A Fannin County man was sentenced to 30 years in prison after a Cherokee County jury found him guilty of trafficking more than one kilogram of methamphetamine.
What’s Happening: Ricky Dwight Wright, 39, was convicted February 24 and sentenced February 25 by Cherokee County Superior Court Judge Shannon Wallace. Wright was sentenced as a recidivist offender, meaning the court treated him as a repeat criminal offender under Georgia law.
What’s Important: Wright was also ordered to pay a $1 million fine. Georgia law requires that mandatory fine for anyone convicted of trafficking more than 400 grams of methamphetamine.
How This Affects Real People: More than one kilogram of methamphetamine was seized before it could be distributed. Wright’s two co-defendants have already been sentenced.
The Path Forward: Wright’s co-defendants, both also from Fannin County, pleaded guilty and were sentenced separately:
- Ashley Nicole Hughes, 36, pleaded guilty to trafficking methamphetamine, possession with intent to distribute, and tampering with evidence. She was sentenced November 13, 2025, to 15 years in prison and ordered to pay a $200,000 fine.
- James Lovejoy, 37, pleaded guilty to trafficking methamphetamine and was sentenced January 7 as a recidivist offender to 30 years, with the first 25 years in prison, and ordered to pay a $1 million fine.
Catch Up Quick: A Woodstock Police officer stopped an Acura sedan on I-575 around 1:15 a.m. on March 4, 2025, after learning someone connected to the vehicle had an active warrant. During the stop, one passenger tried to hide and throw away a drawstring bag. Officers recovered it and found more than 175 grams of methamphetamine inside. A police K9 then alerted to drugs in the vehicle. Officers found a second bag hidden under towels on the rear floorboard containing about 993 grams of methamphetamine.
By the Numbers: The jury deliberated for about 15 minutes after less than two days of testimony. The state called six law enforcement witnesses and presented dash camera footage, drug photographs, and text messages from Wright’s phone. Those messages showed Wright discussing travel from North Georgia to Atlanta to pick up methamphetamine.
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