Paper Gang Family members sentenced for drug trafficking in Atlanta

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A large plastic bag filled with crystalline methamphetamine shards sits inside a cardboard box (left) while two large, rectangular bricks wrapped in vacuum-sealed plastic and duct tape on the hood (right) after a bust in April 2023. (Justice Departme

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ATLANTA - Thirteen members and associates of an Atlanta-based gang known as the "Paper Gang Family" have been sentenced to federal prison for distributing large amounts of narcotics, federal officials announced Wednesday.

Atlanta gang dismantled

What we know:

The "Paper Gang Family" used an Atlanta rap music label as a front to distribute narcotics across the metro area starting in 2019, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Investigators said they watched gang members sell drugs on the same streets where school buses dropped off children.

During the investigation, agents seized approximately 10,000 fentanyl pills, 25 kilograms of methamphetamine, and 20 kilograms of cocaine, federal officials said. Antonio Pierre Ashmeade, 42, received the final sentence of 18 years in prison Wednesday after being convicted of possessing methamphetamine with the intent to distribute it.

What we don't know:

While 13 defendants have been sentenced, officials have not said if more suspects are being sought in connection to the "Paper Gang Family" narcotics operation. It is also unclear exactly how many firearms remain in circulation from the gang’s wider network beyond the 30 guns already seized.

Massive drug seizure

By the numbers:

The federal investigation resulted in significant prison time for several key members of the organization:

• Demarco Harper, 48, of Atlanta, Georgia, was sentenced to 15 years in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, after he pleaded guilty on June 3, 2025, to conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute controlled substances and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
• Cyguifredo Hernandez, 34, of Jonesboro, Georgia, was sentenced to 15 years in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, after he pleaded guilty on December 18, 2023, to conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute controlled substances.
• Rodrigus Dartez Williams, 39, of Atlanta, Georgia, was sentenced to 15 years in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release, after he was found guilty of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine following a trial by jury on December 17, 2025.
• Christian Tevaris Wash, 45, of Stockbridge, Georgia, was sentenced to 12 years and 7 months in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, after he pleaded guilty on March 27, 2024, to conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute controlled substances.
• Arthur Lee Hempen, 37, of Marietta, Georgia, was sentenced to 10 years and one month in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, after he pleaded guilty on May 22, 2024, to conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute controlled substances and wire fraud.
• Alexavier Negron, 40, of Atlanta, Georgia, was sentenced to 10 years in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, after he pleaded guilty on September 5, 2025, to conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute controlled substances.
• Mario Bernard Peek, 39, of Ellenwood, Georgia, was sentenced to 10 years in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, after he pleaded guilty on August 26, 2025, to conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute controlled substances.
• Terez Montavious Pippins, 39, of Forest Park, Georgia, was sentenced to 10 years in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, after he pleaded guilty on June 11, 2024, to conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute controlled substances.
• Dresten Toron Daniels, 39, of Atlanta, Georgia, was sentenced to five years in prison, to be followed by four years of supervised release, after he pleaded guilty on August 25, 2025, to possession with the intent to distribute controlled substances.
• Kory Keon Solomon, 40, of Macon, Georgia, was sentenced to five years in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release, after he was found guilty of possession with intent to distribute cocaine following a trial by jury on January 8, 2026.
• Philip Michael Ricks, 40, of Leighton, Alabama, was sentenced to three years and six months in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, after he pleaded guilty on March 26, 2024, to conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute controlled substances.
• Daronta Arne Lee, 43, of Snow Hill, North Carolina, was sentenced to two years and nine months in prison, to be followed by four years of supervised release, after he pleaded guilty on May 6, 2024, to conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute controlled substances.

Dangerous drug sales

The backstory:

In April 2023, agents saw Ashmeade give a plastic bag of drugs to a customer in a southeast Atlanta parking lot, the U.S. Attorney's Office said. The customer ran from a Georgia State Patrol trooper and threw half a kilogram of methamphetamine onto a sidewalk on Memorial Drive before being caught.

What's next:

The sentences for all 13 defendants must be served without the possibility of parole, according to U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. Federal officials are encouraging parents to visit the "Just Think Twice" website to help teach children about the dangers of illegal drugs.