A Glock pistol, a pink bag containing a digital scale, and thousands of dollars in cash were recovered by law enforcement during the arrest of a convicted felon outside a Cartersville motel on December 30, 2024. (Bartow County Sheriff's Office)
ATLANTA - A three-time convicted felon from Rockmart will spend nearly a decade in federal prison after investigators found him trafficking fentanyl and methamphetamine with stolen firearms outside a Cartersville motel, federal officials announced.
Northwest Georgia drug sentencing
What we know:
A federal judge sentenced 27-year-old Sincere M. Billingslea, also known as "Trouble," to nine years in prison followed by five years of supervised release. Billingslea pleaded guilty on Feb. 25 to possessing fentanyl with the intent to distribute and possessing a firearm as a convicted felon.
The investigation revealed Billingslea bought thousands of dollars’ worth of fentanyl and methamphetamine in Atlanta the night before his arrest to sell out of his Cartersville motel room. His criminal history already included aggravated assault, armed robbery, and obstruction of law enforcement, which legally prohibited him from having weapons.
Outstanding warrant arrest
What we don't know:
Officials have not yet confirmed the specific nature of the outstanding warrant that originally led officers to the motel. The identity of the taxicab driver and whether that individual faced any threats during the encounter also remains undisclosed.
Cartersville motel encounter
Timeline:
The arrest happened on Dec. 30, 2024, as law enforcement closed in on Billingslea while he sat in the backseat of a taxicab leaving a local motel. Billingslea yelled, "Go, go, go!" to the driver.
When the driver refused to flee, Billingslea hurled an array of contraband into the front seat before being taken into custody. The seized items included a recently stolen Glock pistol, another handgun, approximately two ounces of purple fentanyl, over six ounces of methamphetamine, a digital scale, a Gucci bag and $3,450 in cash.
Federal and local drug enforcement
What they're saying:
"The successful prosecution of this serial offender is a prime example of law enforcement working together to rid the streets of dangerous recidivist felons who continue to peddle poison for profit," U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg said.
Supervisory Senior Resident Agent Mitchell Jackson, with the FBI Atlanta office in Cartersville, noted that Billingslea "continued to pollute our community with his drugs, all while having guns he wasn’t supposed to be carrying."
The Source: The information in this story was gathered from U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg, who detailed the case and court proceedings, as well as statements from FBI Supervisory Senior Resident Agent Mitchell Jackson and Major Mark Mayton of the Bartow County Sheriff’s Office.