ALBANY, Ga. – Two Pelham residents found guilty by a jury on multiple drug related charges earlier this year were sentenced Tuesday by a federal judge, said U.S. Attorney Charles “Charlie” Peeler.

Thyrone Jones, 44, was convicted on eight counts of distribution of cocaine and one count of possession of cocaine with intent to distribute following a three-day trial that began on March 18.

His co-defendant, Kareda McGee, 31, was convicted on two counts of distribution of cocaine and one count of possession of cocaine with intent to distribute.

The jury deliberated for approximately 90 minutes before returning a guilty verdict on all charges.

Tuesday afternoon, Judge Leslie Gardner sentenced Jones to 240 months imprisonment plus nine years supervised release and McGee to 21months to serve consecutive to any probation revocation imposed by Mitchell County Superior Court for her 2015 conviction for possession of cocaine with intent to distribute.

Jones has a prior federal conviction for possession of cocaine with intent to distribute. There is no parole in the federal system.

According to the facts presented at trial, Jones sold various amounts of cocaine to confidential informants under surveillance on eight separate occasions from February 2018 to July 2018, all within Pelham city limits. McGee was involved in the illegal transactions during three of those sales. When a search warrant was executed in July 2018 at the residence shared by Jones and McGee, Pelham police found more than $15,000 in cash, quantities of cocaine and a set of digital scales, along with multiple text messages requesting illegal drugs.

“Today’s sentencing shows that drug dealers who continue to endanger the public will face serious federal prison time in Middle Georgia,” Peeler. “I want to commend the Pelham Police Department, and thank those officers for their commitment to making their hometown a safer place for people to live and work.”

The case was investigated by the Pelham Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Leah McEwen prosecuted the case for the government.