A Catoosa County jury delivered a decisive verdict, finding 25-year-old Kaleb Cooks of Chatsworth guilty on all counts related to a December 2023 incident involving deadly fentanyl, cocaine, and impaired driving. The conviction, announced by the Office of the District Attorney for the Lookout Mountain Judicial Circuit, marks a significant victory in the region’s battle against the opioid crisis.

Cooks faced charges of Trafficking in Fentanyl, Possession of Drug-Related Objects, and Driving Under the Influence (DUI). The case stems from an incident on December 7, 2023, when Catoosa County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to reports of a suspicious vehicle with an occupant possibly needing assistance. Upon arrival, deputies observed Cooks, the driver, exhibiting clear signs of impairment.

During the initial investigation, a deputy noticed a substantial quantity of suspected fentanyl and cocaine in Cooks’ lap. Court documents state Cooks attempted to conceal the drugs. Further observation and field sobriety tests confirmed impairment, leading to his arrest for DUI. A subsequent search yielded additional fentanyl, cocaine, and paraphernalia used in drug distribution.

At sentencing today, Cooks received a total sentence of 30 years, with five years to be served in the Georgia Department of Corrections. The remaining 25 years are suspended, contingent upon successful probation. However, the District Attorney’s Office expressed strong dissatisfaction with the sentence length. Prosecutors had vigorously argued for a significantly longer active prison term, citing the extreme lethality of fentanyl and Georgia’s devastating overdose statistics.

“Fentanyl is a killer, and those who traffic it will face the full weight of justice,” declared Lookout Mountain Judicial Circuit District Attorney Clayton M. Fuller in a statement following the sentencing. “We asked the court for a far longer sentence because Georgia is losing too many lives – 2,183 Georgians died from drug overdoses in the 12-month period ending July 2024 – and we will use every lawful tool to stop the traffickers who profit from that devastation.”

DA Fuller emphasized his office’s unwavering stance: “Under my leadership, this Circuit will be the toughest in Georgia on fentanyl trafficking. I need the media to highlight this to our community—if you traffic poison here: we are coming after you, we will find you, and we won’t stop until you’re in prison.”

Assistant District Attorney Melissa Pittman successfully prosecuted the case before Superior Court Judge Brian House. She presented compelling evidence, including:

Testimony from the citizen who made the initial 911 call reporting the suspicious vehicle.
Body-worn camera footage from responding deputies documenting Cooks’ impairment and the discovery of drugs.
Forensic laboratory analysis confirming the seized substances as fentanyl and cocaine, with the fentanyl quantity exceeding state trafficking thresholds.
Detailed testimony regarding Cooks’ impaired driving and failure of field sobriety tests.

This conviction adds to a growing list of fentanyl-related successes for the Lookout Mountain Judicial Circuit under DA Fuller’s tenure. It follows the February 2025 guilty plea of a Ringgold man who admitted to trafficking fentanyl sourced from Chattanooga, Tennessee.

The case underscores the persistent and deadly threat posed by illicit fentanyl, a synthetic opioid responsible for the majority of overdose deaths nationwide and in Georgia. Authorities continue to urge residents to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activity related to drug trafficking to local law enforcement immediately.

“With every case like this, we remove a direct threat from our streets,” DA Fuller stated. “But the fight is far from over. We are committed to holding every trafficker accountable for fueling this epidemic that is destroying families across our community and our state.”