3 convicted in metro-Atlanta drug trafficking operation

ATLANTA - Three men have been convicted for their roles in a drug trafficking operation based in Fulton County.

What we know:

Kory Keon Solomon, Antonio Pierre Ashmeade, and Rodrigus Dartez Williams were all convicted on federal charges within the past month for various roles in the Ellenwood-based operation.

Solomon, 40, was found guilty of conspiracy and possession with the intent to distribute cocaine on Thursday, Jan. 8, while Ashmeade, 42, and Williams, 39, were convicted of possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine on Wednesday, Dec. 17.

Ashmeade and Williams are members of the "Paper Gang Family" (PGF), according to federal prosecutors, which is a rap music label with members known to have distributed large quantities of narcotics throughout metro-Atlanta, according to a 2019 DEA investigation.

Many times, prosecutors say the members would conduct drug deals on nearby school bus routes.

"These defendants set up their drug operation in metro-Atlanta, blatantly peddling their poison around students' bus stops," said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg.

Dig deeper:

During the investigation, DEA agents reported seeing the PGF members conducting drug deals. Some of those instances include:

• July and August 2021 - Williams sold methamphetamine to an individual in Ellenwood. After one deal, he posted a video to social media showing him flaunting cash received during the deal.
• February 2022 - Agents reported observing Solomon meet with a known drug trafficker and suspected PGF member in Ellenwood. Law enforcement continued to follow Solomon to the nearby gas station, where he retrieved a bag with suspected narcotics in it. Not long afterwards, a Georgia State Patrol trooper stopped Solomon while he was traveling on I-75, searched his vehicle, and recovered two kilograms of cocaine and a 9mm handgun.
• April 2023 - During the investigation, DEA agents observed Ashmeade give a plastic shopping bag to a customer in the parking lot of a restaurant in southeast Atlanta. A state trooper later attempted to stop the customer's vehicle, but the customer fled and tossed the plastic bag they had purchased from Ashmeade. Authorities recovered about half a kilogram of methamphetamine from the bag.

What we don't know:

A sentencing date has not yet been determined for the three men.

What's next:

Ashmeade and Williams face a mandatory minimum of 10 years imprisonment and a maximum sentence of life in prison. Solomon faces at least a five-year prison sentence and up to 40 years.