A Florida man who flooded a south Georgia community with enough fentanyl to kill its entire population has been sentenced to 15 years in federal prison.
Larry B. Taylor, 59, of Jacksonville, Florida, was a key player in a massive drug trafficking operation known as “Operation Ghost Busted.” This operation, which resulted in the indictment of 76 individuals, targeted a network distributing vast quantities of methamphetamine, fentanyl, heroin, and alprazolam in the Glynn County area.
READ: “Snarky” Lawyer’s Boast Backfires: Florida Man Rearrested On Polk County Murder Charge
Taylor pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and to Distribute a Quantity of Fentanyl and was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Lisa Godbey Wood to 180 months in prison. He will also serve three years of supervised release following his prison term.
“It’s a remarkable illustration of the toll of death and destruction from Larry Taylor’s drug-dealing that overdoses in the Brunswick area plummeted after he and his co-conspirators were taken into custody in January 2023,” said U.S. Attorney Steinberg. “The investigation and prosecution in Operation Ghost Busted not only holds criminal behavior accountable – it also demonstrably saves lives.”
Operation Ghost Busted: Dismantling a Deadly Network
Operation Ghost Busted, so named for the involvement of the Ghost Face Gangsters and other criminal street gangs, was launched in response to a surge in drug overdoses and deaths in Glynn County in 2020. The investigation, a collaborative effort by multiple agencies, uncovered a sprawling drug trafficking network with ties to Mexican cartels.
Taylor played a central role in this network, supplying over three kilograms of fentanyl – an amount sufficient to kill the entire population of Brunswick. His extensive criminal history, with over 50 arrests and at least 10 prior felony convictions, underscores the severity of his crimes.
Operation Ghost Busted is considered the largest drug trafficking prosecution in the history of the Southern District of Georgia. Of the 76 defendants, 73 have been sentenced to prison, with terms ranging up to life imprisonment. Two defendants await sentencing, and one died while awaiting trial.
READ: Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene Targeted With Bomb Threat At Her Georgia Home
The investigation, conducted under the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) initiative, involved a multi-agency approach to dismantle high-level criminal organizations. Participating agencies included the FBI, ATF, U.S. Marshals Service, Georgia Bureau of Investigation, local police departments, and sheriff’s offices.
Please make a small donation to the Tampa Free Press to help sustain independent journalism. Your contribution enables us to continue delivering high-quality, local, and national news coverage.
Connect with us: Follow the Tampa Free Press on Facebook and Twitter for breaking news and updates.
Sign up: Subscribe to our free newsletter for a curated selection of top stories delivered straight to your inbox.