Last Defendant in Augusta Drug Trafficking Ring Found Guilty, Faces Life Sentence

In a conclusive judgment by a federal jury, Donnie Skillman, the last of ten defendants in a drug trafficking scheme in the Augusta region, was pronounced guilty. Skillman now faces the prospect of life in federal prison, as stated by Jill E. Steinberg, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. The conviction, which includes charges of methamphetamine-trafficking and firearms possession, marks a bookend to the case against the network, which distributed meth throughout Augusta, according to

the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

During the two-day trial, jurors found Skillman guilty on multiple counts: Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine, Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime, and Possession of a Firearm with an Obliterated Serial Number. The indictment in the case, USA v. Walters et al., was unsealed in December 2023, revealing a significant operation, with the other nine defendants already serving federal prison time for related conspiracy charges. These sentences range from just over three years to over 15 years in prison, and upon completion of a presentence investigation by the U.S. Probation Services, U.S. District Court Judge J. Randal Hall will schedule sentencing for Skillman.

The names of the defendants and their respective sentences highlight the scope of the network. Edward Jake Walters, Phillip Smith, and Dustin Bayles, among others, all received substantial prison terms for their roles in the trafficking operation. Three of the defendants, Smith, Brian Hilliard, and Gary Holcomb, also pled guilty to charges related to firearms possession. These details were released as part of the case’s conclusion presented by the

U.S. Attorney’s Office

.

Efforts to crack down on such criminal enterprises involve extensive collaboration between law enforcement agencies. The Drug Enforcement Administration’s Robert J. Murphy highlighted the effort, saying, “This verdict demonstrates DEA’s emphatic commitment to dismantling these dangerous drug trafficking organizations.” Similarly, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation lauded the conviction as a demonstration of their commitment to disrupting criminal activities that compromise community safety. The conviction emerged from a cooperative investigation under the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and the Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhoods, as mentioned by the

U.S. Attorney’s Office

.

This concerted takedown of the local drug trafficking operation emphasizes the judicial system’s concerted effort against those fueling the cycle of addiction and violence. The case was a shared undertaking, with agencies including the DEA, ATF, GBI, and several county sheriff’s offices working closely to reach the conclusion of this significant operation. The successful prosecution sends a stringent message against illegal distribution networks, aligning with public safety priorities according to the contributing law enforcement agencies.

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