SOUTHWEST GEORGIA — Two southwest Georgians pled guilty to trafficking methamphetamine and guns in federal court.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Georgia, Justin Harris Vinson, 42 of Warwick, and Shana Rae Black, 34 of Cordele, were arrested during a federal armed drug trafficking investigation.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office said a confidential informant working with the Crisp County Sheriff’s Office had messaged Black over Facebook in October 2022 about buying meth.
At the sale, the informant purchased 111 grams of the drug while at a motel in Perry, Ga. During the transaction, the informant told members of law enforcement that there was a pistol on a nightstand in the motel room next to “a bulk quantity of methamphetamine.”
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Just over a week later, on Halloween 2022, an undercover agent from the Georgia Bureau of Investigation reached out to Black to buy meth, meeting her at a Cordele Walmart.
While under audio and video surveillance, the agent bought meth from Black.
After, members of the GBI met with agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Drug Enforcement Agency to meet another informant to purchase meth from Vinson.
While under surveillance on Nov. 2, the second informant met Vinson at his house in Warwick, then the two drove to the Sunrise Inn to meet Black in Cordele. Black gave the informant nearly 300 grams of meth and took cash from the informant for the drugs, then gave Vinson $300. USAO said Vinson was seen with a gun during the sale.
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On Nov. 7, the Crisp County Sheriff’s Office and GBI arrested Black while she drove back to Cordele from McDonough. While searching the vehicle, agents and deputies found nearly 1,000 grams of 97% pure meth, plus another nearly 16 grams of 91% meth, a digital scale and several phones.
“I am incredibly proud of our agency’s relentless efforts and the strong collaboration with our local and federal partners. Methamphetamine trafficking brings dangerous consequences to our community, often resulting in tragedy and loss of life. This case highlights our dedication to safeguarding the community and demonstrates the powerful results we achieve through collaboration,” stated Crisp County Sheriff Billy Hancock.
GBI agents executed a search warrant at the motel room in Cordele where Black was staying and found a 9mm semiautomatic pistol, a bag of suspected meth, four digital scales and a bulk quantity of plastic baggies.
“Black’s cell phones showed extensive communications between her and known drug dealers,” USAO said.
On Jan. 22, 2023, justice officials said Vinson bought 15 ounces of meth in Cordele and sold 277 grams of 98% pure meth to a GBI informant in Warwick and during the transaction, the informant saw Vinson put a gun in the center console of his car.
A search warrant executed at Vinson’s home on Jan. 26, 2023 led law enforcement to find the semiautomatic pistol in his bedroom, as well as five more guns in an open safe.
Vinson told officers he’d been selling meth in South Georgia and North Florida “his entire life and that during the peak of COVID in 2020, he would sell approximately three kilograms of methamphetamine per week for six months.”
“Repeat convicted felons who illegally arm themselves and distribute the most highly addictive and dangerous drugs into our communities will face federal consequences for these crimes,” said U.S. Attorney Peter D. Leary. “Our office is working closely with local, state and federal law enforcement agencies to identity those individuals creating the most havoc in the Middle District of Georgia and hold them accountable for their crimes.”
He has a previous felony conviction for possessing meth with intent to distribute from Lee County, Ga., a prior felony conviction in Jones County, Ga. for possessing meth with intent to distribute.
On Aug. 15, Black pled guilty to a charge of distributing meth, while Vinson entered the same plea on Sept. 17, according to USAO.
Both Vinson and Black face a mandatory minimum of 10 years in federal prison up to a maximum of life imprisonment, followed by five years of supervised release and the potential for $10 million fines. Sentencing dates have not yet been determined.
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