22 arrested in significant undercover drug investigation

A multi-agency investigation led to the arrest of 22 men and women for their alleged role in an extensive drug operation.

“[It is] one of the largest drug investigations that we’ve ever conducted here in Baldwin County with our drug task force and with our partners,” said Baldwin County Sheriff Bill Massee.

The investigation involved key players in many different law enforcement agencies. According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Georgia, this included, “DEA, FBI, GBI, Ocmulgee Drug Task Force, Baldwin County Sherriff’s Office, Laurens County Sheriff’s Office, Washington County Sheriff’s Office, Georgia Department of Corrections, Milledgeville Community Supervision Office, Wilkinson County Sheriff’s Office, Jones County Sheriff’s Office, Atlanta-Carolina’s HIDTA Office and Gwinnett Metro Task Force.”

“We’ve never had an investigation where we documented this many kilos of methamphetamine or any other drug sold in this community.”

Bill Massee, Baldwin County Sheriff

The majority of the 22 defendants are from Milledgeville. “It was a very diverse group of people,” Massee explained. The group includes men and women of various ages and races.

Massee told Lake Country Today in his 33 years as the county’s top law enforcement officer; he’s never seen anything like it. “We were amazed at the volume and the weight of narcotics that were being sold in our community,” he said.

According to the Sheriff, the Middle Georgia part of the group was connected to two Mexicans in Atlanta. Investigators seized 70 pounds of Meth, with the majority recovered from Atlanta.

The initial probe began in 2020, and efforts have ramped up over time. Prosecutors secured indictments from a grand jury two weeks ago.

Law enforcement deployed a variety of tactics to secure the evidence. According to Ocmulgee Drug Task Force Commander Wesley Nunn, this included confidential informants, undercover agents “and extensive surveillance on these individuals following them around town, watching their vehicles, watching them, follow them up to Atlanta.”

Sheriff Massee is proud of their work but stresses there are still active investigations, “we’re working very hard to work on our gang members and drug dealers in Baldwin County.”

MORE DETAILS: Defendants and charges

This information was provided via the U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Georgia

A federal indictment was unsealed this morning charging the following individuals:

• Jarvis Havior aka J Bo, 30, of Milledgeville, is charged with one count conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, six counts distribution of methamphetamine, two counts possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute, two counts possession of cocaine or cocaine base with intent to distribute, two counts possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime and one count maintaining a drug-involved premises;
   
• Paris Binion, 28, of Milledgeville, is charged with one count conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, two counts possession of cocaine or cocaine base with intent to distribute, one count possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, one count possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and one count maintaining a drug-involved premises;
   
• Maegan Simmons, 24, of Milledgeville, is charged with one count conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, one count possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute and one count possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime;
   
• Dwight Turner aka Wight, 56, of Milledgeville, is charged with one count conspiracy to distribute controlled substances and two counts distribution of methamphetamine;
   
• Bruce Harrison, 39, of Milledgeville, is charged with one count conspiracy to distribute controlled substances and one count possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute;
   
• Ronald Brewer, 58, of Milledgeville, is charged with one count conspiracy to distribute controlled substances and one count possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute;
   
• Matthew Cameron, 47, of Milledgeville, is charged with one count conspiracy to distribute controlled substances and one count possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute;
   
• Annie Collins, 20, of Milledgeville, is charged with one count conspiracy to distribute controlled substances and one count possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute;
   
• Anrico Taylor aka Rico, 33, of Milledgeville, is charged with one count conspiracy to distribute controlled substances and one count possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute;
   
• Noe Canela, 32, of Lilburn, Georgia, is charged with one count conspiracy to distribute controlled substances;
   
• Nicholas Cuevas-Flores, 36, of Lawrenceville, Georgia, is charged with one count conspiracy to distribute controlled substances;
   
• Tyrone Hitchcock aka T Y, 47, of Milledgeville, is charged with one count conspiracy to distribute controlled substances;
   
• Macarthur Reeves aka Mac, 66, of Milledgeville, is charged with one count conspiracy to distribute controlled substances;
   
• Perry Miller, 26, of Milledgeville, is charged with one count conspiracy to distribute controlled substances;
   
• Arturo Marshall aka Turo, 40, of Milledgeville, is charged with one count conspiracy to distribute controlled substances;
   
• Paul Bentley aka Old School 56, of Milledgeville, is charged with one count conspiracy to distribute controlled substances;
   
• Alicia Nugent, 37, of Milledgeville, is charged with one count conspiracy to distribute controlled substances;
   
• Dawn Carey, 46, of Milledgeville, is charged with one count conspiracy to distribute controlled substances;
   
• Paul Collins, 59, of Milledgeville, is charged with one count conspiracy to distribute controlled substances;
   
• Amber Vanclief, 31, of Milledgeville, is charged with one count conspiracy to distribute controlled substances;
   
• Ryan Rickard, 48, of Milledgeville, is charged with one count conspiracy to distribute controlled substances; and,
   
• Lamont Jackson, 47, of Milledgeville, is charged with one count conspiracy to distribute controlled substances.
   

The charge of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances carries a maximum life imprisonment, the charge of distribution of methamphetamine carries a maximum life imprisonment, the charge of  possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute carries a maximum life imprisonment, the charge of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime carries a maximum life imprisonment, the charge of possession of cocaine or cocaine base with intent to distribute carries a maximum 20 years in prison, the charge of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon carries a maximum ten years in prison and the charge of maintaining a drug-involved premises carries a maximum ten years in prison.

Initial appearances for the defendants will occur before U.S. Magistrate Judge Charles H. Weigle on Feb. 9 and Feb. 10.

This case is being prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Alex Kalim is prosecuting the case.