A California drug trafficker responsible for funneling massive amounts of deadly fentanyl and methamphetamine into communities across Northwest Georgia has been sentenced to nearly three decades in federal prison.

Wilfort Foster, III, 41, of El Monte, California, received a 28-year sentence after pleading guilty to federal narcotics and money laundering conspiracy charges. The sentencing was announced by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia.

Prosecutors revealed Foster led a sophisticated multi-state operation that, between 2017 and 2022, moved hundreds of kilograms of methamphetamine and significant quantities of fentanyl from California into Northwest Georgia communities, including Cartersville, Rockmart, and Rome.

Evidence presented in court detailed that Foster continued to run the extensive drug ring even while on probation for a prior drug case. He laundered more than $600,000 in drug proceeds through Georgia connections and enforced discipline within his network with violence, once breaking a co-defendant’s jaw over a debt.

“This sentence sends a strong message to anyone trafficking deadly drugs into North Georgia,” stated U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg, emphasizing the severe consequences for those who peddle illicit substances in the region. Hertzberg credited the crucial involvement of local law enforcement in Bartow and Polk counties for their role in dismantling Foster’s dangerous operation.

Several other members of Foster’s criminal enterprise have also faced prosecution. Cartersville resident Steven Ham was sentenced to 15 years in prison, while Rockmart resident Lori Silvers has pleaded guilty and is currently awaiting her sentencing.

The extensive investigation involved a collaborative effort between multiple federal and local agencies, including the FBI, DEA, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Bartow-Cartersville Drug Task Force, and various local police departments. The collaborative efforts led to significant seizures of drugs and cash, as well as more than a dozen firearms.

Following his prison term, Foster will serve an additional five years of supervised release.

This case is part of “Operation Take Back America,” a nationwide initiative by the Department of Justice designed to repel illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect communities from violent crime. The operation streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN) programs.