Jarvis Matthews was sentenced on April 21 to 35 years in federal prison after being found guilty of leading a multi-million-dollar drug trafficking and money laundering operation while incarcerated at Calhoun State Prison. Matthews, who was already serving life sentences for murder convictions related to shootings in Atlanta in 2001 and 2002, used contraband cellphones to direct the distribution of illegal drugs and launder money from inside state custody.
The case highlights ongoing efforts by law enforcement agencies to address organized crime operating within correctional facilities. The U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Georgia has prioritized prosecution of threats such as terrorism, human trafficking, and civil rights violations to serve the community, according to the official website. The office also enforces federal criminal laws and represents the United States in civil matters while collaborating with law enforcement partners to protect public safety.
“This convicted murderer brazenly used contraband cell phones behind prison bars to distribute millions of dollars of illegal drugs in our community and launder drug money for criminal cartels,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. “The dogged work by our Homeland Security Task Force team of federal investigators, state officers, and local partners dismantled Matthews’s network and helped ensure the safety of our community.”
According to evidence presented at trial, Matthews coordinated with family members—including his fiancée, girlfriends, nephew, and two adult sons—to distribute drugs throughout Atlanta’s Cleveland Avenue neighborhood. FBI agents identified a social media account he used for arranging deals; they later made controlled purchases through his son Charvis Harris before obtaining a wiretap on Matthews’s phone that led them to additional suspects. Several codefendants were sentenced previously: Harris received nearly nine years in prison; Javaris Dasan Mathews received six years; Alvin Edwards was given almost six years; Miriam Modesti over three years; Shabreya Brown received probation.
Matthews’s operation distributed hundreds of kilograms of methamphetamine, heroin, and fentanyl while laundering hundreds of thousands of dollars—some proceeds traced back to suppliers in Colombia and California. The sentence handed down by Judge Sarah E. Geraghty will run consecutively with his existing life terms.
The case involved coordination among several agencies including the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), U.S. Marshals Service (USMS), U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), multiple sheriff’s offices across Georgia counties as well as local police departments.
This prosecution is part of the Homeland Security Task Force initiative established by Executive Order 14159 aimed at eliminating criminal cartels and transnational organizations operating domestically or abroad.
Theodore S. Hertzberg held the position of United States Attorney for the Northern District of Georgia according to the official website. The office serves as principal federal law enforcement agency across north Georgia mountains, Atlanta suburbs—and coordinates cases with nationwide or international dimensions—serving approximately 7.5 million residents according to its official website.
