11 men sentenced in metro Atlanta area drug trafficking operation, justice officials say

WSBTV.com News Staff
·4 min read

According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia, 11 men were sentenced for their involvement in a metro Atlanta area drug trafficking organization.

The U.S. Department of Justice said all 11 were involved in a drug organization that took the work of federal, state and local law enforcement to stop it, following an investigation by the various agencies.

As a result, Abdul Jamal Ali, Norian Anderson, Kasman Cox, Mark Antonio Goines, Alonzo Heard, Michael Mack, Tremaine Malcom, Hassan Pope, Roger Solario, Joseph Strickland and Renardo Thomas will all serve time in federal prison.

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U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan said the enforcement action by the agencies began after an investigation in 2020 when Drug Enforcement Administration special agents and members of the Atlanta-Carolinas High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area task force “identified a prolific drug trafficker in Atlanta, Hassan Pope.”

Pope, of College Park, was reportedly coordinating multiple narcotics transactions around his home in the city and maintained a drug stash apartment in east Atlanta.

During their investigation, Buchanan said many of Pope’s associates were identified and agents obtained evidence showing hundreds of kilograms of cocaine, heroin and methamphetamine were being trafficked in the metro area.

Agents also learned that several of the now-sentenced individuals were helping Pope in distributing the drugs around the metro area. The others named in the case were said to be working with or connected to Pope.

“Federal, state, and local law enforcement investigators obtained and executed multiple search warrants at locations utilized by the group’s drug trafficking organization and seized distribution quantities of drugs, hundreds of thousands of dollars of drug proceeds, firearms, vehicles, and other property used in the commission, or purchased with the proceeds, of the offenses,” USDOJ said.

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“Through our partnership with federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies, we have successfully disrupted this organization’s supply chain, prosecuted the distributors and suppliers of these dangerous drugs, and sent a strong message to others involved in polluting our communities with these illegal substances,” Buchanan said in a statement.

The USAO said the defendants face the following sentences, after each pled guilty to drug trafficking and/or firearms offenses:

  • Abdul Jamal Ali, 41, of Decatur, Georgia, pleaded guilty to a drug trafficking conspiracy charge and received a sentence of nine years in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release;

  • Norian Anderson, a.k.a. “Knot,” 50, of Jonesboro, Georgia, pleaded guilty to a drug trafficking conspiracy charge and received a sentence of four years, eight months in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release;

  • Kasman Cox, a.k.a. “Cat” and “Tamario Davis,” 44, of Fayetteville, Georgia, pleaded guilty to a drug trafficking conspiracy charge and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime and received a sentence of 10 years in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release;

  • Mark Antonio Goines, a.k.a. “Luckie,” 43, of Hampton, Georgia, pleaded guilty to a drug trafficking conspiracy charge and received a sentence of five years in prison to be followed by four years of supervised release;

  • Alonzo Heard, a.k.a. “Pee-Wee,” 51, of Atlanta, Georgia, pleaded guilty to a drug trafficking conspiracy charge and received a sentence of eight years, three months in prison, to be followed by eight years of supervised release;

  • Michael Mack, a.k.a. “Stank,” 49, of Atlanta, Georgia, pleaded guilty to a drug trafficking conspiracy charge and received a sentence of one year and one day in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release;

  • Tremaine Malcom, a.k.a. “Twin,” 34, of Atlanta, Georgia, pleaded guilty to a drug trafficking conspiracy charge and received a sentence of four years, 10 months in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release;

  • Hassan Pope, a.k.a. “Ali,” “Hot,” and “Tyrone Dunn,” 46, of College Park, Georgia, pleaded guilty to a drug trafficking conspiracy charge and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime and received a sentence of 15 years in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release;

  • Roger Solario, 29, of Marietta, Georgia, pleaded guilty to a drug trafficking conspiracy charge and received a sentence of five years, three months in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release;

  • Joseph Strickland, a.k.a. “Joe,” 45, of Decatur, Georgia, pleaded guilty to a drug trafficking conspiracy charge and received a sentence of eight years, four months in prison, to be followed by four years of supervised release; and

  • Renardo Thomas, a.k.a. “Donald Garwood,” 44, of Fairburn, Georgia, pleaded guilty to a drug trafficking conspiracy charge and received a sentence of six years in prison, to be followed by four years of supervised release.

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