by Augusta, GA: A drug trafficking conspiracy in the Augusta area has come to an end with the sentencing of the final defendant to over a decade in federal prison. Justin Wayne Fields, a 40-year-old resident of Swainsboro, GA, pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and to Distribute Methamphetamine and Heroin. He has been sentenced to 168 months in prison, fined $2,500, and will serve three years of supervised release after completing his sentence.
According to Jill E. Steinberg, the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia, Fields and his network collaborated with a Georgia state prison inmate to transport methamphetamine and heroin from Atlanta to Richmond and Emanuel Counties. The investigation and prosecution of this operation, known as Operation Wheat Fields, resulted in the imprisonment of more than a dozen defendants, effectively removing their influence from the community.
Operation Wheat Fields, which led to the indictments of 10 defendants in USA v. Fields et al in October 2022, and seven defendants in USA v. Wheatley et al in April 2022, revealed a conspiracy to distribute large quantities of methamphetamine and heroin in Richmond and Emanuel counties. The investigation uncovered a drug pipeline from Mexico, passing through Atlanta and extending into the greater Augusta area. The defendants, some of whom were incarcerated in Georgia prisons, used contraband devices to communicate via text message and Facebook.
The investigation involved multiple searches of residences, vehicles, and hotel rooms, resulting in the seizure of illegal drugs and firearms. Fields’ nine co-defendants, along with the seven defendants in the related indictment, all pleaded guilty to federal charges. Out of the 17 defendants, 16 have already been sentenced to prison terms of up to 240 months for their involvement in the conspiracies.
The sentencing of Justin Wayne Fields sends a strong message that the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) will not tolerate drug trafficking and firearm offenses. These agencies are committed to ensuring the safety of communities by targeting and prosecuting individuals involved in such criminal activities.
The case was investigated under the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation, which aims to disrupt and dismantle high-level criminal organizations that pose a threat to the United States. Operation Wheat Fields was a collaborative effort involving various law enforcement agencies, including the Swainsboro Police Department, the ATF, the GBI, the Emanuel County Sheriff’s Office, the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office, the DEA, and the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Patricia G. Rhodes from the Southern District of Georgia will be prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States. This sentencing serves as a reminder that drug trafficking and the distribution of dangerous substances like methamphetamine and heroin will not be tolerated, and law enforcement agencies will continue to work diligently to remove these threats from our communities and keep them safe.
