Former state Georgia prison guard pleads guilty, key defendant in ‘Operation Ghost Busted’
A former Georgia state prison guard is awaiting sentencing after pleading guilty to her role in a widespread drug trafficking conspiracy linked to a white supremacist street gang.
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Action News Jax has followed this story since arrests in this sweeping operation were made public in early 2023.
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Operation Ghost Busted, announced with the January (2023) unsealing of the indictment in USA v. Alvarez, et al., is an organized crime drug enforcement task force investigation. It is lead by the FBI Coastal Georgia Violent Gang Task Force, the Glynn County Police Department, the Brunswick Police Department, the Glynn County Sheriff’s Office, and the Camden County Sheriff’s Office.
The latest development in this story came from the United States Department of Justice in a press release published on Tues., Apr. 18. In it, “Desiree M. Briley, 26, McRae-Helena, Ga., is facing up to 20 years in prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute, and to distribute, methamphetamine,” Jill E. Steinberg, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia said in a statement.
Briley was a Georgia state corrections officer with the rank of sergeant when arrested as part of Operation Ghost Busted in January 2023.
Related Story: ‘Operation Ghost Busted:’ 8 people still wanted in Southeast Georgia drug trafficking bust, FBI says
“Desiree Briley played a key role in enabling members of the Ghost Face Gangsters to operate a massive drug trafficking operation inside and outside Georgia’s prison system,” U.S. Attorney Steinberg said. “Her actions compromised the security of the facility she was sworn to protect, and threatened the safety of every person in the community where this conspiracy distributed illegal drugs.”
Lasting for more than two-years, the investigation identified a sprawling drug trafficking network operating in South Georgia counties. These included; Glynn, Pierce, Camden, Wayne, Treutlen, McIntosh, Toombs, Telfair, Dodge, and Ware.
The conspiracy operated inside and outside state prison facilities with assistance from Briley. She worked with an inmate indicted as part of the conspiracy: James D. NeSmith, 25, who currently is serving a life sentence for murder at Telfair State Prison.
Including Briley and NeSmith, 76 total defendants were indicted on federal charges as part of Operation Ghost Busted.
Sentencing for Briley will be scheduled after competition of a pre-sentence investigation by U.S. Probation Services.
Related Story: ‘Operation Ghost Busted:’ 2 people still wanted in Southeast Georgia drug trafficking bust, FBI says
“This operation has dismantled a serious criminal enterprise which funneled guns and drugs into our communities,” ATF Assistant Special Agent in Charge Beau Kolodka said “ATF and its law enforcement partners acted quickly and judiciously on information developed during this long investigation. The safety of the public is at the core of ATF’s mission and we stand at the front line eradicating violent crime from our streets.”
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The case was investigated under the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force. Multiple state and federal agencies were involved in the investigation.
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