VALDOSTA —
A Ray City man was sentenced Tuesday in federal court to life imprisonment for his role in a drug ring that distributed more than 400 kilograms of cocaine, according to court officials.
Martin “Gator” Tillman, 41, faced a minimum of 20 years imprisonment to life in prison due to his previous conviction on drug distribution charges, said United States Attorney Michael J. Moore of the Middle District of Georgia.
A jury found Tillman guilty of conspiracy to possess cocaine with the intent to distribute during his April 13 2012, trial, according to court records.
Federal prosecutors presented evidence that Tillman and his co-conspirators were responsible for the distribution of more than 400 kilograms of cocaine, Moore said.
“The sentence in this case is the ultimate deterrent, because there is no parole in the federal system,” said Moore. “This is a true life sentence, and this defendant will not have the opportunity to sell illegal drugs again.”
U.S. District Judge Hugh Lawson issued the sentence in the Valdosta courtroom of the Middle District of Georgia.
Tillman had been a part of what investigators called the “Camon Drug Trafficking Organization.” The organization reportedly managed a cocaine-trafficking operation in Georgia, Florida and Texas.
Isaac Lee Camon, the organization’s reported head, was sentenced to 15 years imprisonment last July in Tampa, Fla., after signing a plea agreement with prosecutors.
Camon was apprehended at his Lanier County home in July 2011 as investigators from the newly formed Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force surrounded the residence.
Lanier County Sheriff Nick Norton said this investigation led to the formation the task force.
Norton said the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force includes investigators from the Federal Bureau of Investigations, Lanier County Sheriff’s Office, Lowndes County Sheriff’s Office, Valdosta Police Department, Moultrie Police Department, Colquitt County Sheriff’s Office, the FBI Gang Task Force and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.
“Asking for help is sometimes hard to do, but it was the right call,” said Norton. “This is an example of what we can accomplish when we work together. My thanks go out to the FBI, U.S. Attorney Michael Moore and his staff, and all of those who continue to stand with us.”
The Tillman case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Leah E. McEwen.
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