BRUNSWICK, GA. — A Florida man convicted of distributing fentanyl as a part of ‘Operation Ghost Busted’ has been sentenced to federal prison.
>>> STREAM ACTION NEWS JAX LIVE <<<
[DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks]
Larry B Taylor, of Jacksonville FL, was one of the 76 defendants indicted as a part of ‘Operation Ghost Busted’, and was sentenced to 15 years in prison after pleading guilty to Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and to Distribute a Quantity of Fentanyl. He was also ordered an additional 3 years of supervised release upon his sentence ending.
Taylor was the primary source of fentanyl throughout the Operation, distributing more than 3 kilograms - enough to kill the entire population of Brunswick.
“It’s a remarkable illustration of the toll of death and destruction from Larry Taylor’s drug-dealing that overdoses in the Brunswick area plummeted after he and his co-conspirators were taken into custody in January 2023,” said U.S. Attorney Jill Steinberg. “The investigation and prosecution in Operation Ghost Busted not only holds criminal behavior accountable – it also demonstrably saves lives.”
Of the 76 original defendants in ‘Operation Ghost Busted’, 73 have been sentenced to prison terms of as much as life in prison after pleading guilty. Two are awaiting sentencing after pleading guilty, including David D. Young. Young was a fugitive until his March capture in Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico, a month after the case was featured on “America’s Most Wanted.” Another defendant died while awaiting trial.
All defendants in ‘Operation Ghost Busted’ have a history of illegal drug use, including several who survived repeat overdoses
The investigation into this operation dates back to 2020 when investigators from the FBI Coastal Georgia Violent Gang Task Force, the Glynn County Police Department, the Brunswick Police Department, the Glynn County Sheriff’s Office, and the Camden County Sheriff’s Office took into account the increased amount of deaths due to drug overdose.
Through their investigation, they were able to identify a sprawling drug trafficking network in coastal and south Georgia and reach into Mexican cartels.
Traffickers operated inside and outside Georgia prisons, as corrupt prison guards coordinated with members of the violent Ghost Face Gangsters and affiliates of other gangs including the Aryan Brotherhood, Surenos, Bloods, and Gangster Disciples.
[SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter]
Click here to download the free Action News Jax news and weather apps, click here to download the Action News Jax Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Action News Jax live.
