A Georgia man who continued to traffic drugs after being federally indicted was sentenced in U.S. District Court to 170 months in prison, according to a July 15 announcement from the Department of Justice.
David Gullatte, 39, of Lithonia, Georgia, was identified as a prolific drug trafficker who brought bulk amounts of methamphetamine, fentanyl, and cocaine into the Southern District of Ohio from a supplier in California. Court documents show that between 2020 and 2021, law enforcement intercepted multiple kilograms of narcotics being mailed to Gullatte. He would purchase drugs from California and arrange for shipments to homes in Atlanta and Dayton. Upon receiving these shipments, Gullatte resold the drugs in southern Ohio and other locations.
In one instance cited by authorities, Gullatte obtained more than 20 kilograms of methamphetamine in Atlanta during September 2020 and arranged for another individual to transport the drugs for delivery and resale in Dayton. While under indictment for this conduct and awaiting trial, investigators discovered that Gullatte continued supplying cocaine and other substances to a drug trafficking ring operating in Xenia.
Throughout these conspiracies, officials said Gullatte was responsible for trafficking more than 30 kilograms of various controlled substances including cocaine, methamphetamine, and fentanyl. He was originally indicted in May 2024; further charges were filed against him for his ongoing activities in March 2025. He pleaded guilty to both sets of charges in September 2025.
Dominick S. Gerace II, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Jason Cromartie, Special Agent in Charge at the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Cincinnati Division; Deputy Criminal Chief Brent G. Tabacchi; Assistant Deputy Criminal Chief Amy M. Smith; and Assistant United States Attorney Elizabeth McCormick announced the sentence imposed by Senior U.S. District Court Judge Walter H. Rice.