California Drug Kingpin Gets 28 Years for Georgia Fentanyl Ring

A California man who ran a massive drug operation from his barbershop will spend nearly three decades in federal prison for flooding North Georgia with deadly fentanyl and methamphetamine.

🚔 The Takedown: Wilfort Foster III, 41, of El Monte, California, received a 28-year prison sentence after pleading guilty to running a drug trafficking and money laundering operation that moved hundreds of kilograms of methamphetamine and fentanyl from California to Georgia.

Foster operated a stash house and illegal gambling operation from his California barbershop, using it as a base to supply his network. In one instance, he provided a co-defendant with more than 22 kilograms of methamphetamine that was later seized by law enforcement.

🔍 Between the Lines: Foster maintained tight control over his operation, once breaking a co-defendant’s jaw during a dispute over drug debt. He continued his criminal enterprise despite being on probation in California for a previous case involving nine kilograms of methamphetamine and two firearms.

💰 Follow the Money: The operation laundered more than $600,000 in drug proceeds back to Foster in California using shell companies. Conspirators flew with hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash to California to keep the operation funded.

🔫 Weapons Involved: During the investigation, authorities seized more than a dozen firearms, including an AR-15 rifle, showing the connection between drug trafficking and weapons.

🧩 The Bigger Picture: This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative targeting drug cartels and transnational criminal organizations. Several other members of Foster’s network have also been convicted, including Steven Ham of Cartersville, who received a 15-year sentence, with five more co-conspirators awaiting sentencing.

The Sources: U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia, U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg, DEA Acting Special Agent in Charge Jae W. Chung, FBI Atlanta Special Agent in Charge Paul Brown, and HSI Special Agent in Charge Steven N. Schrank.

⚠️ Reminder: Crime articles contain only charges and information from police reports and law enforcement statements. Suspects and defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.