Men sentenced to prison after inmate directed 2 others to sell guns, drugs in northwest GA

Three men have been sentenced to prison for trafficking guns, methamphetamine, and fentanyl in northwest Georgia.

According to U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan, beginning around February 2022, James Lewallen Meeks, 39, an inmate at Wheeler Correctional Facility in Alamo, Georgia, used a cell phone to sell guns and drugs with the help of Jamey Michael Latty, 45, and Mark Anthony Powell, 43.

In March 2022, Meeks worked with Latty to sell methamphetamine in Rockmart, Georgia and later sell methamphetamine and a Glock pistol to someone in Cave Springs, Georgia.

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Meeks also worked with Powell several times to sell methamphetamine and a mixture of fentanyl and xylazine to the same person in Carrollton, Georgia.

Buchanan said Powell also sold ammunition and five guns, including a UZI .22 caliber long rifle with a silencer, under the instructions of Meeks.

In April 2022, Latty sold ammunition and four guns, including an AR-style rifle to the same person in Rome, Georgia.

Latty was arrested in Hiram, Georgia on June 2, 2022, with about a kilogram of methamphetamine.

The same day, Powell was arrested in Carrollton after leading police in a chase where approximately one kilogram of methamphetamine was thrown out of Powell’s truck window.

Police found a pistol and a substance containing fentanyl in Powell’s truck when he was arrested.

After Latty was indicted, he ran to another state and assumed a false identity.

Multiple agencies worked together to locate him and Latty was located and arrested by U.S. Deputy Marshals in Collinsville, Alabama.

After pleading guilty to conspiracy to possess a controlled substance with intent to distribute, possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance, and carrying a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime, the three men were sentenced.

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Meeks was sentenced to 20 years in prison, followed by eight years of supervised release, consecutive to the time he is already serving.

Latty was sentenced to 15 years and one month in prison, followed by five years of supervised release.

Powell was sentenced to 10 years and seven months in prison, followed by eight years of supervised release.

“While serving a sentence for a violent crime in a Georgia Correctional Facility, Meeks continued his criminal activity by brokering a number of illegal firearm and drug transactions with his co-defendants in Northwest Georgia,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan. “Meeks will now serve two decades in federal prison after completing his state sentence, and his co-defendants are headed to federal prison as well.”

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