According to the Department of Justice, eleven individuals have admitted their involvement in a drug trafficking scheme that aimed to distribute drugs in Middle Tennessee. The guilty pleas were made as part of a larger conspiracy case.
According to court documents, federal agents were conducting an investigation into the distribution of methamphetamine, marijuana, and counterfeit Oxycodone tablets laced with fentanyl marked with the inscription “M30”. The illegal distribution was being carried out from Santa Rosa, California, to Tennessee, as well as several other states across the country.
After conducting surveillance and reviewing social media sites and mobile payment records, agents successfully identified the suspects. Following this, law enforcement officers in Columbia, Tennessee executed several search warrants at the defendants’ homes. The officers were able to recover loaded firearms and blue tablets inscribed with the label “M30.”
In July 2022, authorities in California intercepted a package headed for Nashville. The package contained over 2 kilograms of Oxycodone “M30” tablets, which were laced with counterfeit fentanyl. Along with the tablets, the package also contained more than 8 pounds of methamphetamine.
Agents discovered two additional packages from Santa Rosa in August 2022, both headed for Nashville. One package contained “M30” tablets while the other carried approximately four pounds of meth.
Those who admitted their guilt are as follows:
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- Davontay Holt, 30, of Columbia, Tennessee, pled guilty on April 8, 2024
- Ricardo Molinero-Alcarez, 29, of Santa Rosa, California, pled guilty on April 9, 2024
- Khyre McClain, 21, of Columbia, Tennessee, pled guilty on May 17, 2024
- Marcus Johnson, 26, of Santa Rosa, California, pled guilty on May 29, 2024
- Ethan Kimes, 22, of Columbia, Tennessee, pled guilty on May 29, 2024
- Jahari Armstrong, 22, of Columbia, Tennessee, pled guilty on May 29, 2024
- Jaydan Armstrong, 22, of Columbia, Tennessee, pled guilty on May 29, 2024
- Mathew Cox, 28, of Santa Rosa, California, pled guilty on June 7, 2024
- Tristain Orr, 24, of Columbia, Tennessee, pled guilty on June 17, 2024
- Jonny Rodriguez-Gonzalez, 25, Elmira, California, pled guilty on June 17, 2024
- Quortez Duncan, 36, of Columbia, Tennessee, pled guilty on June 18, 2024
According to the Department of Justice (DOJ), United States District Judge Waverly D. Crenshaw, Jr. will be sentencing the defendants in Spring 2025. Cox, Johnson, Molinero-Alcarez, McClain, Rodriguez-Gonzalez, and Duncan could potentially face life imprisonment and a fine of up to $10 million. Meanwhile, Holt, Orr, Kimes, Jahari Armstrong, and Jaydan Armstrong may face a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison along with a fine of up to $1 million.
