Multiple defendants sentenced after pleading guilty in southern Georgia drug trafficking conspiracy

SAVANNAH, Georgia: Three additional defendants in a southern Georgia drug trafficking operation have been sentenced to prison in federal court.

The sentences were imposed by U.S. District Court Judge Lisa G. Wood and were announced by Margaret E. "Meg" Heap, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. They include:

• Dequatte Tucker, 34, an inmate at Wheeler Correctional Facility, was sentenced to 188 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release after pleading guilty to Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and to Distribute Controlled Substances.
• Roger Jenkins, 28, of Alma, Georgia, was sentenced to 84 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release after pleading guilty to Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and to Distribute Controlled Substances.
• Corey Hill, 36, of Ambrose, Georgia, was sentenced to 18 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release after pleading guilty to Conspiracy to Possess Firearms in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime.

There is no parole in the federal system.

These three defendants were co-conspirators in a large-scale drug trafficking operation spanning several southern Georgia communities. As described in court documents and testimony, the defendants participated in a conspiracy to import and distribute large amounts of illegal drugs in the Douglas, Georgia community and surrounding counties. Much of the conspiracy was directed from inside Georgia state prisons using contraband cell phones. The investigation resulted in the seizure of 21 illegally possessed firearms and more than $17,000.

"The sentences imposed hold these conspirators accountable for their roles in a drug trafficking operation that endangered our communities," said U.S. Attorney Heap. "Let this message be clear: Those who traffic narcotics in our communities will be identified, prosecuted and brought to justice."

There were 33 additional defendants who were convicted after pleading guilty to various drug- and gun-related charges, with 17 of them sentenced to terms of up to 126 months in prison. Two defendants were convicted at trial, one defendant passed away before adjudication, and another was acquitted at trial.

"This drug trafficking organization has been responsible for wreaking havoc in South Georgia, and its takedown is a positive step forward in the never-ending quest to keep our communities safe," said Brian Ozden, Assistant Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta's Resident Agencies. "We will not waver in our mission to investigate, disrupt, and dismantle trafficking organizations anywhere in Georgia."

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 assisted in the investigation of these cases. These cases were prosecuted for the United States by Southern District of Georgia Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joshua Kyle Davis and Bradley R. Thompson.