Fitzgerald man pleads guilty to meth-soaked rug

ALBANY, Ga. (WALB) - A Fitzgerald man pleaded guilty after he was arrested in connection to a rug that was soaked in drugs that was determined to part of a large drug smuggling operation, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Georgia.

Chad Williamson, 42, pleaded guilty to possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute on Sept. 8. He faces at least 10 years in prison up to life in prison and a $10,000,000 fine.

“The defendant was part of a larger international network using any means necessary to smuggle methamphetamine into Southwest Georgia. Thankfully, federal agents intercepted this deadly drug before it could hit the streets,” said U.S. Attorney Peter Leary. “Law enforcement at every level is working to hold high-volume drug smugglers accountable for their activities, which gravely harm our communities by feeding addiction.”

In 2021, two packages containing meth that were addressed to Williamson were intercepted by Homeland Security Investigations at the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport Parcel Center, according to court documents.

“The packages were shipped from Naucalpan de Juarez, Mexico, and marked as religious image and/or Bible gift; one of the boxes contained a methamphetamine-soaked rug, which can be chemically extracted for use. There were also more than 200 grams of crystal methamphetamine in the packages,” the U.S. Attorney’s Office said in a release.

A total of 1,926.2 grams of meth was in the packages, 459.2 grams of which were determined to be 98% pure, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

A sentencing date has not been set yet.