BRUNSWICK, GA: The leader of a multi-state methamphetamine trafficking ring will spend more than 23 years in prison after sentencing this week in federal court.

Susan “Ma” Anderson, 67, of Hortense, Ga., was sentenced Oct. 30 by United States District Court Judge Lisa Godbey Wood to 280 months in prison for conspiracy to distribute and possession of 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, said Bobby L. Christine, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. Anderson was the leader of a methamphetamine trafficking organization operating out of Wayne, Brantley, and Ware counties, along with other counties in north Georgia and north Florida. Anderson’s husband, Robert Ira “Pa” Anderson, 67, recently was sentenced to 120 months in prison for his role in the drug operation.

The Andersons were the last of 10 defendants sentenced to prison as part of a joint federal and state operation through the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) that targeted methamphetamine trafficking in Georgia and Florida.

Evidence presented during numerous hearings in the case revealed that Susan Anderson was the leader of an organization that distributed multi-kilogram quantities of methamphetamine throughout the Southern District of Georgia, the Northern District of Georgia, and the Northern District of Florida. During a search of the Andersons’ Hortense, Ga., home, about 35 miles from Brunswick, law enforcement authorities discovered Robert Anderson had built trap doors in the home’s floor that concealed kilograms of methamphetamine along with 10 firearms and thousands of dollars in cash.

“This case provides another example of outstanding results achieved through joint federal and state investigation and prosecution of drug traffickers,” said United States Attorney Bobby L. Christine. “Poison pushers in our community will be hunted until captured and placed in prison.”

Additional defendants previously convicted and sentenced for their role in the organization are:

Kenneth J. Williams, 56, of Hortense, sentenced to 94 months in prison;

Grover W. Herrin, 61, of Hoboken, Ga., sentenced to 90 months in prison;

Anthony Joseph Parse, 32, of Jesup, Ga., sentenced to 75 months in prison;

James Robbin Belch, 59, of Waycross, sentenced to 60 months in prison;

Charles W. Merkle, 42, of Waycross, sentenced to 36 months in prison;

Karen Moody, 49, of Nahunta, Ga, sentenced to 32 months in prison; and,

Lemuel Henderson, 49, of Hoboken, sentenced to 15 months in prison.

In addition, Bonny Wyers, 35, previously was sentenced to 180 months in prison by United States District Court Judge Robert L. Hinkle in the Northern District of Florida for conspiring with Susan Anderson to distribute methamphetamine. 

There is no parole in the federal prison system.

U.S. Attorney Christine commended the work of the agencies involved in the joint federal-state investigation, including the FBI, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the U.S. Marshal’s Service, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, the Georgia State Patrol, the Clayton County Sheriff’s Office, Lowndes County Sheriff’s Office, and the Bay County (Florida) Sheriff’s Office. 

Robert J. Murphy, the Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Field Division said, “All participating agencies played a crucial role in the eradication of this criminal network. Anderson’s methamphetamine trafficking activities posed a significant threat to the quality of life in Wayne, Brantley, and Ware counties and surrounding areas. The dismantling of this dangerous organization makes these communities safer today. I want to thank our federal, state and local law enforcement counterparts and the United States Attorney’s Office, who had a direct impact in making this investigation a success.”

“This is one more example of drug distribution networks operating in rural Georgia getting a wake-up call from state and federal agents who partnered with local law enforcement officials to address community concerns,” said Jamie Jones, Special Agent in Charge of the GBI’s Southeastern Drug Enforcement Office. “These investigations are conducted jointly across the state on a daily basis by men and women from various departments who are committed to disrupting the clear and present danger drug distribution networks pose to our fellow Georgians.”

Assistant United States Attorney Tania Groover prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.  For any questions, please contact Barry Paschal at the United States Attorney’s Office at (912) 652-4422.