Tift County Meth Trafficking Ringleader Sentenced to Prison

ALBANY, Ga. - The last member of a Tift County, Georgia, drug trafficking ring, who helped orchestrate the operation from behind prison bars which authorities estimate distributed hundreds of kilograms of methamphetamine and cocaine, has been sentenced to serve more than 13 years in federal prison.

Juan Carlos Popoca, 38, of Tifton, was sentenced to serve 165 months in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release by Senior U.S. District Judge W. Louis Sands on March 19. Popoca pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine on Dec. 17, 2025.

"Those who traffic deadly and addictive drugs in the Middle District of Georgia, especially from behind bars, will face swift and severe federal consequences," said U.S. Attorney William R. "Will" Keyes. "We are partnering with law enforcement at every level to pursue, prosecute and remove the most dangerous offenders from our communities."

"Even from behind bars, criminal activity will not go unchecked," said GBI Director Chris Hosey. "This investigation reflects the strength of collaboration between our agents and local partners to identify, disrupt and dismantle drug trafficking operations. The GBI remains committed to protecting Georgia communities by holding offenders accountable at every level."

Popoca's co-conspirators, all of Tifton, pleaded guilty and were sentenced to prison:

Haley Maria Sumner, 34, was sentenced to serve 78 months in prison on Jan. 29, 2026, after she pleaded guilty to one count of distribution of methamphetamine;

Jerri Jo Austin, 54, was sentenced to serve 36 months in prison on July 31, 2025, after she pleaded guilty to one count of distribution of methamphetamine; and Susan Nichole Lopez, 31, was sentenced to serve 30 months in prison on Dec. 14, 2025, after she pleaded guilty to one count of distribution of methamphetamine.

There is no parole in the federal system.

According to court documents and statements referenced in court, Georgia Bureau of Investigation Southwestern Regional Drug Enforcement Office agents received information from a confidential source in 2021 that Austin was distributing methamphetamine in Tift County, Georgia. During the investigation, agents learned that Popoca, Sumner and Lopez were working with Austin to distribute methamphetamine, and that Popoca was an inmate at a Georgia prison.

Working undercover, a GBI agent contacted Popoca in April 2022 to purchase methamphetamine. Popoca directed the agent to Austin, who he referred to as his "aunt." As a result, the agent purchased methamphetamine from Austin on April 11, 2022. During this interaction, Austin asked the undercover agent if he could fly a drone to drop drugs into the prison where Popoca was incarcerated. Several additional controlled purchases were made at Popoca's direction, sometimes involving the other co-conspirators, at various locations in Tift County. Popoca shifted his communications to Telegram, an encrypted instant messaging app. Agents organized the final controlled purchase of heroin on June 24, 2022, taking Lopez into custody at a gas station in Tift County. Agents estimate the organization is responsible for distributing 180 kilograms of methamphetamine, 60 kilograms of cocaine and 1,300 pounds of marijuana in Tift County.

This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.

The GBI Southwestern Regional Drug Enforcement Office investigated the case with valuable assistance from the Tift County Sheriff's Office.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Sonja Profit prosecuted the case for the Government.