Cousins sentenced to federal prison for roles in Treutlen County drug trafficking operation

AUGUSTA, GA: Two cousins have been sentenced to federal prison for their roles in operating a crack cocaine distribution network in Treutlen County.

Kenyatte Harden, 39, of Soperton, Ga.,was sentenced to 87 months in prison after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon, and Cody Harden, 35, of Soperton, Ga., was sentenced to 48 months in prison after pleading guilty to Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and to Distribute Crack Cocaine, Cocaine, and Marijuana, said Jill E. Steinberg, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. U.S. District Court Judge Dudley H. Bowen also fined Kenyatte Harden $2,500 and Cody Harden $1,500, and ordered each defendant to serve three years of supervised release upon completion of their prison terms.

There is no parole in the federal system.

"Local and federal law enforcement agencies identified and disrupted an organization that was distributing illegal drugs throughout the Soperton, Ga., area," said U.S. Attorney Steinberg. "Our office is committed to assist communities of all sizes in shutting down criminal enterprises and keeping their citizens safe."

As described in court documents and testimony, investigators from the Treutlen County Sheriff's Office and the Drug Enforcement Administration began targeting the Hardens' drug trafficking operation in early 2021, culminating in the arrests and indictments of both men and their 14 co-conspirators in October 2022. These cases have now been fully adjudicated with the Hardens' sentencings.

The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Treutlen County Sheriff's Office, with assistance from the Jeff Davis County Sheriff's Office and other agencies, and prosecuted for the United States by Southern District of Georgia Assistant U.S. Attorneys John P. Harper III and L. Alexander Hamner.