Justice Department officials have detailed a Southern District of Georgia federal indictment naming 76 defendants stemming from a drug trafficking investigation tied to the Ghost Face Gangsters criminal street gang.
Authorities indicated the indictment includes allegations of multiple deaths from illegal drug overdoses – adding U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia David H. Estes said
USA v. Alvarez et al., dubbed Operation Ghost Busted, charged 76 defendants with involvement in an alleged drug trafficking conspiracy that distributed large amounts of methamphetamine, fentanyl, heroin, and alprazolam in the greater Glynn County area.
“Operation Ghost Busted demonstrates the focused commitment of law enforcement agencies at all levels in identifying, infiltrating, and disrupting drug trafficking networks in our communities,” Estes said. “We are proud to serve with these professionals in the continuing work to make our neighborhoods safe from illegal gang activity and the violent crime it spawns.”
Per the Justice Department, the primary Conspiracy charge in the indictment carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison, up to life, along with substantial financial penalties and a period of supervised release following any prison term.
The Justice Department noted for over two years, investigators from multiple federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies collaborated to identify an alleged drug trafficking network operating in south Georgia counties that included Glynn, Pierce, Camden, Wayne, Treutlen, McIntosh, Toombs, Telfair, Dodge, and Ware, with the conspiracy operating inside and outside state prison facilities with assistance from at least one compromised corrections officer, who worked with a leader of the conspiracy serving a life sentence for murder.
The indictment includes the forfeiture of 43 seized firearms, one vehicle, and over $53,000 in cash, according to the Justice Department, and each defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.