A 39-year-old Lithonia man who treated the mail like his personal freight service for hard drugs has been ordered to spend more than 14 years in federal prison.
David Gullatte, of DeKalb County, was sentenced on July 15, 2026, to 170 months in federal prison after prosecutors said he ran an interstate pipeline that shipped methamphetamine, fentanyl and cocaine between California, metro Atlanta and southern Ohio. He had already pleaded guilty in September 2025 to charges in two separate federal cases, according to court filings.
Prosecutors Detail Coast-To-Ohio Drug Network
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Ohio, investigators said Gullatte bought bulk quantities of narcotics from a supplier in California and arranged for them to be mailed to homes in Atlanta and Dayton. From there, the drugs were moved and resold in southern Ohio. Prosecutors said court documents show law enforcement intercepted multiple kilograms of narcotics between 2020 and 2021.
Mail Shipments, Road Trips And Local Sales
As reported by WSB-TV, prosecutors alleged that in September 2020 Gullatte obtained more than 20 kilograms of methamphetamine in Atlanta and arranged for another person to haul it to Dayton for resale. Authorities said he kept supplying cocaine and other drugs to a trafficking ring in Xenia even while he was awaiting trial on federal charges.
Two Indictments And A Pair Of Guilty Pleas
Gullatte was first indicted in May 2024 and then hit with additional charges in March 2025, local coverage shows. He ultimately pleaded guilty in both federal cases in September 2025, according to WHIO, clearing the way for sentencing in Dayton.
Judge, Sentence And Federal Announcement
Senior U.S. District Court Judge Walter H. Rice handed down the 170-month prison term after prosecutors concluded Gullatte was responsible for trafficking more than 30 kilograms of controlled substances, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said. The sentence and case details were announced by United States Attorney Dominick S. Gerace II and FBI Special Agent in Charge Jason Cromartie, according to the federal press release.
Why This Case Matters To Feds
Federal prosecutors and local reporters say the case highlights how relatively low-profile mail and courier networks can link West Coast suppliers to buyers in the Southeast and Midwest, at a time when officials are heavily focused on cutting off fentanyl and methamphetamine supply chains. As WSB-TV notes, investigators leaned on intercepted shipments and local drug-trafficking probes to map out the pipeline across state lines.
