National Drug Trafficking Case Snares North Fulton Couple

The husband and wife who helped run a national drug trafficking and money laundering organization through the now closed KC Pit BBQ Restaurant in Sandy Springs have been sentenced to federal prison.

• Jiles Delwin Johnson, 47, of Sandy Springs, entered a guilty plea to one count of conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute cocaine and one count of money laundering conspiracy in the Northern District of Georgia, and one count of distribution of cocaine in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.  On Dec. 19, he was sentenced to 15 years in federal prison.
• Shannon Renee Johnson, 46, of Sandy Springs, entered a guilty plea to one count of money laundering conspiracy.  On Dec. 19, she was sentenced to three years in federal prison.

Thousands of kilograms of cocaine imported from Mexico was transported from California to Kansas City, Philadelphia and Washington D.C., and millions of dollars in drug proceeds in Georgia were laundered.

According to U.S. Attorney Sally Quillian Yates and other information presented in court: In 2003, the Johnsons owned the restaurant.  Jiles Johnson was also a commercial truck driver and began to supplement his income by driving cocaine from California to Philadelphia on behalf of Mark Walker. Walker was a Philadelphia cocaine distributor with access to street-level dealers.  Johnson also supplied cocaine to Kansas City and Washington, D.C.

The Johnsons purchased more than $3 million in real estate in Georgia with the drug proceeds, including an 80-acre motorcycle racetrack in Twiggs County. Linda Tong of Alpharetta, a real estate broker, made deposits under $10,000 to avoid the filing of a Currency Transaction Report by a financial institution to help them.

Matthew Ware, the restaurant's accountant, accepted bags of cash in excess of $10,000 from Jiles Johnson. Ware provided the cash to some of his clients and they repaid him with checks made payable to Johnson and his businesses. Ware connected Johnson to Jacques Degaule to assist with the laundering. The financial planner traveled to banks in Georgia, Missouri, Pennsylvania and New Jersey to deposit more than $7 million dollars. None of the required IRS Forms were filed.

Evan Francis, a local car broker, coordinated the delivery of loads of cocaine, solicited customers and deposited cash.  Schawn Lemon Wortham laundered Mark Walker’s funds while he remained incarcerated.

The cocaine originated from Mexico and was supplied from California by Jose Gastelum and Lorenzo Vargas.  When Johnson experienced financial losses, Gastelum and Vargas took ownership interests in his restaurant and racetrack with Ware's assistance.

The organization unraveled in 2010 when Thallas Amie, Lavern Simon and Jiles Johnson attempted to deliver 35 kilograms of cocaine to Philadelphia. The cocaine was intercepted by law enforcement.

U.S. District Judge Richard W. Story sentenced the Johnsons and other members of the organization, including:

Linda Tong, 68, of Alpharetta, entered a guilty plea to one count of Structuring.  On Sept. 4, she was sentenced to three years of probation with the special condition of ten months home detention.