Cairo man sentenced to prison for major drug conspiracy

ALBANY, Ga. (WALB) - A Cairo man involved in a high-volume methamphetamine distribution ring was sentenced to prison Friday afternoon after admitting to his role in the conspiracy, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Georgia.

Joseph Jones, aka Bae, 31, was sentenced to serve 360 months in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release after he pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine. There is no parole in the federal system.

According to court documents, Georgia Bureau of Investigation agents conducted a wiretap investigation into Jones’ drug distribution activities of Jones, which started in March 2019.

An investigation found that Jones and others were engaged in distributing meth in southwest Georgia, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Jones was taken into custody following a search of his Cairo home on June 12, 2019.

Inside the home, a quantity of meth floating in the toilet and in the sewage line, $13,323 in cash, two handguns, digital scales and 16 cellular phones were seized. Written ledgers about various transactions totaling 13 kilograms of meth were seized from Jones’ vehicle, according to court documents.

“Mr. Jones has been held accountable for his role in a significant drug distribution network responsible for pushing more than one hundred kilograms of methamphetamine in southwest Georgia,” said U.S. Attorney Peter Leary. “Law enforcement broke this substantial methamphetamine ring, which was feeding addiction and fostering misery in this region of the state.”

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Georgia said 16 people, including Jones, “have been brought to justice in this case.”

The drug distribution network was found to be responsible for distributing more than 100 kilograms of meth, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.