was charged with Possession with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance (marijuana).
Jenkins and Wright were each charged with Possession of a Controlled Substance with Intent to Distribute (methamphetamine; Schedule II).
As described in the indictment, the defendants are alleged to have participated in a conspiracy to import and distribute large amounts of illegal drugs in the Douglas community and surrounding counties. Much of the conspiracy was directed from inside Georgia state prisons using contraband cell phones.
The 57-page, 60-count indictment includes the seizure of 21 illegally possessed firearms and more than $17,000.
Criminal indictments contain only charges. Defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
“The FBI and our law enforcement partners were able to achieve today’s arrests and seizures because all of us never stopped working together, combining our resources, and advocating for a safer place to live for everyone in this community,” said FBI Atlanta Assistant Special Agent in Charge Brian Ozden. “We will not rest until we bring back to our community a sense of security and law and order that is so greatly needed.”
“This operation was only successful because of the collaborative effort of the various agencies,” said Coffee County Sheriff Fred T. Cole. “As the sheriff, it is my mission to eliminate the spread of illegal drugs in our community. This operation highlights the importance of community safety and the lasting effects it has on our community.”
This investigation took place under the umbrella of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program that has been successful in bringing together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer.
The case also was investigated under the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF). OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest- level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor- led, intelligence-driven, multiagency approach.
Agencies conducting the investigation include the FBI, the Coffee County Sheriff’s Office Drug Unit, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation Southeast Regional Drug Enforcement Office, the Georgia State Patrol, the Georgia Department of Community Supervision, the Douglas Police Department, the Bacon County Sheriff’s Office, the Atkinson County Sheriff’s Office, the Waycross Police Department, the Marion County (Florida) Sheriff’s Office and the Jacksonville (Florida) County Sheriff’s Office.
The case is being prosecuted for the United States by Southern District of Georgia Assistant U.S. Attorneys Bradley R. Thompson and Joshua K. Davis.
