Albany man sentenced in drug trafficking

ALBANY, Ga. (WALB) - An Albany man was sentenced to federal prison for distributing methamphetamine, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Georgia.

Gregory Washington, 30, was sentenced to over 20 years in prison, followed by three years of supervised release.

U.S. District Judge Louis Sands sentenced Washington on Sept. 1 after he previously pleaded guilty to distribution of methamphetamine. There is no parole in the federal system.

“Career offenders who repeatedly break the law must be held accountable for their crimes,” said U.S. Attorney Peter Leary. “Law enforcement is working to identify and bring to justice those individuals who are instigating the most havoc in the communities we serve, in an effort to reduce crime and make our neighborhoods safer.”

According to court documents, state and federal agents were conducting surveillance regarding Washington’s ongoing controlled substance distribution activities in the Albany area.

On Aug. 12, 2021, an undercover Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) agent communicated with Washington about purchasing a quantity of methamphetamine and agreed to conduct the transaction at a store on West Oakridge Drive in Albany, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

“The substance sold to the undercover agent by Washington amounted to 111.343 grams of methamphetamine with 100% purity,” a release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office said Washington has a lengthy criminal history with multiple felony convictions in Dougherty County for the distribution of controlled substances.

“Illegal drugs have no place in Georgia. They are dangerous and threaten the safety of our communities. We will continue to work diligently with our federal partners to investigate drug trafficking,” said GBI Director Michael Register.

“ATF’s central objective is ensuring the safety of local residents. To accomplish this mission, ATF will aggressively and acutely target individuals who seek to diminish the general welfare through violence, narcotics sales and illegal firearms trafficking,” said Assistant Special Agent in Charge Beau Kolodka.