Fitzgerald man, Billy Ray Stafford, pleas guilty to possession and distribution of meth
Billy Ray Stafford, 37, enters a guilty plea before U.S. District Judge Leslie J. Abrams earlier this week
File Photo
From Staff Reports
ALBANY — A Fitzgerald man just released from prison after serving 10 years for manslaughter pled guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine in federal court in Albany on Monday, Charlie Peeler, the United States Attorney for the Middle District of Georgia, said.
Billy Ray Stafford, 37, entered the guilty plea before U.S. District Judge Leslie J. Abrams. Peeler said the offense carries a maximum possible sentence of 20 years imprisonment and a fine of up to $1 million.
A sentencing date has not yet been set in the case.
The plea agreement said investigators with the Ben Hill County Sheriff’s Office received information from a confidential informant about Stafford selling meth and marijuana from The Garden Inn Motel in Fitzgerald. On Feb. 9, the informant purchased $50 worth of meth from Stafford inside the motel room.
Later that day, agents executed a search warrant for that same room. Stafford exited the room in possession of a bag he attempted to hide in some brush outside the motel, which was caught on motel surveillance video.
Court officials said agents recovered the bag and found about $3,300 cash, including money given to the informant for the earlier buy, and multiple bags of meth and marijuana. A Georgia Bureau of Investigation forensic chemist tested the meth, finding that it weighed 25.9 grams and contained 71.5 percent pure meth.
Later, Stafford told investigators in a video-recorded statement that he had recently been released from prison after serving 10 years on a manslaughter conviction. He said working conditions at his former employer were bad and the pay was low, so he quit to make money selling meth.
“Our citizens expect people to make an honest living. Trying to make quick money selling meth on our streets goes against the values of our citizens,” Peeler said. “This kind of illegal drug trafficking is costing our communities too much, with people paying the ultimate price with their lives.
“We pledge to stand with our law enforcement colleagues within the Ben Hill County Sheriff’s Office and across the state as we continue to fight illegal meth distribution.”
The case was investigated by the Ben Hill County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Leah E. McEwen prosecuted the case for the federal government.
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