Six Georgia Drug Traffickers Sentenced to Long Federal Terms in Major Meth Operation Bust

Johnson, McPherson, and HelinskiPhoto byGDC/Local

Six defendants from the Augusta area have been sentenced to significant federal prison terms for their involvement in a methamphetamine trafficking operation.

- James Andrew McPherson, 30, of Hephzibah, GA, the ringleader, was sentenced to 188 months in prison for Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and to Distribute Methamphetamine. He will also serve three years of supervised release after his prison term.

- Brandon Wayne Johnson, 43, of Hephzibah, GA, was sentenced to 87 months in prison for Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine.

- Marcus Smith, 32, of Augusta, GA, also known as “Smoke,” received a 151-month sentence for Distribution of Methamphetamine.

- Leslie Helinski, 54, of Augusta, GA, McPherson’s mother, was sentenced to 130 months in prison for Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine.

- Tony Watson, 49, of Conover, NC, was sentenced to 120 months in prison for Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine.

- Charity Porter, 25, of Augusta, GA, was sentenced to 37 months in prison for Distribution of Methamphetamine.

The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), assisted by local law enforcement agencies, conducted the investigation that led to these convictions. McPherson’s operation involved transporting high-purity methamphetamine from an Atlanta supplier, sometimes using couriers, including his mother, to distribute the drugs in Richmond, Columbia, and Burke counties. Federal sentences include no possibility of parole. U.S. Attorney Jill E. Steinberg and DEA Special Agent in Charge Robert J. Murphy highlighted the success of the investigation in addressing the threat posed by these drug traffickers.

Attributions: Southern District of Georgia