Following a four-day jury trial, a federal district court jury has convicted Traon Turk, an Austell, Georgia resident, on charges of federal drug distribution and firearms offenses. According to an announcement by the U.S. Attorney's Office, Turk was found guilty of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, a charge that comes subsequent to his previous guilty plea for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg highlighted the resolved commitment to prosecuting individuals such as Turk in a continuing effort to ensure community safety.
Describing Turk as a "multi-convicted felon," Hertzberg, in a statement reported by the Justice Department, said, "Turk is a multi-convicted felon who peddled deadly drugs and illegally carried a loaded firearm." The trial brought to light the dangerous escapade on April 4, 2020, when Cobb County Police officers tried to stop a vehicle linked to a drive-by shooting. Turk, after attempting to evade arrest, fled from the moving vehicle he was driving, leaving his five passengers in the car. Having dropped a loaded .40 caliber pistol in his flight, Turk was later found by authorities hiding in an abandoned vehicle nearby.
In his pants pocket, law enforcement officers discovered a bag of 24 pills containing methamphetamine. Turk’s behavior not only exhibited a disregard for the safety of his passengers, but also an apparent dedication to a criminal enterprise when police also retrieved an iPhone from him, filled with evidence consistent with drug dealing activities. From the car Turk abandoned, authorities seized an array of drugs, including larger quantities of ecstasy pills laced with methamphetamine, counterfeit pills of Percocet and Xanax also containing methamphetamine, and individually packaged bags of marijuana.
Turk's prior criminal record consists of various felonies, among them violations of the Street Gang Terrorism and Prevention Act, narcotics distribution, unauthorized firearm possession, and theft by receiving stolen property. As per a report by the Justice Department, his batting against the law now waits for a sentence—it is set for February 24, 2026, before Senior U.S. District Judge Thomas W. Thrash, Jr. The Court, with the aid of the United States Sentencing Guidelines, will determine Turk's fate, taking into account his criminal past and the present crimes for which he stands convicted.
Moreover, this case is part of a broader national initiative called Operation Take Back America which focuses on repelling illegal immigration, disrupting the operations of cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and shielding communities from violent crimes. Assistant U.S. Attorneys James Hwang, Michael Herskowitz, Laurel Milam, and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Annalise Peters are leading the prosecution in Turk’s case. Further inquiries can be directed to the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office. The extensive investigation preceding the trial was a collaboration between the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Cobb County Police Department.
