CAIRO- A southwest Georgia resident involved in a high-volume methamphetamine distribution ring was sentenced to prison on September 23, after admitting to his role in the conspiracy.

Joseph Jones aka Bae, 31, of Cairo, was sentenced to serve 360 months in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release by U.S. District Judge Leslie Abrams Gardner after he pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine. There is no parole in the federal system.

“Mr. Jones has been held accountable for his role in a significant drug distribution network responsible for pushing more than one hundred kilograms of methamphetamine in southwest Georgia,” said U.S. Attorney Peter D. Leary. “Law enforcement broke this substantial methamphetamine ring, which was feeding addiction and fostering misery in this region of the state.”

“The success of this case is the direct result of the effective partnership between our local, state and federal agencies. We will work tirelessly together to hold accountable drug dealers supplying our neighborhoods with poison. The GBI is dedicated to thoroughly investigating these crimes to lead to successful prosecution,” said GBI Director Michael Register.

According to court documents, GBI agents conducted a wiretap investigation into the drug distribution activities of Jones, beginning in March 2019. The investigation revealed that Jones and his co-defendants were engaged in the distribution of methamphetamine in southwest Georgia. Jones was taken into custody following a search of his Cairo residence on June 12, 2019.  Inside the home, agents found a quantity of methamphetamine floating in the toilet and in the sewage line, $13,323 in cash, two handguns, digital scales and 16 cellular phones. In addition, written ledgers describing various transactions amounting to the distribution of 13 kilograms of methamphetamine were discovered in Jones’ vehicle.  A total of 16 co-defendants have been brought to justice in this case, including Jones; court records attribute this criminal drug distribution network to be responsible for distributing more than 100 kilograms of methamphetamine. This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Jones’ case was investigated by the GBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Leah McEwen prosecuted the case.