Cochran man sentenced to 30 years in Middle Georgia drug trafficking case
Prosecutors say the case involved trafficking meth and cocaine across Middle Georgia.
WARNER ROBINS, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – A Cochran man has been sentenced to 30 years in prison following a guilty plea in a large-scale Middle Georgia drug trafficking investigation.
According to the Houston County District Attorney’s Office, 36-year-old Jermaine Ronnell Hughes pleaded guilty this week to trafficking methamphetamine, trafficking cocaine and possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime. On Friday, he was sentenced to 45 years, with the first 30 years to be served in the Georgia Department of Corrections. Hughes was also ordered to pay a $1.2 million fine.
The charges stem from a traffic stop on August 21, 2023. Prosecutors say Hughes was driving a vehicle that was stopped following an extensive investigation into a drug distribution operation. A search of the vehicle uncovered trafficking-level amounts of methamphetamine and cocaine, along with a firearm found under the driver’s seat.
The investigation revealed the operation was purchasing narcotics in the Atlanta area and transporting them for redistribution throughout Houston County and Middle Georgia.
The case was led by the Bleckley County Sheriff’s Office, with assistance from the Houston County Sheriff’s Office, Warner Robins Police Department, Twiggs County Sheriff’s Office, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, and the FBI. The investigation resulted in the arrests of 17 people on various drug charges. Several co-defendants are still awaiting trial.
District Attorney Eric Edwards called the case an example of coordinated law enforcement efforts across multiple agencies and jurisdictions.
“Large-scale trafficking operations like this are not victimless crimes,” Edwards said. “They fuel addiction, violence, and instability across Middle Georgia.”
Hughes had a prior felony conviction for possession of marijuana with intent to distribute and also had pending drug-related charges in two other Middle Georgia jurisdictions at the time of his plea.
