Central State Prison drug ring: 13 sentenced for distributing meth across North Georgia

ATLANTA - Thirteen members of a drug trafficking organization that orchestrated a massive methamphetamine distribution network from behind prison walls have been convicted and sentenced, federal officials announced.

The group, which included both state and federal inmates, coordinated with couriers and distributors to flood North Georgia communities with the drug before being dismantled by a joint law enforcement task force.

What we know:

Federal agents say the operation was run by inmates Edward Kelvin Pope, David Wilson, and Kevin Josue Campos Rivera, who were serving time at Central State Prison in Macon. The trio collaborated with Jose Santos Isaola Cisneros, a federal inmate at the Federal Correctional Institution in Atlanta, to manage a network of couriers and customers.

The investigation, which began in November 2020, revealed that the group was responsible for moving kilogram quantities of methamphetamine. During a search of a residence in Stockbridge, agents uncovered an active methamphetamine conversion lab and seized more than 3,000 kilograms of the drug. Another search at an apartment in Norcross netted 13 kilograms of meth, a rifle, and $49,000 in cash.

Timeline:

The investigation spanned several months of documented drug transactions across the metro Atlanta area and North Georgia.

• November 2020: Law enforcement begins investigating Pope and Wilson for using couriers outside Central State Prison.
• April 30, 2021: Two kilograms of methamphetamine are distributed at a gas station in Cartersville.
• June 14, 2021: A deal for one kilogram of meth is completed in a Stockbridge restaurant parking lot.
• June 28, 2021: Agents raid a Stockbridge home, seizing a conversion lab and 3,000 kilograms of meth.
• August 11, 2021: An undercover DEA agent successfully purchases a kilogram of meth from the organization.

What they're saying:

U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg emphasized that the group’s incarceration did not stop their criminal activity, stating that from behind prison walls, these defendants egregiously continued to violate the law by coordinating the distribution of massive amounts of methamphetamine throughout North Georgia. Hertzberg noted that the prison sentences were imposed without the possibility of parole.

The reach of the organization was also addressed by Jae W. Chung, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA’s Atlanta Field Division, who said, "Methamphetamine continues to fuel addiction, violence, and instability in our communities." Chung added that while these defendants believed they could orchestrate a drug trafficking organization from inside a correctional facility, the sentences show that law enforcement will pursue traffickers wherever they operate.

Chief Deputy John B. Stevens of the U.S. Marshals Service issued a direct warning to those currently behind bars. "It doesn’t matter if you are already in custody, if you continue to violate the laws of the United States, we will come for you, and you will be held accountable," Stevens said.

By the numbers:

• 3,000+ kilograms: The amount of methamphetamine seized by agents during a single raid on a conversion lab in Stockbridge.
• 13: Total defendants convicted and sentenced for their roles in the prison-based trafficking ring.
• 25 years: The longest prison sentence handed down in the case, given to federal inmate Jose Santos Isaola Cisneros.
• $49,000: Amount of bulk U.S. currency recovered from a Norcross apartment, along with 13 kilograms of meth and a rifle.
• 72: The current age of inmate Edward Kelvin Pope, who was already serving a sentence of life plus 70 years when this investigation began.
• 3: Different Georgia correctional facilities or locations (Central State Prison, FCI Atlanta, and various metro Atlanta hideouts) linked to the coordination of the drug sales.

What's next:

The following primary defendants received the longest sentences in the case:

• Jose Santos Isaola Cisneros (35): 25 years
• Ramon Rodriguez, Jr. (46): 20 years
• Carlos Ruben Ramirez Romero (41): 19 years
• David Wilson (53): 18 years, 4 months
• Kevin Josue Campos Rivera (27): 15 years
• Gustavo Omar Martinez (37): 14 years
• Luis Cisneros Ruiz (27): 12 years
• Edward Kelvin Pope (72): 10 years
• Marcelo Ibarra (33): 8 years, 6 months
• Julio Estuardo Mijangos Chinchilla (37): 6 years, 5 months
• Kelyn Roxana Ortiz Flores (36): 4 years, 3 months
• Max Donald Whitlock (55): 3 years, 5 months
• Oscar Valdez Samaniego (45): 3 years, 5 months