Demetric Thomas, 38, of Columbus, Georgia, also known as "Meatball," pleaded guilty to one count of distribution of methamphetamine before U.S. District Judge Clay Land on October 26, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Middle District of Georgia announced in a statement reported by Now Georgia.
Thomas faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years in prison and a maximum of life, to be followed by five years of supervised release, and a maximum fine of $10 million. The court will set his sentencing date later. There is no parole in the federal prison system.
The case is part of Operation Take Back America and was investigated by federal, state and local law enforcement in the Columbus community, prosecutors said.
"This case reflects the continued results of our coordinated efforts to hold armed drug traffickers accountable in Columbus and across the Middle District of Georgia," said U.S. Attorney William R. "Will" Keyes. "Through Operation Take Back America, our office and our law enforcement partners are dismantling the networks that fuel violence and threaten community safety."
"Methamphetamine trafficking puts our communities at risk, particularly when drug distributors operate alongside stolen firearms and other dangerous drugs," said Thomas Clark, senior supervisory special agent of the FBI's Atlanta field office in Columbus. Michael J. Connolly, acting special agent in charge of the DEA's Atlanta Field Division, said the case showed ongoing efforts to target armed drug traffickers in the district.