Meriwether County Man Sentenced to Prison for Armed Drug Trafficking

COLUMBUS, Ga. - A West Georgia resident with a criminal past who is currently serving a life sentence in a state prison, was sentenced to serve more than 14 years in a federal prison after he was convicted at a bench trial of firearms and drug trafficking charges.

Howatdrick Jamal Jones, 32, of Woodbury, Georgia, was sentenced to serve 175 months in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release to run concurrently to his state prison sentence by U.S. District Judge Clay Land on Dec. 17. Jones was found guilty of one count of possession of cocaine base with intent to distribute, one count of possession of a firearm during a drug trafficking crime and one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon following a bench trial on Sept. 23. There is no parole in the federal system.

"Violent reoffenders must be held accountable for their crimes," said U.S. Attorney Peter D. Leary. "This case is a testament to the ongoing collaboration with our law enforcement partners from every level to bring to justice those creating the most havoc in our communities."

"Guns, drugs and violence are unfortunately all too common tools of the drug trafficking organizations operating in our communities," said Robert J. Murphy, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Division. "Cases like this clearly demonstrate the resolve of the DEA to hold violent drug traffickers accountable."

"I would like to thank all of the law enforcement entities involved for their hard work on this case," said Waverly Hall Police Chief Jason Durham. "This is another proven example that illegal drugs and guns will not be tolerated."

According to the evidence at trial, Jones was stopped by a Waverly Hall Police Department officer on Oct. 16, 2019, after the officer's automatic license plate reader triggered an alert that the owner of the car had active arrest warrants. The officer smelled marijuana and searched the vehicle, finding cocaine, a digital scale and a razor blade next to the drugs. Jones was concealing a .45 caliber pistol. At the time, Jones had several prior felony drug convictions; it is illegal for a convicted felon to possess a firearm. Jones was convicted of bank robbery on Sept. 20, 2023, in the Superior Court of Pike County, Georgia, and is serving a life sentence for his crime.

This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the Waverly Hall Police Department with valuable assistance from the FBI and the Harris County Sheriff's Office.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher Williams and Crawford Seals prosecuted the case for the Government.