MACON, Ga. — A Georgia man was sentenced to 19 years in prison for his role in an inmate-directed armed drug conspiracy operating in Athens.
Brandan R. Gates, 37, of Commerce, was sentenced to serve 19 years in prison and five years of supervised release.
Gates was found guilty by a federal jury on Sept. 21, 2022, of one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
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Eight co-defendants also received various lengths of prison sentences for their participation in the same drug trafficking operation.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, one of Gates’ co-defendants, Malcody Dinges, conducted drug deals using contraband cell phones while he was an inmate at the Wheeler Correctional Facility.
Investigators learned that Dinges was communicating with Gates and other co-defendants about distributing methamphetamine in the Athens area.
They say Dinges would receive a fee for brokering the deals.
When federal agents searched Gates’ home they seized a handgun and methamphetamine.
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“Drug dealing breeds violence and traffickers who engage in this dangerous lifestyle often protect their drug stash with firearms,” said Robert J. Murphy, the Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Field Division. “Consequently, these defendants will spend well-deserved time in prison. DEA and its law enforcement partners are committed to making communities safer by removing such criminals from the streets.”
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