GEORGIA (WALB) — A father and son from Southwest Georgia have been sentenced to federal prison for their roles in a transnational drug ring that imported fentanyl and synthetic cannabinoids from China and smuggled them into prisons nationwide.

Andreaus Benard Oliver Jr., 27, of Cordele, was sentenced to 14 years (168 months) in federal prison followed by three years of supervised release after pleading guilty to conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance. His sentence will run consecutively to an undischarged state sentence in Crisp County for a probation violation.

His father, 43-year-old Andreaus Benard Oliver Sr., also of Cordele, received more than 17 years (210 months) in prison on Sept. 2. Authorities said Oliver Sr. helped orchestrate the drug ring while incarcerated at the Macon Transitional Center, located on the campus of Macon State Prison.

Two other co-conspirators have also been sentenced in federal court:

• Devito Duran Young, 45, an inmate at Macon State Prison, was sentenced to more than 27 years (327 months) in prison. Prosecutors said Young coordinated drug purchases using encrypted apps on a contraband cellphone and directed shipments to customer addresses.
• Trace Davrin Works, 29, of Mableton, was sentenced to nearly 22 years (262 months) for acquiring and distributing fentanyl on Young’s behalf.

According to federal investigators, the organization acquired synthetic cannabinoids and fentanyl from suppliers in China beginning in 2023, paying for the illicit substances using cryptocurrency.

Shipments arrived at Oliver Jr.’s home on 4th Avenue in Cordele, which acted as a conversion lab. During a July 2024 search warrant, federal agents found more than 175 metal pans, bottles of liquid cannabinoids, and more than 350 dried sheets of paper soaked in the chemicals. Investigators also seized return address labels masquerading as legal mail from attorneys, along with shipping labels addressed to inmates at jails and prisons across the country.

In total, the ring was held responsible for moving 2,610 fentanyl pills and more than 5,502 grams of synthetic cannabinoids. Authorities also seized and forfeited $170,000 in cryptocurrency.

Two Chinese suppliers — Xin Wang, 28, and Gao Yong, 29 — were indicted by a federal grand jury in May 2025 and remain at large.

The case was investigated by the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF), the FBI, and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, with assistance from the Georgia Bureau of Investigation and the Georgia Department of Corrections.

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