31 Arrested in Drug Trafficking by Muscogee County Sheriff’s Office, FBI, and More

COLUMBUS, Ga. (WRBL) —The FBI, DEA, Muscogee County Sheriff’s Office and other agencies arrested 31 people Thursday on suspicion of gang involvement and drug trafficking.

The Muscogee County Sheriff’s Office says 19 of the people arrested have deep ties to the Zohannon and Crips criminal street gangs. The remaining 12 people were arrested on state charges as part of the investigation.

The arrests were part of Operation Sweet Silence, an operation of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). It was conducted by federal and local law enforcement from August 2022 to May 2022. The operation involved a partnership between MCSO and the Harris County Sheriff’s Office, Russell County Sheriff’s Office of Alabama, Coweta County Sheriff’s Office, U.S. Marshal’s Services, and Georgia State Patrol.

Operation Sweet Silence investigated the activities of the criminal street gang Zohannon, which was suspected of being involved in armed drug trafficking.

Federal search and arrest warrants were executed in Columbus.

Drugs such as fentanyl and methamphetamine were found, as well as firearms such as a machine gun. Glock switches, which are used to make firearms operate like machine guns, were also seized.

On Thursday, September 12, federal search and arrest warrants were executed in Columbus, following recently unsealed federal indictments in several cases.

Below is a list of these cases:

US v. Dawson

• Dequindre Dawson, 32, of Columbus – Two counts of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, one count of possession of a firearm by a prohibited person, two counts of possession with intent to distribute cocaine and two counts of possession with intent to distribute marijuana
  If found guilty, Dawson faces a maximum prison sentence of 20 years, followed by at least three years of probation and a $1,000,000 fine

US v. Williams

• Jhy’Keith Williams, aka “Keith Keith,” 23, of Columbus – One count of illegal possession of a machine gun. If convicted, Williams faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison, followed by three years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine.

US v Mullins

• Tommie Mullins, Jr. aka “TJ” aka “Bo” aka “Mini”, 30, of Columbus – One count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute narcotics and one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. If convicted, Mullins faces a maximum sentence of life in prison.
• Anthony Champion, 45, of Columbus, is charged with one count of conspiracy to possess controlled substances with intent to distribute. If convicted, Champion faces a maximum sentence of life in prison;
• Trenton Clemons, 47, of Columbus, is charged with one count of conspiracy to possess controlled substances with intent to distribute and one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. If convicted, Clemons faces a maximum sentence of life in prison;
• Christopher Hill, 35, of Columbus, is charged with one count of conspiracy to possess controlled substances with intent to distribute. If convicted, Hill faces a maximum sentence of life in prison;
• Darius Jenkins, 23, of Columbus, is charged with one count of conspiracy to possess controlled substances with intent to distribute. If convicted, Jenkins faces a maximum sentence of life in prison;
• Javonta Paden, 24, of Columbus, is charged with one count of conspiracy to possess controlled substances with intent to distribute. If convicted, Paden faces a maximum sentence of life in prison;
• Adrian Palmer, aka AP, 24, of Columbus, is charged with one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute narcotics, one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, one count of possession with intent to distribute marijuana and one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. If convicted, Palmer faces a maximum sentence of life in prison;
• Adrian Pleasants, 28, of Columbus, is charged with one count of conspiracy to possess controlled substances with intent to distribute. If convicted, Pleasants faces a maximum sentence of life in prison;
• Trenton Thomas, aka “Bubble,” 24, of Columbus, is charged with one count of conspiracy to possess controlled substances with intent to distribute and two counts of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. If convicted, Thomas faces a maximum sentence of life in prison; and
• Corey Turner, also known as “Lito” or “Lito Red,” 32, of Columbus, is charged with one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute narcotics, one count of possession with intent to distribute cocaine, and one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. If convicted, Turner faces a maximum sentence of life in prison.

US v. Carter

• Jantzen Carter, 39, of Waverly Hall, Georgia, is charged with one count of possession with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine. If convicted, Carter faces a maximum sentence of life in prison.

US v. Brown

• Fernando Brown, aka “Nino,” 31, of Columbus, is charged with one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute narcotics, two counts of possession with intent to distribute cocaine, one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, two counts of possession with intent to distribute marijuana, two counts of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime and one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. If convicted, Brown faces a maximum sentence of life in prison;
• Undrae Hayes, aka “Skizite,” 36, of Columbus, is charged with one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances and one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. If convicted, Hayes faces a maximum sentence of life in prison;
• Jeffrey Kimbrough, aka “YSN Trap,” 28, of Columbus, is charged with one count of conspiracy to possess controlled substances with intent to distribute. If convicted, Kimbrough faces a maximum sentence of life in prison;
• Hykeem Lomax, aka “Peso,” 32, of Columbus, is charged with one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute narcotics, one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, one count of possession with intent to distribute cocaine, one count of possession with intent to distribute marijuana and one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. If convicted, Lomax faces a maximum sentence of life in prison;

According to the United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Georgia, all of these suspects are in custody and are expected to make their initial appearance before a U.S. Magistrate Judge.
Judge Charles Weigle on September 12 and 13.

MCSO reports that a press conference will be held on September 13 at 10:00 a.m. at 1000 5th Ave. at the new Muscogee County Sheriff’s Office headquarters.

According to MCSO, the press conference will go into more detail about the work.