A Nov. 8 press release from the United States Department of Justice’s U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Georgia, accessible at https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdga/pr/major-indictment-targets-southeastern-drug-trafficking-conspiracy , has listed 32 individuals as defendants in a drug trafficking operation after a lengthy investigation.
The press release said, “A newly unsealed federal indictment charges nearly three dozen defendants for their involvement in a drug trafficking conspiracy centered in south Georgia and reaching into the Caribbean.
Operation Carpet Ride, investigated under the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces identified drug trafficking operations in Richmond, Burke, Bulloch, Candler, Effingham, Evans, Liberty, Richmond, and Tattnall counties and elsewhere from as early as January 2016.
“The primary conspiracy charge in USA v. Morales-Jimenez et. al, dubbed Operation Carpet Ride, carries a statutory minimum penalty of 10 years in prison, up to life, said David H. Estes, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. Conviction on the charge also carries a minimum of five years of supervised release following any prison term, and there is no parole in the federal system.
It also said, “Each defendant in USA v. Morales-Jiminez et. al is charged with Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute, and to Distribute, 5 Kilograms or More of Cocaine; 50 Grams or More of Methamphetamine; 28 Grams or More of Crack Cocaine; Hydrocodone; Oxycodone; and Marijuana. Other individual charges in the indictment include drug possession and distribution, maintenance of a drug-involved premises, and illegal firearms possession and use.
“Those named in the indictment include:
- Daniel Morales-Jimenez, a/k/a “Danny Hill,” 45, of Puerto Rico;
- Pedro Castro-Vasquez, a/k/a “Chipo,” 50, of Puerto Rico;
- Sonic Torres-Garcia, 24, of Kissimmee, Fla.;
- Kristine Albright-Ramos, 35, of Puerto Rico;
- Alexys Rivera-Cuevas, 28, of Gainesville, Fla.;
- Luis Diaz-Albright, 20, of Puerto Rico;
- Paola Morales Rosario, 24, of Kissimmee, Fla.;
- Clarence Bess, a/k/a “Cash,” 41, of Jacksonville, Fla.;
- Laverne Pullins Jr., 70, of Jacksonville, Fla.;
- Demarr Clayton Lee, 52, of Miami, Fla.;
- Tony Deshawn Slater, 51, of Claxton, Ga.;
- Domanek Laquan Mincey, 44, of Glennville, Ga.;
- Anthony Craig Johnson, a/k/a “Pookie,” 56, of Claxton, Ga.;
- Andre Delerrain Anderson, 48, of Claxton, Ga.;
- Phillip Dwayne Walden, 45, of Statesboro, Ga.;
- Corey Ontavious Hendrix, 44, of Claxton, Ga.;
- Enrique Humbra Denson Sr., 49, of Statesboro, Ga.;
- Enrique Humbra Denson Jr., 29, of Reidsville, Ga.;
- Kevin Derrell Ponder, 45, of Claxton, Ga.;
- Terran Harvel Tigner, 35, of Glennville, Ga.;
- Troy Sinclair Tigner, 35, of Glennville, Ga.;
- Nicholas Rashon Fillmore, 42, of Hinesville, Ga.;
- Marquese Shavel Palmer, 30, of Claxton, Ga.;
- Michael Lynn Jinks, 47, of Glennville, Ga.;
- Tony Anthony Warren, 38, of Claxton, Ga.;
- Lance Boyette Ford, 39, of Glennville, Ga.;
- Heather Elaine Barbee, 43, of Sylvania, Ga.;
- Sean Christopher Brown, 43, of Savannah;
- Jarvis Charles Hagan, 31, of Claxton, Ga.;
- Kenneth Bacon Hall, 51, of Glennville, Ga.;
- Caleb Earl Riggs, 37, of Claxton, Ga.; and,
- Gerald Walter Dasher, 52, of Glennville, Ga.
“Criminal indictments contain only charges; defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty,” the release said.
Featured image: Georgia Federal building, stock image
