Defendants sentenced after pleading guilty in Georgia prison drug trafficking conspiracy

STATESBORO, Georgia: A defendant and his co-conspirators in a Georgia prison drug trafficking operation have been sentenced in district court.

The sentence was imposed by U.S. District Court Judge J. Randal Hall and announced by Margaret E. “Meg” Heap, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. Deivon Waller, a/k/a “Hitman,” a/k/a “VP”, 32, an inmate at the Georgia Diagnostic and Classification Prison in Jackson, Georgia, was sentenced to 240 months in prison and a $2,000 fine followed by three years of supervised release after pleading guilty to Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and to Distribute Methamphetamine and Marijuana.

Waller was a co-conspirator in a network of prison inmates and outside conspirators who used drones and other methods to deliver large quantities of drugs, cell phones and other contraband to Smith State Prison in Glennville, Telfair State Prison in McRae-Helena, and various other Georgia state prisons beginning as early as 2019 and continuing through July 2024.

Amongst more than 20 defendants, six were not in Department of Corrections custody at any time during the conspiracies, and each of them is alleged to have been in contact with incarcerated co-defendants in furtherance of the conspiracy.

Additional defendants associated with the operation have also been sentenced, they include:Kelvin Rogers, a/k/a “Gangsta,” 40, an inmate at the Smith State Prison, was sentenced to 96 months in prison and a $500 fine followed by one year of supervised release after pleading guilty to two counts of Unlawful Use of a Communication Facility.

Tristahn Ash, a/k/a “Mohawk,” 29, an inmate in the Georgia Department of Corrections, was sentenced to 92 months in prison and a $1,500 fine followed by three years of supervised release after pleading guilty to Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine.

Asa James Ward, a/k/a “Foolay,” 30, an inmate at the Georgia Diagnostic and Classification Prison, was sentenced to 56 months in prison and a $1,500 fine followed by three years of supervised release after pleading guilty to Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and to Distribute Methamphetamine and Marijuana.

There is no parole in the federal system. More than a dozen additional co-conspirators await sentencing while others have upcoming trials in federal court for various charges including, Unlawful Use of a Communication Facility and Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime. “This is but one step of many to bring these defendants to justice in a widespread conspiracy,” said U.S. Attorney Heap. “We commend the many federal, state and local law enforcement agencies whose collaborative work unraveled this criminal scheme.”

“Prisons should not be targets for sophisticated drug trafficking operations,” said Michael J. Connolly, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Field Division. “This investigation exposed an effort to use technology to circumvent security and deliver dangerous drugs and contraband behind prison walls. DEA’s commitment to pursuing those responsible does not stop at the prison gate.”

The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Georgia Department of Corrections Criminal Investigations Division, the Georgia Department of Corrections Intelligence Division, and local law enforcement agencies including the Lowndes County Sheriff’s Office, Telfair County Sheriff’s Office, Tattnall County Sheriff’s Office, Calhoun County Sheriff’s Office, Cobb County Sheriff’s Office, the McRae-Helena Police Department, and the Eufaula, Ala., Police Department. “Identifying and managing those participating in criminal activity using contraband cell phones introduced into our facilities via drone or otherwise, is paramount in our commitment to public safety,” said GDC Commissioner Tyrone Oliver. “We appreciate the support of our federal partners in ensuring that justice will be served on these individuals for their role in jeopardizing the safe operations of our facilities, and most importantly, the safety of the public.”

This case is being prosecuted for the United States by Southern District of Georgia Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy P. Dean and Criminal AUSA Chief Patricia G. Rhodes.