SAVANNAH, GA: The latest verdict in a major methamphetamine trafficking operation signals the end of a prosecution that has sent nearly three dozen defendants to jail after pleading guilty.
Kristin Sheppard, a/k/a “Kristin Shine”, a/k/a “K Shine”, 32, of Savannah, was sentenced to 111 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release after committing herself to the “Conspiracy to Possess with Intent” pleaded guilty to distributing and distributing 5 grams or more of methamphetamine, said David H. Estes, US Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia.
Prior to Sheppard’s sentencing, Michael Brandon Sharpe, 46, of Pembroke, Georgia, was sentenced to 210 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release after previously pleading guilty to possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and possession had confessed a firearm by a convicted felon, while William Hamilton, a/k/a “Hambone”, 42, of Guyton, Georgia, was sentenced to 126 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release after previously pleading guilty to conspiracy known to have possession with intent to distribute and distribute 5 grams or more of methamphetamine.
There is no probation in the federal system.
“Our law enforcement partners built Operation Stranded Bandit based on previous investigations that dismantled a network of drug traffickers operating inside and outside of prisons to bring large quantities of methamphetamine to the Georgia coast,” said US Attorney Estes . “Getting armed drug dealers off our streets, particularly those with gang affiliations, is an essential part of protecting our communities from violent crime.”
Sheppard, Sharpe and Hamilton are among 35 defendants in USA v. Baker et. al, dubbed Operation Stranded Bandit. The indictment, released in December 2020, details an investigation that emerged from other major criminal drug trafficking investigations linked to Operation Vanilla Gorilla and Operation Who’s Laughing Now and targeted conspiracies to import illegal drugs from Mexico and their Route through Atlanta and into the greater Savannah area has developed. Investigations and prosecutions, coordinated by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF), revealed that several criminal street gangs, including the Ghost Face Gangsters, worked together inside and outside prisons, using contraband cellphones to facilitate transportation, delivery and to arrange the distribution of drugs coastal Georgia.
Sheppard and Sharpe admitted to serving as methamphetamine couriers and dealers, while Hamilton served as an armed bodyguard for other drug couriers. All three defendants have multiple prior convictions for drug-related offences.
Of the 35 suspects in Operation Stranded Bandit, 34 pleaded guilty and received sentences of up to 292 months in prison, while one defendant’s case was transferred to state court.
“This case shut down a significant methamphetamine distribution network operating in and around Savannah,” said Beau Kolodka, deputy special agent in charge of the Atlanta field office of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). “Citizens of Savannah are undoubtedly safer as a result of this law enforcement. I applaud the thorough investigation conducted by our federal, state and local partners that resulted in 35 convictions and lengthy prison terms in this case.”
“The DEA’s involvement in the dismantling of this notoriously violent gang group is an excellent example of how partnerships with federal, state and local law enforcement agencies are working together to combat, combat and eliminate drug trafficking,” said Robert J. Murphy, Special Agent in Charge of the US Drug Atlanta Field Division of the Enforcement Administration. “The agents have left no stone unturned and followed every lead to ensure these criminals are brought to justice.”
“Illegal drugs and criminal street gangs have no place in Georgia,” said Mike Register, director of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation. “These defendants were part of a criminal enterprise that has threatened the safety of communities for years. We will continue to work diligently with our local and federal partners to investigate and dismantle drug trafficking organizations and criminal street gangs.”
The case was investigated by agencies including the ATF, DEA, GBI and the Savannah-Chatham Counter Narcotics Team, Jones County Sheriff’s Office, Bryan County Sheriff’s Office, Effingham County Sheriff’s Office and the Richmond Hill Police Department. and prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorneys E. Greg Gilluly Jr. and Jennifer J. Kirkland.