Four Columbus men sentenced in connection with drug trafficking organization

Nick Bentley
·4 min read

ALBANY, Ga. (WRBL) — Four Columbus men have have been sentenced in connection to an armed drug trafficking organization.

According to U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Georgia, the organization conspired to distribute 250 kilograms of methamphetamine into west central Georgia.

According to court documents, the FBI was investigating Cornelius Leonard, of Grantville, Georgia, for leading an armed drug distribution organization supplying controlled substances in late 2021 and early 2022. During that time, agents made four purchases of methamphetamine from Leonard.

The investigation led to multiple wiretaps on Leonard’s phones. Through these wiretaps, law enforcement agents learned Leonard was conspiring with co-defendant Pedro Barragan Valencia, Georgia, of Calhoun.

Valencia was an inmate at Calhoun State Prison and a member of the Sureños criminal gang, and supplied Leonard with at least 250 kilograms of methamphetamine.

Court documents state Leonard and Valencia also planned to acquire large quantities of heroin, fentanyl and other illegal drugs for distribution in Thomaston, Columbus and other Georgia cities.

The attorney released a full list of those sentenced:

  • “Horatio Venable aka “Ray Ray,” 27, of Columbus, was sentenced to serve 144 months in prison after he pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine.

  • Rashard Moreland, 38, of Columbus, was sentenced to serve 40 months in prison after he pleaded guilty to use of a telecommunications facility in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.

  • Antovious Hunter aka “Ant,” 41, of Columbus, was sentenced to serve 37 months in prison after he pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine.

  • Dustin Robbins, 34, of Columbus, was sentenced to serve 36 months in prison after he pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine.

  • Cornelius Leonard aka “Tae,” 29, of Grantville, Georgia, was sentenced to serve 480 months in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release.

  • Pedro Barragan Valencia aka “Casper” aka “Bossman,” aka “Mexican Hitman Pete,” 47, of Calhoun, Georgia, was sentenced to serve 400 months in prison after he pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances.

  • Ramone Zorn aka “Big Razor,” 54, of Thomaston, was sentenced to serve 300 months in prison after he pleaded guilty to distribution of methamphetamine.

  • Kedric Fuller aka “Blakk Ru,” 43, of Woodbury, Georgia, was sentenced to serve 180 months in prison after he pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances.

  • Markevious Snipes aka “Big Dawg,” 33, of Thomaston, was sentenced to serve 136 months in prison after he pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine.

  • Mechile Hobbs, 50, of Thomaston, was sentenced to serve 120 months in prison after he pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.

  • Darius Wellmaker, 41, of Thomaston, was sentenced to serve 90 months in prison after he pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine.

  • Joshua McAfee, 36, of Thomaston, was sentenced to serve 50 months in prison after he pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances.

  • Sabrina Smith, 34, of Thomaston, was sentenced to serve 24 months in prison after she pleaded guilty to distribution of methamphetamine.

  • Natashai Antley, 36, of Thomaston, was sentenced to serve 18 months in prison after she pleaded guilty to use of a communication facility.

  • Nehemiah Johnson, 30, of Thomaston, was sentenced to serve 18 months in prison after he pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine.

  • Jennifer Moss, 39, of Molena, Georgia, was sentenced to serve 18 months in prison after she pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine.

  • Dixie Bailey, 34, of Thomaston, was sentenced to time served after she pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine.

  • Mark Dean, 46, of Manchester, Georgia, was sentenced to time served after he pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine.

  • Ashley Ingram, 37, of Cataula, Georgia, was sentenced to time served after she pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine.

  • Krystal Juarez Norman, 34, of Thomaston, was sentenced to time served after she pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute heroin.

  • S. Carlton Power, 27, of Manchester, Georgia, was sentenced to time served after he pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine.

  • D. Justin Whitten, 38, of Hogansville, Georgia, was sentenced to time served after he pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine.”

“This sentencing serves to put criminals on notice that if you bring illegal drugs into our communities, we will employ whatever means necessary to find you and bring you to justice no matter where you are,” said FBI Atlanta Supervisory Senior Resident Agent of the Macon Office Robert Gibbs.

This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) operation. Its focus is to identify, disrupt and dismantle the highest-level criminal organizations.

This sentencing comes a week after Georgia Governor Brian Kemp approved $5 million for a gang unit to be established in Columbus.

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