Longtime Fugitive Pleads Guilty to Drug Trafficking

STATESBORO, GA—JULIUS PINKSTON, 61, of Metter, Georgia, pleaded guilty on Thursday, July 21, 2011 before Judge B. Avant Edenfield in the United States District Court in Statesboro, Georgia to trafficking cocaine. Pinkston was the lead defendant in a 35-defendant indictment returned by the federal grand jury in 2006. Pinkston fled before the indictment was returned and remained a fugitive until early April, 2011 when he was arrested by deputies of the United States Marshals Service in Douglas, Georgia.

United States Attorney Edward Tarver said, “This defendant hid from federal authorities for years likely hoping to avoid responsibility for his criminal conduct. But for the perseverance and readiness of agents and prosecutors, this significant drug trafficker may have continued to menace the community and place additional lives in jeopardy.”

The charge against Pinkston resulted from a joint investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Georgia Bureau of Investigation, and Federal Bureau of Investigation. Pinkston faces a maximum penalty of up to 20 years’ imprisonment and a fine of up to $1,000,000. Pinkston remains in custody pending sentence, which will be held upon the completion of a pre-sentence investigation and report.

Mr. Tarver commended the hard work and dedication of Special Agent Stephen Tinsley and former Task Force Agent Kent Munsey of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Special Agent Kevin Waters of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, and Special Agent Marcus Kirkland of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, who led the investigation of this case. The indictment against Pinkston arose out of Operation Snakepit, a major drug investigation conducted under the auspices of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces.

Assistant United States Attorney Karl I. Knoche is prosecuting the case for the United States. For additional information, please contact First Assistant United States Attorney James D. Durham at (912) 201-2547.