MACON, Ga. - A Covington, Georgia, resident was sentenced to federal prison today after he admitted to supplying a large quantity of methamphetamine to a Monroe County, Georgia, drug dealer.
Frank Settambrino, 63, of Covington, Georgia, was sentenced to serve 90 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release by U.S. District Judge Marc Treadwell after he previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine. There is no parole in the federal system.
“Frank Settambrino was supplying methamphetamine to those who were pushing this deadly substance into the Monroe County community, fueling addiction and crime," said U.S. Attorney Peter D. Leary. “Law enforcement agencies are working to identify and shut down these networks trafficking the deadliest controlled substances in the region."
“The by-products of ‘meth’ after its manufacture leave behind a dangerous and toxic trail of waste," said the Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Field Division Robert J. Murphy. “DEA and its law enforcement partners are committed to protecting citizens from these dangers by disrupting, dismantling and destroying those who traffic these toxic chemicals. Now that this defendant has been removed from the streets, the Middle Georgia community is a safer place."
“Working together with other local, state and federal agencies not only levels the playing field, it gives us the upper hand in dealing with these drug traffickers that operate both inside and outside of Monroe County," said Monroe County Sheriff Brad Freeman.
According to court documents and other evidence, an ongoing investigation into methamphetamine distribution activities by Monroe County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO) and Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) investigators revealed that Settambrino was supplying methamphetamine to a dealer in the region. Between Sept. 2020 and Jan. 2021, DEA and MCSO coordinated a series of five audio and video recorded controlled purchases of methamphetamine involving Settambrino. A federal search warrant was executed at Settambrino’s residence on Jan. 14, 2021, where agents located more than one kilo of methamphetamine and other drug paraphernalia scattered throughout his home.
The case was investigated by DEA with assistance from the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office and the Newton County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alex Kalim is prosecuting the case for the Government.
