Eight-Time Convicted Felon Sentenced to Federal Prison for Drug Trafficking

ATLANTA - Usoro E. McWhorter, who has eight prior felony convictions, was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison for conspiring to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine, cocaine, heroin, and fentanyl. His accomplice, Omari Nicks, was sentenced to more than 12 years in federal prison last year on the same charges.

"This serial convicted felon sold deadly quantities of fentanyl, methamphetamine, and other drugs from an Atlanta apartment and dumped heroin out of a window in a failed attempt to evade seizure by law enforcement," said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. "McWhorter's and Nicks's lengthy sentences are the result of close collaboration between federal and local law enforcement officers committed to aggressive prosecutions of drug traffickers in north Georgia."

"An individual with eight prior convictions who continues to traffic drugs demonstrates a clear disregard for the law and for human life," said Jae W. Chung, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Field Division. "Through strong collaboration with our law enforcement partners, we were able to bring this case forward and ensure accountability. Together, we remain committed to removing repeat offenders who threaten the safety and well-being of our communities."

"The recent federal conviction and 10-year sentence of a fentanyl distributor underscore the devastating impact this drug continues to have on our communities. Fentanyl trafficking fuels addiction, overdoses, and loss of life at an alarming rate," said Major Mark Mayton of the Bartow-Cartersville Drug Task Force. "This sentence reflects the seriousness of the offense and the commitment of law enforcement and the judicial system to hold those responsible accountable. We remain dedicated to working with our partners to combat the spread of fentanyl and protect the safety and well-being of our citizens."

"The Cartersville Police Department has always taken an aggressive approach to drug enforcement, and this case was no different. It really is a shining example of what happens when local and federal law enforcement work together to achieve a common goal. This collaborative effort created a true local impact by dismantling an illicit pipeline of drugs and firearms into not only our community, but all of the communities that these defendants sought to exploit," said Chief Kevin Cloninger of the Cartersville Police Department.

According to U.S. Attorney Hertzberg, the charges, and other information presented in court: In January 2025, Omari Nicks was selling methamphetamine and fentanyl from his Atlanta apartment. Some of Nicks's customers traveled into the city from as far as Bartow County, Georgia. On February 6, 2025, DEA agents searched Nicks's apartment after seeing Nicks sell drugs while Usoro McWhorter acted as a lookout. When agents entered the apartment, Nicks attempted to flee by climbing out a third-story window, but he fell off the side of the building and was quickly apprehended. Agents arrested McWhorter while he was dumping heroin out of another apartment window.

Inside the apartment, agents found approximately two kilograms of methamphetamine, one kilogram of cocaine, 50 grams of fentanyl, a hydraulic press to form powdered drugs into bricks, approximately $5,400 in cash, and an AR-15 style rifle loaded with a 30-round magazine. Law enforcement also recovered approximately 100 grams of the heroin McWhorter dumped out of the apartment window.

Before this incident, McWhorter had been convicted of eight felony offenses. Most of those convictions involved drug sales.

On May 6, 2026, Usoro E. McWhorter, 48, of Atlanta, Georgia, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Eleanor L. Ross to 10 years in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release. McWhorter was convicted of conspiring to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances, after he pleaded guilty.

On August 27, 2025, Omari A. Nicks, 47, of Smyrna, Georgia, was sentenced to 12 years and 6 months in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release. Nicks was convicted of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, after he pleaded guilty.

This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bartow-Cartersville Drug Task Force, and the Cartersville Police Department.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Calvin A. Leipold, III and Thomas M. Forsyth, III prosecuted the case.

This case is part of Operation Take Back America a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.

The U.S. Attorney's Office in Atlanta recommends parents and children learn about the dangers of drugs at the following web site: https://www.justthinktwice.gov.

For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney's Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.