Middle Georgia synthetic drug trafficking operation leads to six federal charges

A federal grand jury returned the indictment on May 14, 2025, which was unsealed August 7.

August 8, 2025

Monica Diaz-Meek,

MACON, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) — Six people, including two Georgia inmates and two Chinese nationals, have been federally indicted for allegedly conspiring to distribute synthetic controlled substances, including fentanyl, into the Middle District of Georgia.

A federal grand jury returned the indictment on May 14, 2025, which was unsealed August 7. The charges name:

44-year-old Devito Duran Young, aka “Big” or “Big Man,” of Macon State Prison and Marietta, Georgia, charged with conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance. He faces a maximum sentence of life in prison, with a mandatory minimum of 10 years, and up to an $8 million fine.
29-year-old Trace Davrin Works, of Mableton, Georgia, charged with conspiracy to distribute fentanyl. He faces a maximum sentence of life in prison, with a mandatory minimum of 10 years, and up to an $8 million fine.
27-year-old Xin Wang, of China, charged with conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance. He faces up to 40 years in prison with a mandatory minimum of 5 years and up to a $5 million fine for the fentanyl charge, and up to 20 years in prison and a $1 million fine for the other charge.
43-year-old Andreaus Benard Oliver Sr., aka “Doomie Oliver,” of Macon State Prison and Cordele, Georgia, charged with conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance. He faces up to 30 years in prison and a $2 million fine.
26-year-old Andreaus Benard Oliver Jr., aka “Dray Oliver,” of Cordele, Georgia, charged with conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance and using or maintaining a drug premises. He faces up to 20 years in prison and a $1 million fine.
29-year-old Gao Yong, of China, charged with conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance. He faces up to 20 years in prison and a $1 million fine.

Young, Works and Oliver Sr. are in custody and had their initial appearances. They were arraigned before U.S. Magistrate Judge Charles H. Weigle on August 7 and remanded to federal custody pending trial. Oliver Jr. is also in federal custody and had his initial appearance on August 7; his arraignment is scheduled for August 11 in Albany, Georgia.

The indictment alleges that Young and Oliver Sr., both inmates at Macon State Prison, conspired beginning in 2023 to acquire and distribute fentanyl and synthetic cannabinoids from China to the United States. Shipments of synthetic cannabinoids allegedly arrived at Oliver Jr.’s residence on 4th Avenue in Cordele.

Wang and Yong are accused of facilitating the sale and distribution of synthetic controlled substances from China globally, including to Young and Oliver Sr. Yong allegedly communicated directly with customers and provided shipment tracking, while Wang directed fentanyl sales worldwide and managed cryptocurrency wallets for payments.

Young allegedly placed multiple fentanyl orders through encrypted chat apps using a contraband cellphone while incarcerated. He directed Works to acquire and ship fentanyl to customers, including addresses in the Middle District of Georgia, paying Wang and Yong with cryptocurrency.

Oliver Jr. and co-conspirators allegedly ordered synthetic cannabinoids online from Wang and Yong, paid via cryptocurrency, and sent shipments to addresses in Cordele, including Oliver Jr.’s residence, referred to as the “lab.”

Following interception of a package from China, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Oliver Jr.’s home on July 22, 2024. They found more than 175 metal pans with sheets of paper; jugs and bottles containing suspected cannabinoids; measuring beakers; over 350 dried sheets soaked with cannabinoids; fake return address labels; shipping labels addressed to inmates nationwide; cash; and ledgers tracking processed sheets. Authorities also seized $170,000 in cryptocurrency from Wang.