An Atlanta resident who was supplying large amounts of fentanyl and other controlled substances to distributors in middle Georgia was sentenced to more than 28 years in prison for conspiring to distribute fentanyl in a case in which investigators discovered evidence of an individual who overdosed and died from drugs supplied by the defendant.
U.S. District Judge Marc Treadwell sentenced Lagary Williams, aka “Frog,” 40, of Atlanta, to 340 months in prison, followed by five years of supervised release. On October 30, 2023, Williams pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute controlled narcotics. There is no parole under the federal system.
“Lagary Williams, who was recorded on wiretap mocking the death of a man who overdosed on his fentanyl supply, is now held accountable for providing kilograms of fentanyl and other deadly drugs to people living in Georgia,” the U.S. Attorney’s Office said. “Fentanyl is the deadliest drug threat we’ve faced, and our office will continue to pour every available resource into addressing the fentanyl crisis alongside our federal, local, and state law enforcement partners.”
“Fentanyl and methamphetamine have taken a terrible toll on our communities,” Robert J. Murphy, special agent in charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration Atlanta Division, stated. “This drug distributor and his associates will now face the consequences of their actions.”
Chris Hosey, the director of the GBI, said, “We took a large amount of deadly fentanyl and methamphetamine off the streets of central Georgia, and we stopped a key supplier.” “Partnering with law enforcement at every level, GBI will continue to dedicate resources to investigating armed drug distribution activity in a collective effort to make the communities we serve safer.”
In July 2020, agents from the DEA Macon Resident Office, the Ocmulgee Drug Task Force, and the GBI obtained credible and reliable information from multiple confidential sources about illegal drug activities in the Milledgeville area, according to court documents, statements, and evidence admitted in court. The court described Damon Hayes, a co-defendant, as a multikilogram distributor of methamphetamine, powder cocaine, and crack cocaine who relied on Williams for supplies.
Agents witnessed Hayes acquiring large quantities of narcotics from Williams’ fancy high-rise apartment in downtown Atlanta. During the inquiry, a wiretap captured Williams and another distributor discussing an overdose victim who died from fentanyl Williams provided. In a wiretap presented during the sentencing court, Williams told the distributor, “You got one under your belt, boy [laughing],” referencing the victim’s death from fentanyl poisoning. Williams also made admissions, indicating that he was aware of the dangerously high strength of the fentanyl he was obtaining.
On September 10, 2021, the Northern District of Georgia executed a federal search warrant at Williams’ apartment after wiretap intercepts revealed Hayes was traveling to Atlanta for a drug resupply meeting. Agents encountered Williams and another individual, who both jumped out of the apartment’s balcony to avoid arrest. Both individuals were eventually apprehended.
Agents discovered 2.5 kilograms of fentanyl in the apartment, along with one kilogram of methamphetamine, two kilograms of cocaine, roughly 50 grams of cocaine base, seven pounds of marijuana, a Glock 19 9mm pistol, and a Ruger model 57 revolver.
Over the last several years, the Justice Department has concentrated on disrupting every link in the worldwide fentanyl supply chain, from China to Mexico to the United States.
The DEA, GBI, the Ocmulgee Drug Task Force, the Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office, the Wilkinson County Sheriff’s Office, the Jones County Sheriff’s Office, the Atlanta-Carolina HIDTA Office, and the Gwinnett Metro Task Force all conducted investigations into the case. Will Keyes, Deputy Criminal Chief, prosecuted the case for the government.
