Over one kilogram of meth seized: Fannin County trafficker sentenced to 30 years

CHEROKEE COUNTY, Ga. - A Fannin County man will spend the next three decades behind bars after a Cherokee County jury convicted him of trafficking more than a kilogram of methamphetamine.

Meth dealer sentenced

What we know:

Ricky Dwight Wright, 39, was sentenced to 30 years in prison on Wednesday. Because Wright was sentenced as a recidivist offender, he was also ordered to pay a mandatory $1 million fine, the state-required penalty for trafficking more than 400 grams of the drug.

The sentencing followed a swift trial where the jury deliberated for only 15 minutes before returning a guilty verdict on Tuesday.

K-9 helps find 1 kilogram of meth

The backstory:

The case traces back to March 4, 2025, around 1:15 a.m. when a Woodstock police officer stopped an Acura sedan traveling north on Interstate 575. The officer initiated the stop after discovering an individual linked to the car had an active warrant.

During the stop, a passenger tried to hide and then throw away a drawstring bag. Police recovered the bag, finding 175 grams of methamphetamine tucked inside plastic grocery bags.

A police K-9 Tesa was brought to the scene and alerted officers to more narcotics inside the car. A second grocery bag, hidden under towels on the rear floorboard, was found containing approximately 993 grams of the drug. In total, authorities seized over one kilogram of methamphetamine.

‘A significant amount of methamphetamine’

What they're saying:

Assistant District Attorney Leland J. McElveen Jr. presented testimony from six law enforcement witnesses. The evidence against Wright included dash camera footage of the stop, photographs of the seized narcotics, and text messages from Wright’s phone discussing a trip from North Georgia to Atlanta to obtain the drugs.

"This case began with a Woodstock Police officer whose proactive policing led to the seizure of more than a kilogram of methamphetamine and to three offenders ultimately being held accountable," McElveen said.

District Attorney Susan K. Treadaway emphasized that Wright’s 30-year term targets his history of crime.

"This sentence reflects both the seriousness of his crime and his continued pattern of criminal behavior," Treadaway said. "Thanks to the vigilance of law enforcement and the jury’s verdict, a repeat offender who was trafficking a significant amount of methamphetamine will no longer be able to poison our community."

Other defendants in the case

Dig deeper:

Wright was the last of three defendants to be sentenced in the case. His co-defendants, also from Fannin County, previously entered guilty pleas:

• Ashley Nicole Hughes, 36, was sentenced in November 2025 to 15 years in confinement and a $200,000 fine for trafficking and tampering with evidence.
• James Lovejoy, 37, was sentenced in January 2026 as a recidivist to 30 years, with 25 to be served in confinement, and a $1 million fine.