SAVANNAH: Edmund A. Booth, Jr., United States Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia, announced that thirty three defendants have been convicted in connection with a major cocaine distribution conspiracy centered around Metter and Statesboro, Georgia. Twenty-eight of the defendants entered guilty pleas in late September. Five other defendants were convicted following a jury trial on Wednesday, October 4th, in U.S. District Court in Statesboro. The trial was presided over by U.S. District Judge B. Avant Edenfield. The evidence at trial established that the Julius Pinkston organization was responsible for trafficking 2-4 kilograms of cocaine per week from Atlanta to Metter for distribution as both powder and “crack” cocaine for almost a year and a half. Julius Pinkston, the leader of the group, fled prior to arrest and remains a fugitive.

The thirty three defendants, most of whom reside either in the Metter, Statesboro, or Atlanta area, had been charged in an indictment last year in various counts with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute, and to distribute, 50 grams or more of cocaine base (crack) and 5 kilograms or
more of cocaine hydrochloride (powder), possession with intent to distribute and distribution of cocaine base (crack), and possession with intent to distribute and distribution of cocaine hydrochloride (powder). The indictment named Julius Pinkston, of Atlanta, and Stephanie Collins, of Metter, as the leaders of the drug trafficking organization along with 33 others.

The five defendants convicted at trial of conspiracy were Mistrell Alvin and Jessica Roberts, of Atlanta, Shekeil Jamison, of Claxton, Betty Bacon, of Bellville, and Andrea Franklin, of Statesboro. All face statutory penalties of 10 years to life imprisonment without parole and millions of dollars in fines.

The defendants who had earlier pled guilty in the case include Linward Sabb, Charles Willis, and Harry Alvin, of Atlanta, Stephanie Collins, Kimberly Pinkston, Homer Holloway, Cecilia Smith, Bob Aaron Mikell, Leon Perry, Tony Williams, Ramon Antonio Kelly, Cory Donaldson, Willie
Mincey, Barbara Collins, Krystal Collins, Julia Collins, Nicole Collins, Johnny Pinkston, and Willie Claude Lanier, of Metter, Ray Hughes, of Stillmore, Brentis Hendrix, of Register, Samuel Brown, of Savannah, Sheikel Jamison, of Claxton, Steve Gordon, Otejia Wilson, and Angela Rogers of Statesboro, and Mike Pinkston, Kenneth Godbee, and Claude Lamar Davis, of Augusta. All face penalties of up to 20 years imprisonment without parole and millions of dollars in fines.

The successful dismantling and prosecution of this drug organization resulted from a year long investigation by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force, including the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, the Tri-Circuit Drug Task Force, the Bulloch County Sheriff’s Office, the Candler County Sheriff’s Office, the Treutlen County Sheriff’s Office, the Georgia State Patrol, the Ogeechee Judicial District Attorney’s Office, and the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Georgia.

Booth praised the efforts of all the agencies involved and called the investigation “a great example of federal-state law enforcement cooperation.” Booth also commended the fine work of the trial prosecutor, Assistant United States Attorney Darrin L. McCullough, who acknowledged the efforts of DEA Special Agent Stephen B. Tinsley, GBI Special Agent Kevin Waters, and FBI Special Agent Marcus Kirkland, the lead agents in the investigation.