ALBANY, Ga. - A south central Georgia resident is facing up to 20 years in prison resulting from a locally-initiated investigation into fentanyl and heroin distribution out of a Tifton, Georgia, motel room.

Alphonso White, 43, of Tifton, Georgia, pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl on July 19 before U.S. District Judge W. Louis Sands. White faces a maximum sentence of twenty years in prison to be followed by at least three years of supervised release and a $1,000,000 fine. Sentencing is scheduled for Oct. 19. There is no parole in the federal system.

"The defendant was in possession of roughly 4,200 deadly doses of fentanyl. I applaud Tift County Sheriff's Office investigators for preventing an extremely dangerous drug from hitting the streets of Tifton," said U.S. Attorney Peter D. Leary. "This case clearly demonstrates that fentanyl is readily available in communities of every size across our District. Our office will continue to provide all necessary support to law enforcement in the effort to stop fentanyl distribution and hold dealers accountable."

"The Tift County Sheriff's Office always stands ready to work with local, state and federal authorities to help remove the scourge that fentanyl has become across this county," said Tift County Sheriff Gene Scarbrough.

According to court documents, the Tift County Sheriff's Office was investigating the distribution of fentanyl, heroin and other illicit drugs in the community. As a result, investigators executed a search warrant on Jan. 18, 2022, at the Howard Johnson motel room in Tifton where White was staying. Officers confronted White after he exited his motel room; White was carrying 32 bags of a brown substance and blue pills marked "M 30." The substances later tested positive for 8.544 grams of fentanyl. According to the Drug Enforcement Administration, just two milligrams of fentanyl-an amount equivalent to 10-15 grains of table salt-is considered a lethal dose. White was in possession of approximately 4,272 lethal doses. Without laboratory testing, there is no way to know how much fentanyl is concentrated in a pill or powder, making it extremely dangerous. To learn more about fentanyl, please visit https://www.dea.gov/fact sheets/fentanyl.

The case was investigated by the Tift County Sheriff's Department with assistance from the Georgia Bureau of Investigations (GBI). Assistant U.S. Attorney Hannah Couch is prosecuting the case for the government.