On June 12th, Kenneth Emanuel Pertillo, Jr., a man with ties to a Georgia street gang, was sentenced to life imprisonment for his role in an armed fentanyl trafficking operation in the Macon area. According to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Middle District of Georgia, Pertillo, known as "Fat Boy," was found guilty of conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute multiple controlled substances, including fentanyl, methamphetamine, and heroin. His sentencing also includes ten years of supervised release, notably in a federal system that does not offer parole.
Johnifer Dernard Barnwell, Pertillo's co-defendant, faces similar charges, though his sentencing is pending. He was convicted of possession with the intent to distribute varying narcotics, as well as a count related to a firearm found amidst the drug trafficking crime. "This armed criminal organization was pushing large amounts of fentanyl, and other lethal combinations of street drugs mixed with fentanyl into our neighborhoods, putting many people at risk of death and degrading the safety of all," U.S. Attorney Peter D. Leary commented on the severity of the crimes.
The investigation, which began in March 2020, unveiled a significant drug distribution network associated with the MOB sect of the Mafia street gang. Investigators utilized wiretaps and conducted controlled drug purchases from several implicated individuals to gather evidence. On July 20, 2021, the FBI executed searches across multiple locations in Macon, seizing an alarming assortment of drugs—including kilograms of fentanyl and meth—and firearms, various paraphernalia, and a considerable sum of money.
Several other co-defendants have been sentenced so far, as the collective is responsible for distributing more than three kilograms of fentanyl or fentanyl analogue, along with methamphetamine and heroin. The operations are part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) program, an initiative aiming to disrupt high-level criminal organizations. The task force includes agencies such as the FBI, DEA, GBI, and several local sheriff's offices, apparently an emphasis on collaboration is key in combating such crimes.
