James Len Ramey, a 54-year-old Athens methamphetamine dealer, has been sentenced to two concurrent life terms in federal prison for his role in a major cross-border drug trafficking operation. The conviction stems from a Homeland Security Task Force investigation that dismantled a sophisticated network moving thousands of kilograms of drugs from Mexico.
Ramey, of Comer, Georgia, pleaded guilty on October 14, 2025, to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. His federal sentences will run consecutively to undischarged state prison terms from Habersham and Lumpkin counties. U.S. District Judge Tilman E. “Tripp” Self III presided over the case, noting there is no parole in the federal system.
The investigation revealed that the drug ring imported liquid methamphetamine from Mexico, hidden in boxes of jalapeños, to a conversion lab in Monroe, Georgia. From there, Ramey distributed hundreds of kilograms of crystal methamphetamine from his workplace, Rapid Lube in Athens, a position he obtained through a state prison work-release program.
U.S. Attorney William R. “Will” Keyes emphasized the reliance of Mexican cartels on local collaborators like Ramey, stating, “Without these willing participants, these poisons would never cross the border or devastate lives here.” Marlo Graham, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Atlanta Office, highlighted the disruption of a significant methamphetamine operation and the arrest of multiple individuals responsible for “poisoning our communities.”
HSI Atlanta Special Agent in Charge Steven N. Schrank noted that nearly 14 kilograms of meth were found hidden at Rapid Lube after Ramey's arrest on July 3, 2024. Ramey was responsible for distributing hundreds of kilograms and repeatedly providing direct support to a Mexico-based drug trafficking organization by sending money across the border. He met his Mexico-based supplier while serving a previous state prison sentence.
Jae W. Chung, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Field Division, said, “By taking down this network of a dozen traffickers, we’re not just removing drugs, we’re removing the source of addiction, exploitation and tragedy in our communities.” GBI Director Chris Hosey added that the “vast amount of methamphetamine seized in this case represents thousands of lives that could have been destroyed.”
The case was investigated by the FBI’s Middle Georgia Safe Streets Gang Task Force, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI), the Walton County Sheriff’s Office, the Athens-Clarke County Police Department, and the Georgia State Patrol (GSP). Assistant U.S. Attorney Mike Morrison is prosecuting the case for the Government.