Man gets 10 years for meth charge, banished from Houston County

Cortez was also banished from Houston County and all neighboring counties for the remainder of his sentence.

HOUSTON COUNTY, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – A Lawrenceville man will spend 10 years in prison after pleading guilty to possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute, according to the Houston County District Attorney’s Office.

33-year-old Miguel Angel Cortez pleaded guilty Monday in Houston County Superior Court, just before jury selection was scheduled to begin.

Cortez was sentenced to 30 years, with the first 10 years to be served in prison. Cortez was also banished from Houston County and all neighboring counties for the remainder of his sentence, according to the district attorney’s office.

The case stems from an October 13, 2022, traffic stop on Carl Vinson Parkway. Centerville police said officers stopped a vehicle driven by Cortez after observing traffic violations.

During the stop, a police K-9 alerted officers to the vehicle. A subsequent search uncovered several ounces of methamphetamine, a small amount of cocaine and packaging materials, according to prosecutors.

Cortez and passenger Heather Beckwith were arrested. Beckwith pleaded guilty separately in 2023 and was sentenced to 20 years, with six years to be served in prison.

The Centerville Police Department investigated the case. Senior Assistant District Attorney Mike Smith prosecuted Cortez.

Senior Assistant District Attorney Mike Smith released the following statement:

“The District Attorney’s Office would like to thank the dedication of the Centerville Police Department, for its efforts in working together to bring down a career drug dealer that has peddled poison in our community. The District Attorney’s Office remains committed to protecting the community from drug traffickers. These ‘death dealers’ should always expect to go to prison for a significant sentence following a conviction.”

District Attorney Eric Edwards released the following statement:

“Every successful drug distribution prosecution begins with officers paying attention to the small things. In this case, what started as a routine traffic stop for traffic violations resulted in the discovery of a significant quantity of methamphetamine packaged for distribution before it could reach the streets of Houston County. That is proactive policing at its finest. Drug traffickers often believe they can move narcotics through communities like ours without consequence. This sentence demonstrates that Houston County is not a safe place to transport or distribute illegal drugs. Those who choose to profit from addiction and the destruction of others should expect lengthy prison sentences and removal from our community. I am grateful for the outstanding work of the Centerville Police Department, including the K-9 team whose efforts proved instrumental in this investigation, as well as the prosecution of this case by Senior Assistant District Attorney Mike Smith. Our office will continue working alongside our law enforcement partners to aggressively prosecute those who bring dangerous narcotics into Houston County and threaten the safety and well-being of our citizens.”