Atlanta woman sentenced to 20 years for supplying meth and fentanyl to Middle Georgia drug network
40-year-old operated out of a high-rise Atlanta condo, supplying drugs to a Middle Georgia trafficking network
ATLANTA (41NBC/WMGT) – A woman who supplied large quantities of methamphetamine and fentanyl to a Middle Georgia drug trafficking organization has been sentenced to 20 years in federal prison.
According to a news release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Georgia, 40-year-old Heather Marie Breland was sentenced on Tuesday by U.S. District Judge C. Ashley Royal after pleading guilty to aiding and abetting others to possess with intent to distribute more than 50 grams of methamphetamine.
“Heather Breland enjoyed the trappings of luxury by trafficking in deadly drugs, to include the scourge of fentanyl,” U.S. Attorney Peter D. Leary said. “Her 20-year federal prison sentence demonstrates the dedication of our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners to halting the supply of deadly drugs into our communities and saving lives.”
According to court documents and statements made in court, Breland operated out of her high-rise condominium in Atlanta’s Buckhead neighborhood, supplying drugs to a network led by 44-year-old co-defendant Raiford “RH” Reeves of Warner Robins. The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and local law enforcement agencies investigated the drug trafficking organization from October 2021 to June 2022 and determined Breland was a key supplier.
Law enforcement intercepted phone calls and text messages between Breland and Reeves, conducted controlled purchases and executed search warrants across multiple locations, including Breland’s condominium and a storage unit she used on Riverside Drive in Macon. Inside her home, agents seized 3.266 kilograms of pure methamphetamine, 14.72 grams of fentanyl, cocaine, marijuana, a 9mm semi-automatic pistol, a .22 magnum caliber revolver, two cellphones and $78,353 cash. Agents also seized eight pounds of marijuana in a Louis Vuitton duffel bag from her Macon storage unit.
Breland, who has seven prior felony convictions including forgery and identity fraud, fled to North Carolina after the searches, changed her appearance and used false identification. She was taken into custody by U.S. Marshals on October 20, 2022, at a hotel and casino in Biloxi, Mississippi.
“Heather Breland and her co-defendants were involved in an organized network designed to peddle poison onto the streets of our community,” Peach County Sheriff Terry Deese said. “Most law enforcement agencies don’t have the resources to handle investigations to combat organizations like this one. We are fortunate to have federal, state and local law enforcement agencies in Middle Georgia that recognize the benefit of working together in order to keep our communities safe.”
Reeves was sentenced to 210 months in prison on May 15, 2024, after pleading guilty to distribution of methamphetamine.
This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) operation aimed at dismantling high-level criminal organizations. The investigation involved multiple agencies, including the DEA, ATF and several local sheriff’s offices.
Deputy Criminal Chief Will Keyes prosecuted the case for the government.
