A Gray resident was sentenced to life in a federal prison last week for his role in a drug organization dealing in kilograms of illegal drugs.
The sentence of Kenneth Emanuel Pertillo Jr. was announced in a June 13 press release from the United States Attorney’s Office of the Middle District of Georgia. The release states Pertrillo received the life sentence for armed fentanyl trafficking in Macon. Agents reportedly seized kilos of fentanyl, 20 firearms, an AR-14 drum magazine and hundreds of ammo rounds during the investigation.
Pertillo, 40, was listed from Gray but was formerly from Macon, West Virginia and North Carolina and was a confirmed member of a local criminal street gang.
He was sentenced June 12 to serve life in prison to be followed by 10 years of supervised release by U.S. District Judge Ashley Royal. There is no parole in the federal system.
The defendant was found guilty at an Oct. 2, 2023, trial on charges of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute fentanyl, methamphetamine and heroin and another count that included possession with intent to distribute cocaine.
Pertillo was arrested with 13 codefendants who entered guilty pleas and had already been sentenced. Pertillo’s codefendant at trial, Johnifer Dernard Barnwell of Macon, was also found guilty and is waiting to be sentenced.
The release states the FBI executed search warrants July 20, 2021, at 11 Macon addresses identified as distribution locations. In all, the criminal organization was responsible for distributing or possession with the intent to distribute more than three kilograms of fentanyl, 2.5 kilograms of methamphetamine and nearly two kilograms of heroin and significant quantities of cocaine base and cocaine.
The case was investigated by the FBI with assistance from the DEA, GBI and local law enforcement agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joy Odom prosecuted the case for the government.
