Omari A. Nicks, previously convicted of cocaine trafficking, has been sentenced to 12 and a half years in federal prison for distributing methamphetamine, cocaine, heroin, and fentanyl from his Atlanta apartment while illegally possessing a loaded AR-style rifle.
“Nicks is a serial drug trafficker who posed a serious threat to public safety by dealing fentanyl and other dangerous drugs while armed with a loaded, high-powered rifle that he was not allowed to have,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. “Nicks’s sentence is just one more example of the positive, collaborative impact that law enforcement partners in north Georgia achieve in our communities.”
“When criminals mix deadly drugs with guns, the danger is magnified,” said Jae W. Chung, the Acting Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Division. “This sentence makes clear they will be held accountable.”
“Bartow County continues to aggressively target those who sell fentanyl and other dangerous drugs in our community,” said Major Mark Mayton of the Bartow-Cartersville Drug Task Force. “We will continue to work with our partners to identify and arrest those people who are furthering the fentanyl crisis.”
“The Cartersville Police Department takes great pride in working with our federal law enforcement partners, especially when our collaboration results in holding criminals accountable who bring dangerous weapons and drugs into our community,” said Chief Frank McCann of the Cartersville Police Department. “By continuing these partnerships, our goal is to make it clear to all criminal organizations that the City of Cartersville will not be a haven for your illicit activity.”
According to court records presented by U.S. Attorney Hertzberg, Nicks was selling methamphetamine and fentanyl from his Atlanta apartment as early as January 2025. Customers reportedly traveled from areas including Bartow County for purchases. On February 6, 2025, agents from the Drug Enforcement Administration conducted a search after observing Nicks selling narcotics; during their entry into his residence, Nicks attempted escape by climbing out a third-story window but fell and was apprehended.
Inside his apartment agents discovered around two kilograms of methamphetamine, one kilogram of cocaine, 50 grams of fentanyl, about $5,400 cash, drug processing equipment such as a hydraulic press used for forming powdered substances into bricks, and an AR-15 style rifle loaded with a 30-round magazine. Approximately 100 grams of heroin were also recovered after being discarded by an accomplice during the search.
On April 8, 2025 Nicks pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess controlled substances with intent to distribute and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. United States District Judge Eleanor L. Ross sentenced him on August 27th to twelve years and six months imprisonment followed by five years supervised release.
The investigation involved cooperation between multiple agencies including the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Bartow-Cartersville Drug Task Force, and Cartersville Police Department.
Assistant United States Attorneys Calvin A. Leipold III and Thomas M. Forsyth III prosecuted the case.
This prosecution falls under Operation Take Back America—a nationwide effort coordinated by the Department of Justice using resources from its Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN) programs aimed at disrupting cartels and violent criminal organizations across the country. More information about OCDETF can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Further details are available through the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia at http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
