Two Warner Robins men sentenced in Middle Georgia drug trafficking case
Seventeen individual members of the drug trafficking organization were arrested in connection with the investigation.
WARNER ROBINS, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – Two Warner Robins men pleaded guilty and were sentenced in connection with a drug trafficking organization, according to the Houston County District Attorney’s Office.
A news release states that 46-year-old Patrick Maurice Marshall and 36-year-old Jerod Rondell Hughes pleaded guilty on April 7, 2026, and were sentenced.
Marshall was sentenced to a total of 35 years, with the first 20 years to be served in prison, along with a $200,000 fine, for trafficking cocaine and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
Hughes was sentenced to 20 years, with the first 10 years to be served in prison, along with a $10,000 fine, for possession of cocaine with the intent to distribute and possession of marijuana with the intent to distribute.
The DA’s office said the Middle Georgia Regional Drug Task Force initiated an investigation into the drug trafficking organization led by Patrick Marshall after receiving information that he was supplying large amounts of cocaine, methamphetamine and other illegal narcotics to Houston County and the Middle Georgia area.
According to the news release, the investigation took months of planning and several weeks to fully execute.
During the investigation, investigators discovered that Marshall and Hughes were purchasing illegal narcotics from suppliers in Atlanta, Georgia, and transporting them back to Houston County and Middle Georgia for distribution.
Multiple search warrants were issued, and investigators found trafficking quantities of cocaine, methamphetamine, marijuana and other illegal narcotics at multiple residences linked to Marshall’s drug trafficking organization.
Seventeen individual members of the drug trafficking organization were arrested in connection with the investigation.
Chief Assistant District Attorney Greg Winters of the Houston Circuit District Attorney’s Office released the following statement:
“The citizens of Houston County need to know that organizations such as this operated by Mr. Marshall will not be allowed to continue. This office will continue to make it a priority to go after traffickers who continue to operate their illicit operations here in Houston County. The Defendants preyed upon our community, and I am thankful for the hard work of the Middle Georgia Regional Drug Task Force. Their hard work and dedication are making the streets of Houston County and Middle Georgia safer each day.
District Attorney Eric Edwards released the following statement:
“This case was not about isolated drug activity—it was about dismantling a coordinated trafficking operation that was bringing large quantities of illegal narcotics into Houston County and distributing them throughout Middle Georgia. That kind of organized criminal activity poses a direct threat to the safety and stability of our communities.
The fact that these defendants chose to plead guilty after the State began presenting its evidence to a jury speaks to the strength of the investigation and the work done by law enforcement across multiple agencies. These outcomes are the result of careful, coordinated efforts by officers and investigators working together toward a common goal. Cases like this demonstrate what can be accomplished when agencies at the local, state, and federal level work together to identify, investigate, and dismantle drug trafficking organizations. That work will always continue.”