Violent felon convicted of running drug distribution and money laundering operation from state prison

ATLANTA - After a five-day trial, Jarvis Matthews was convicted for his role in leading a multi-million-dollar drug trafficking and money laundering operation from the confines of Calhoun State Prison. A jury found Matthews guilty of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine, heroin, and fentanyl, five counts of possession with intent to distribute controlled substances, and conspiracy to commit money laundering. At the time of his federal crimes, Matthews was serving sentences of life without parole for murder and felony murder.

"Matthews audaciously used contraband cell phones to run a drug trafficking operation from his state prison cell," said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. "Now, as a result of a diligent federal investigation and close coordination with state and local partners, this convicted murderer faces a substantial sentence in federal prison on top of his state sentence."

"Jarvis Matthews used the confines of a prison cell to orchestrate a multi-million-dollar drug trafficking and money laundering operation, exploiting his family and the prison system to further his criminal enterprise," said Paul Brown, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. "This case underscores the FBI's commitment to dismantling transnational criminal organizations and holding accountable those who think they can operate beyond the reach of the law."

According to U.S. Attorney Hertzberg, the charges, and other information presented in court: While imprisoned at Georgia Department of Corrections facilities, Jarvis Matthews used contraband cellphones to direct the distribution of drugs in and around Atlanta. Matthews used his fiancée, girlfriends, nephew, and his own two adult sons to distribute drugs and collect and launder money.

In early 2022, FBI agents identified a social media account that Matthews used to conduct dozens of drug deals. Agents made a controlled purchase of two kilograms of methamphetamine from Matthews in April 2022, through his adult son, Charvis Harris, who previously pleaded guilty in federal court to conspiracy to possess controlled substances with intent to distribute. Ultimately, the FBI obtained a court-authorized wiretap on Matthews's phone and installed a camera at one of his drug trap houses. With these tools, the FBI was able to apprehend Matthews's drug customers after they received drugs from Matthews's sons. Testimony at trial showed that Matthews masterminded the distribution of multiple kilograms of internationally-sourced drugs in the metro-Atlanta area and laundered hundreds of thousands of dollars of drug proceeds.

Jarvis Matthews, 46, of Morgan, Georgia, faces a mandatory minimum 25 years in federal prison, to run consecutively to the state prison sentence he is already serving. In determining the actual sentence, the Court will consider the United States Sentencing Guidelines, which are not binding but provide appropriate sentencing ranges for most offenders. The sentencing hearing has not yet been scheduled.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with assistance from the Georgia Department of Corrections, Georgia State Patrol, Coweta County Sheriff's Office, Dooly County Sheriff's Office, Etowah County (Alabama) Sheriff's Office, Fayetteville Police Department, Newton County Sheriff's Office, Marshall County (Alabama) Drug Task Force, and U.S. Postal Inspection Service.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Johnny Baer and John DeGenova are prosecuting the case.

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. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department's Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhoods.

This prosecution is also part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. The Atlanta Wilhelm HSTF comprises agents and officers from ATF, CGIS, DEA, FBI, ICE-HSI, IRS-CI, DOL-OIG, DSS, USMS, USPIS, and USSS, as well as numerous state and local agencies, with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Georgia.

For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney's Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Georgia is https://http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.