A dozen people – including a Baldwin man and Cleveland woman – involved in an alleged methamphetamine ring have been arrested by federal authorities who say they also seized 3,200 kilos of meth hidden in boxes of jalapeños imported from Mexico.
The following have pleaded guilty and will be sentenced on Jan. 12, 2026:
James Len Ramey, 53, of Comer
Kendell Cawthon, 60, of Baldwin
Bonterris Turner, 45, of Athens
Demetrius Appling, 38, of Crawford
Yirla Adame Gomez, 25, of Mexico
Rafael Gomez Flores, 22, of Mexico
Andrea Robinson, 42, of Cleveland
The following has pleaded guilty and will be sentenced on Feb. 11, 2026:
Yuretzi Adame Gomez, 40, of Mexico
The following have pleaded guilty and have been sentenced:
Christopher Hyatt, 46, of LaGrange
Uriel Garcia, 34, of Mexico
Jared Kenyatta Calhoun, 33, of Birmingham, Alabama
Ebony Jones-Tate, 33, of Birmingham, Alabama
According to court documents and statements referenced in court, the investigation began when the FBI in Athens received information in January 2024 that Ramey was selling kilogram amounts of methamphetamine from Rapid Lube in Athens, where he worked. The FBI investigation revealed that Ramey was supplied with drugs by individuals operating a methamphetamine conversion lab inside a residence on Mountain Creek Church Road in Monroe, Georgia (Walton County).
After a six-month investigation, which included undercover surveillance, authorities began rounding up the suspects.
More information on the investigation including the charges facing each of the defendants can be found here: