A California man, identified as Wilfort Foster III, age 41, has been dealt a 28-year prison sentence for his role in leading a drug trafficking scheme that ferried large amounts of methamphetamine and fentanyl from California to Georgia, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office. Foster ran his illicit operations from a Californian barbershop, as reported by Atlanta News First.
In addition to the lengthy prison term, Foster will face five years of supervised release after his incarceration. Despite being on probation for a prior drug case in California, he continued his criminal enterprise unabated. Agents were able to seize more than a dozen firearms, including an AR-15, and a sprawling amount of narcotics during the investigation, operating out of his barbershop, Foster once broke a co-defendant's jaw over a drug debt, prosecutors explain.
Steven Ham, a 43-year-old from Cartersville, Georgia, has also received a sentence of 15 years behind bars and 10 years of supervised release for his involvement. He had pleaded guilty to possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine. "This sentencing marks the end of a years-long effort to dismantle a dangerous drug trafficking network that was pushing lethal fentanyl and methamphetamine into our communities," said Paul Brown, special agent in charge of FBI Atlanta, as reported by FOX 5 Atlanta. Further investigation led to the discovery of over $600,000 in cash funneled to Foster through shell companies by his Georgian co-conspirators.
The Department of Justice has indicated that several others have pleaded guilty in connection to Foster's operation. Among them are: Clifford Alexander, 39, pleading guilty to conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute methamphetamine, and Frank Miller, 47, who pleaded guilty to the same charge and for possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, along with conspiracy to commit money laundering. Both Kenneth Antoine Scott, 41, and Lori Silvers, 46, admitted guilt to similar charges, as did Nia Thomas, 31, with all awaiting sentencing. Foster was convicted of conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl and conspiracy to commit money laundering, "Our office partnered with a host of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies to dismantle a significant, multi-state drug trafficking and money laundering network," U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg said, according to the statement acquired by FOX 5 Atlanta. He also underscored that Foster's severe sentencing should be a strong deterrence to others contemplating engaging in similar criminal activities.
