Four Locals Captured by FBI

Four area residents were arrested as part of the federal indictment in USA v. Alvarez et. al, better known as “Operation Ghost Busted.” The multi-county operation led to the capture of 76 defendants throughout the Southern District of Georgia on allegations of drug trafficking.

Agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) carried out these arrests as a result of a massive drug trafficking investigation, which is tied to the Ghost Face Gangsters criminal street gang. This gang originated in the Georgia prison system in 2000, but has since begun to reach past the facilities’ walls. Many of the defendants named in the indictment were allegedly associated with the Gangster Disciples, the Bloods, the Aryan Brotherhood, and other criminal or- continued from page

ganizations. The indictment, which enumerates 118 counts and spans 133 pages, is believed to be the largest such undertaking ever in the Southern District of Georgia, and included the forfeiture of 43 seized firearms, one vehicle, and more than $53,000 in cash. The Department of Justice stated that more than 36 of those indicted also face prosecution for state charges as a result of the investigation.

The bust was concentrated on the drug trafficking arena of the greater Glynn County area, but many participating parties spread throughout the Southeast.

Antonio Morales, also known as “Silence” or “Silent Ololade”, 29, Cori L. Taylor, 26, Jesse J. Trujillo, 30, and Dakota L. White, 21, were listed in the indictment and charged with Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute 50 Grams or More of Methamphetamine, and a Quantity of Fentanyl, Heroin, and Alprazolam, which are the charges all 76 defendants face. Two other defendants are also charged with distribution of illegal drugs — fentanyl and methamphetamine — that allegedly resulted in the deaths of three individuals from drug overdoses.

“Operation Ghost Busted demonstrates the focused commitment of law enforcement agencies at all levels in identifying, infiltrating, and disrupting drug trafficking networks in our communities,” said U.S. Attorney David H. Estes. “We are proud to serve with these professionals in the continuing work to make our neighborhoods safe from illegal gang activity and the violent crime it spawns.”

Operation Ghost Busted is an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces investigation led by the FBI Coastal Georgia Violent Gang Task Force, the Glynn County Police Department, the Brunswick Police Department, the Glynn County Sheriff's Office, and the Camden County Sheriff's Office.

For more than two years, investigators from multiple federal, state and local law enforcement agencies collaborated to identify a sprawling drug trafficking network operating in South Georgia counties including Glynn, Pierce, Camden, Wayne, Treutlen, McIntosh, Toombs, Telfair, Dodge, and Ware. The conspiracy operated inside and outside state prison facilities with assistance from at least one compromised corrections officer, who worked with a leader of the conspiracy that is serving a life sentence for murder.

The defendants were transported to Brunswick upon detainment and turned over to U.S. Marshals. Indictments include only charges; each of the defendants is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

The case was investigated under the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) which identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highestlevel criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutorled, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach.

Agencies involved in the investigation include the FBI Coastal Georgia Violent Gang Task Force; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the U.S. Marshals Service; the Georgia Bureau of Investigation; the Georgia Department of Corrections; the Georgia Department of Community Supervision; the Glynn County Police Department; the Brunswick Police Department; and sheriff’s offices from Glynn, Pierce, Camden, Wayne, Treutlen, McIntosh, Toombs, Telfair, Dodge, and Ware counties. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jennifer J. Kirkland and Criminal Division Deputy Chief E. Greg Gilluly, Jr., are prosecuting the case for the United States.

The primary conspiracy charge in the indictment carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison, up to life, along with substantial financial penalties and a period of supervised release following any prison term. There is no potential parole to be served, as parole is not an option in a federal system.