Augusta Man Sentenced to Over 29 Years for Cocaine Trafficking

AUGUSTA, GA—Reginald Darrell Beale, 29, from Augusta, Georgia, was sentenced earlier this week by U.S. District Judge J. Randal Hall to 350 months in prison for his conviction on cocaine trafficking charges. After serving his prison sentence, Beale will be on federal supervised release for five years.

Evidence presented during the sentencing revealed that Beale was a leader of a drug organization that operated in the Dogwood Terrace public housing community which was responsible for distributing up to15 kilograms of cocaine in the Augusta area. Beale has a previous drug conviction arising from his drug trafficking in the same housing community several years earlier.

The case was investigated by the FBI’s Safe Streets Task Force, which consists of officers and agents from the FBI, the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office, the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, and the Georgia State Board of Pardons and Paroles. The Drug Enforcement Administration and the United States Marshals Service also participated in the investigation.

United States Attorney Edward J. Tarver stated, “Our public housing communities are a resource that provide safe, clean, affordable housing, not sanctuaries for those who traffic in illegal drugs and other criminal behavior. Operations like the Streets Task Force show law enforcement’s ability to apprehend those who prey on public housing communities.”

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Nancy Greenwood and Charlie Bourne. For additional information, please contact First Assistant United States Attorney James D. Durham at (912) 201-2547.