A Georgia man with ties to a drug cartel has recently been sentenced to 45 years in prison following a guilty plea for manufacturing, trafficking, and selling methamphetamine. The conviction represents an ongoing effort by law enforcement agencies to dismantle drug cartels operating in the area.
"Not only is this a staggering amount of methamphetamine, but more alarming is that these drugs were being sold in public locations. This defendant endangered innocent citizens who had no idea that a drug cartel was operating within our community. This case is an excellent example of the importance of collaborations among agencies, in this case, a federal agency and a local agency, which resulted in shutting down a major pipeline of drugs into our community, and beyond.", said Megan S. Hertel.
James Aaron Aldred IV (36) from Canton was sentenced by Cherokee County District Attorney Susan K. Treadaway after entering his guilty plea in August. His sentence includes 25 years imprisonment followed by 20 years probation. The conclusion of Aldred's prosecution comes shortly after one of his co-defendants pled guilty to lesser charges earlier this month.
The investigation into this multi-state drug trafficking network commenced in January 2023 when Cherokee Multi-Agency Narcotics Squad identified Aldred as the courier for the cartel.
It has been reported that Aldred bought and sold large quantities of illegal narcotics on behalf of the drug cartel with whom he worked directly under their instructions. Digital evidence also pointed towards his connection with the cartel.
Aldred's arrest took place in April when Cherokee SWAT Team executed a search warrant leading them to discover a methamphetamine conversion lab at his residence. Here they found 17 pounds of meth laced with fentanyl valued at over $750,000 according to Fox5 Atlanta.
This discovery raised concerns among local law enforcement regarding the increasing presence of illicit drugs laced with deadly fentanyl in their community.
Susan K.Treadaway asserted through press release "with drug trafficking organizations now in communities across the country, it is important that we remain vigilant and work together to dismantle these cartels."
The growing menace of fentanyl has become evident as officials from the Georgia Department of Health observed a rise in opioid-related deaths linked to its proliferation. From 2010 to 2020, Georgia witnessed a 207% increase in opioid-related overdose deaths. Overdose deaths overall are also increasing within the state.
