Lead defendant in drug trafficking conspiracy sentenced to n...

SAVANNAH, GA: A Chatham County man identified as a leader in a drug trafficking network has been sentenced to nearly 15 years in prison.

Kenyona Pinckney, 33, of Savannah, was sentenced to 178 months in prison after pleading guilty to Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and to Distribute Cocaine, Methamphetamine, and Marijuana, said Jill E. Steinberg, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. The sentence will be served consecutive to Pinckney's current term of state imprisonment for a separate conviction. U.S. District Court Chief Judge R. Stan Baker also ordered Pinckney to serve three years of supervised release upon completion of his prison term.

There is no parole in the federal system.

"The conspiracy identified in this investigation was responsible for distributing multiple kilograms of illegal drugs in the greater Savannah area and beyond," said U.S. Attorney Steinberg. "This sentence is a credit to the outstanding investigative work of our law enforcement partners."

As described in court documents and testimony, Pinckney was housed in the Georgia Department of Corrections Transition Center in Columbus, Ga., serving a state sentence for trafficking methamphetamine, and was using contraband cell phones to coordinate shipments of multiple kilos of cocaine and methamphetamine into the Savannah area, including Chatham, Bulloch, Effingham, and Laurens counties. The conspiracy first came to the attention of investigators when Drug Enforcement Administration agents in Virginia determined that drugs coming into that state were coordinated by one of Pinckney's co-conspirators in Savannah.

The January 2024 indictment in USA v. Pinckney et al. charged Pinckney and 12 co-defendants in the conspiracy. Four of those co-defendants have been sentenced after pleading guilty; two have entered guilty pleas and are awaiting sentencing; while five defendants are awaiting further proceedings and are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

"Whether drug dealers operate out on the street or behind bars, the Drug Enforcement Administration stands ready to deliver justice," said Robert J. Murphy, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Division.

"Customs and Border Protection officers remain committed to working with our valued local, state, and federal partners to keep dangerous drugs from reaching our community's streets and protecting the residents of Georgia," said Andrea Coffey, Acting Area Port Director, CBP Savannah.

"This case highlights the broad reach of the law enforcement community to bring together federal, state and local partners to dismantle a large distributor of illicit drugs," said Jason Krizmanich, Acting Inspector in Charge of the Atlanta Division. "Postal Inspectors objectives are to rid the mail of illegal drug trafficking, preserve the integrity of the mail system, and provide a safe environment for postal employees and the American public."

The case was investigated under the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF). OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach.

The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Georgia Ports Authority Police Department, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Chatham Savannah Counter Narcotics Team, the Georgia Department of Corrections, the Georgia State Patrol, the Savannah Police Department, the Chatham County Police Department, the Liberty County Sheriff's Office, and the Laurens County Sheriff's Office, and prosecuted for the United States by Southern District of Georgia Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael Z. Spitulnik and OCDETF Coordinator Marcela C. Mateo.