Operation Ghost Busted: Final defendant convicted

VIDEO: DOJ announces Operation Ghost Busted (File, 2023)

BRUNSWICK, Ga. (WSAV) – The final defendant in Operation Ghost Busted, said to be the largest drug trafficking prosecution in the Southern District of Georgia, has been convicted.

According to U.S. Attorney Jill Steinberg, 36-year-old Blake Screen, of Brunswick, was found guilty of Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and to Distribute Methamphetamine and Fentanyl, and Possession with Intent to Distribute Fentanyl.

He faces up to 20 years in prison, plus financial penalties and a period of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.

Screen’s sentencing will be scheduled after a pre-sentence investigation by U.S. Probation Services, Steinberg said.

“As the final defendant awaiting adjudication in this conspiracy, Blake Screen’s conviction represents a milestone in this investigation,” Steinberg stated. “The investigators and prosecutors performed outstanding work in removing this drug trafficking operation from our community and holding the conspirators accountable.”

In total, 76 defendants were indicted in Operation Ghost Busted, a drug conspiracy that officials say operated in and out of state prison facilities, coordinated by members of the white supremacist street gang, the Ghostface Gangsters.

Of the other 75 original defendants, 70 have been sentenced to prison terms, some facing as much as life in prison after pleading guilty. Four are awaiting sentencing and one defendant died while awaiting trial.