Appling County man sentenced to federal prison for methamphetamine trafficking

BRUNSWICK, GA:  An Appling County man has been sentenced to federal prison after pleading guilty to trafficking methamphetamine.

Christopher Eric Stone, 40, of Baxley, Ga., was sentenced to 68 months in prison after pleading guilty to Possession of Methamphetamine with Intent to Distribute, said Jill E. Steinberg, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. U.S. District Court Judge Lisa Godbey Wood also ordered Stone to serve three years of supervised release upon completion of his prison sentence.

There is no parole in the federal system.

“Christopher Stone has a substantial history of arrests and convictions in Appling County, dating back more than two decades,” said U.S. Attorney Steinberg. “Significant time behind bars will provide the community with a measure of relief from his serial criminality.”

As described in court documents and testimony, deputies from the Appling County Sheriff’s Office found Stone in possession of methamphetamine during a traffic stop and then, while he was on bond on state charges, again found him in possession of methamphetamine during another traffic arrest.

Stone has a long history of criminal convictions for charges including drug trafficking and domestic violence, primarily in the Baxley area.

“As Sheriff of Appling County, I am very thankful to our federal partners at the DEA and the U.S. Attorney’s Office,” said Appling County Sheriff Mark Melton. “The sanctions we see through this partnership make a statement that we are not going to tolerate drug dealers and if they choose to do so here, there will be severe repercussions.” 

“The investigation and subsequent conviction of this criminal drug dealer demonstrates the DEA’s commitment to fight the drug traffickers who have no regard for the citizens of our community,” said Robert J. Murphy, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Atlanta Division.

The case was investigated by the Appling County Sheriff’s Office and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, and prosecuted for the United States by Southern District of Georgia Assistant U.S. Attorney Bradley R. Thompson.