On March 5, 2018, law enforcement intercepted a shipment of 25 kilograms of cocaine that had been driven from Texas to a hotel in Richmond Hill, concealed inside a cargo trailer.
This week, Allen Grady, 43, of Port Wentworth, who laundered drug proceeds and helped distribute significant amounts of cocaine for a coastal Georgia drug trafficking organization has been sentenced to 20 years in federal prison, after pleading guilty, according to a press release from the Department of Justice.
There is no parole in the federal system.
With the March 2020 apprehension of Omar Griffin, 41, of Pooler, only two members of the alleged conspiracy are still being sought: Kia Hickman, 49, of Savannah, and Jamaal Singleton, 42, of Savannah. Individuals with information on their whereabouts can anonymously contact the Chatham-Savannah Counter Narcotics Team (CNT) at 912-652-3900, or Savannah Crime Stoppers at 912-234-2020.
The other 11 members of the conspiracy previously were sentenced to federal prison terms of up to 132 months.
Operation Snowplow was the largest single seizure of cocaine to date by CNT. According to court documents and testimony, Grady, who has three previous convictions on state charges of drug trafficking, laundered drug proceeds on behalf of the drug-trafficking organization, and participated in receiving and distributing kilogram-quantities of cocaine and other drugs from Texas and California in February and March 2018. The drugs were packaged in children’s toys and DVD players, concealed in cargo vans and truck trailers for shipment to Savannah, and distributed to mid-level dealers from several Savannah-area residences.
On that day in Richmond Hill, officers also seized more than $387,000 in cash that had been exchanged for the cocaine. After interdicting the drugs, law enforcement executed a number of search and arrest warrants. In total in this investigation, law enforcement seized approximately 35 kilograms of cocaine, more than 30 pounds of marijuana, approximately $900,000 in cash, nearly two dozen firearms (including semi-automatic rifles), and other narcotics.