BRUNSWICK, GA - Yesterday, the last of eight defendants involved in a Glynn County-area drug trafficking organization was sentenced in federal court. Derrick J. Young, 41, of Atlanta, Georgia was sentenced to 52 months in prison by U.S. District Court Judge Lisa Godbey Wood following his guilty plea to possessing cocaine and marijuana with intent to distribute in violation of federal law. That sentence was ordered to run consecutive to a 24-month prison term earlier imposed by Judge Wood in June for Young’s violation of supervised release stemming from a prior federal conviction.
In addition to Young, the other persons convicted and sentenced as part of this investigation included:
· James Lee Roberts, aka “Bootney," age 44, Atlanta, Georgia, 88 months in prison;
· Gladys Marie Moran, age 46, Brunswick, Georgia, 57 months in prison;
· Bruce Lenard Polite, aka “Loose Bruce," age 36, Brunswick, Georgia, 24 months in prison;
· Oscar Cummings, III, age 40, Brunswick, Georgia, 30 months in prison (consecutive to a 33-month term of imprisonment from an earlier revoked term of supervised release);
· Joe Ferdinando Bryant, age 41, aka “Joe Joe," Brunswick, Georgia, 13 months in prison;
· Donald Eugene Wesley, aka “Duck," age 57, Brunswick, Georgia, 18 months in prison; and
· Sidney Devore Harrison, age 42, Savannah, Georgia, 18 months in prison.
During a lengthy investigation, law enforcement agents conducted multiple wiretaps to gather evidence sufficient to dismantle the drug organization. Through the wiretap and other investigative steps, agents determined that Young, Roberts, and other conspirators distributed multi-kilogram quantities of cocaine in the Brunswick area. More than two kilograms of cocaine and 17 pounds of marijuana were seized in operations related to this organization between May 15 and Aug. 17, 2016.
United States Attorney R. Brian Tanner said, “Nearly all of the persons indicted in this case were raised in Brunswick or Savannah and exploited their ties to the community to establish a robust drug business. The drug seizures are illustrative of the capabilities of the organization. I commend the perseverance and dedication of members of the investigative team who worked long hours to ensure this successful outcome."
The convictions in this matter resulted from a joint investigation by agents of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Georgia Bureau of Investigation, Glynn County Sheriff’s Office, Chatham County Sheriff’s Office, and the United States Marshals Service. The investigation was conducted under the auspices of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) program, which is comprised of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Karl Knoche. The investigation was led by DEA Special Agents Rodney Holloway and James Jaskolka, and DEA Task Force Agents Ryan Alexander and Brian Slate. For additional information, please contact United States Attorney R. Brian Tanner at (912) 652-4422.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
