In a major crackdown on drug trafficking, Atlanta native Albert Ross, 53, known as "Big," entered a guilty plea regarding his involvement in a large-scale drug operation that funneled roughly 2,000 kilograms of Mexican-origin cocaine into Georgia; this plea was entered in federal court on January 22, as reported by the U.S. Department of Justice. Ross now faces a mandatory minimum of a decade up to life behind bars, on top of a prospective $10 million fine per count, and he will not have the option of parole.
The law's hammer is set to fall hard on Ross, who admitted to spearheading an operation that distributed massive amounts of cocaine and marijuana in the Middle District of Georgia, choosing profit over people, his lifestyle funded by the depths of others' despair, according to U.S. Attorney Peter D. Leary, in a statement, credited to the aforementioned Justice Department announcement. In a demonstration of interagency collaboration, the years-long investigation involved techniques like wiretaps, surveillance, and informants to unwind the web of Ross's criminal enterprise which included a fateful trip to Mexico City in 2019 to deal for more drugs.
Even more damning, Ross's criminal record is marred by his connection to several large drug busts and a chilling order to murder an associate responsible for a lost drug shipment, an order that thankfully wasn't carried out, this information come to light during an extensive investigation where law enforcement seized considerable amounts of drugs, cash and firearms. The sprawling case spanned multiple jurisdictions and was driven by cooperation among local, state, and federal agencies, including FBI Atlanta and the DEA, and was part of a concerted Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force operation.
Compounding Ross's woes, his Atlanta area home and business were the scenes of major cash recoveries, law enforcement finding considerable sums derived from his widespread illegal activities and in one instance, damningly, DEA and FBI agents went so far as to intercept over $2 million in drug money from Ross's luggage in California, his drug proceeds laid bare for the world to see that this was a man driven by his own greed, flouting the very fabric of lawful society.
The case against Ross has been upheld as a testament to the effectiveness of collaborative law enforcement efforts, with FBI agent Robert Gibbs voicing satisfaction that Ross will serve time for the pain he's caused Georgia residents. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mike Morrison and Tamara Jarrett are tasked with prosecuting the grim tally of Ross’s crimes, which also extend to past convictions and numerous arrests for drug trafficking, reminding the public of the weight the legal system is poised to bring to bear against those who would poison communities for their own gain.
