A Milledgeville man who prosecutors say was the leader of a Middle Georgia drug ring that distributed more than five kilograms of meth pleaded guilty in federal court, along with 16 co-defendants.
The drug ring was based in Milledgeville and revolved around Jarvis Havior, 31, who was also known as “J Bo” while he dealt the drugs, according to a statement from the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Havior pleaded guilty Feb. 16. while 16 others admitted their part in the drug ring later, authorities said.
“…Law enforcement agents coordinated a successful take-down of a drug trafficking network pushing high volumes of methamphetamine into the Milledgeville area,” U.S. Attorney Peter Leary said. “Local, state and federal law enforcement are helping us hold those distributing large quantities of the most deadly and addictive illegal drugs accountable at the federal level.”
According to court documents, an investigation into the drug ring started in June of 2020 when the DEA, GBI and the Ocmulgee Drug Task Force got a tip about Havior’s operation. Agents located the “trap” houses Havior stored bulk drugs in, the statement said, and planned a seizure.
In 2021, agents tracked Havior as he drove to Stone Mountain to re-up his drug supply. They saw him buy drugs in a Publix parking lot, the meth packed into a bright green Publix bag, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Havior met with Anrico Taylor, 34, in Covington to give him the meth bag before the two traveled back to Milledgeville in separate cars.
When Havior and Taylor were pulled over in Baldwin County, Taylor tried to run from the cops with the drugs, spilling several small bags of meth on the ground before he was caught, the release said.
The meth in the not-so-unassuming Publix bag weighed in at about five kilos, including the drugs Taylor spilled on the ground.
Havior pleaded guilty to possession of meth with the intent to distribute and faces a minimum of 10 years in prison. He will be sentenced in May. Taylor and 15 other co-defendants pleaded guilty as well and will be sentenced later.
Three dealers in the ring, two from Milledgeville and another from Lilburn, are still wanted. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alex Kalim is prosecuting the case.