ATLANTA — A ring of repeat drug traffickers who moved large amounts of cocaine through Atlanta have been sentenced, the Department of Justice said Thursday.
In addition to moving drugs throughout the city, they were also convicted of laundering criminal proceeds using a network of bank accounts, business entities and purchase of luxury cars, homes and jewelry, according to a statement. Members also obtained fraudulent loans from the Paycheck Protection Program and the COVID-19 Economic Injury Disaster Loan Program.
“This network of drug traffickers victimized our community in many ways, including by distributing dangerous drugs and exploiting the banking system and pandemic disaster funds while buying homes in our neighborhoods as a way to conceal their illegal profits,” U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan said. “Through a successful multi-year, cross-agency investigation and resulting seizure of assets, the main culprits will serve prison sentences and lose the spoils of their crimes.”
They say ring leader Tory Lenard Troup, a 52-year-old from Atlanta, was sentenced to eight years in prison followed by 15 years of supervised release and was ordered to forfeit two residential properties and more than $840,000.
Troup had previously pleaded guilty to charges of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine and conspiracy to commit money laundering on June 2, 2021.
This is Troup's third separate conviction for a federal drug trafficking charge. According to Buchanan, he was released from prison in 2007 for his second charge. A year later, Troup organized other previously convicted traffickers to form a new criminal operation. The group worked together to acquire cocaine from Colombia, the Bahamas and Texas and moved narcotics via private plane, car and UPS shipments to the Atlanta area.
“This sentencing deals a major blow to Troup’s drug trafficking organization, and is a major step in keeping drugs off the streets of metro Atlanta and elsewhere,” said Robert J. Murphy, the Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Field Division. “This criminal organization has reached its final chapter, as these defendants will now spend well-deserved time in prison.”
The DOJ says in addition to Troup, six other members of the operation were sentenced in the sting, with five of those members serving at least seven years in prison. The drug ring will forfeit over $3.9 million in illicit money.
The Drug Enforcement Administration and Department of Homeland Security were in charge of the operation, with valuable assistance provided by the Fulton County Sherriff's Department and APD, the statement says.
