A Fayetteville man has been convicted of trafficking in methamphetamine for helping arrange a proposed sale of 28 grams of crystal “ice” to an undercover sheriff’s deputy Nov. 29, 2011.
Justin Kyle Hampton, 23, of Jefferson Avenue was convicted Thursday and sentenced to 20 years in prison followed by 10 years on probation along with a $200,000 fine issued by Fayette County Superior Court Judge Tommy R. Hankinson.
The jury watched a lengthy surveillance video during which Hampton asked the alleged drug dealer in a phone call to make sure to “bring 28,” which prosecutors said was a reference to the amount of methamphetamine he was to bring to the deal.
“Bring 2, dude, bring 28, and hurry the (expletive) up,” Hampton said during one of the multiple phone conversations captured on a lengthy video taken inside the undercover agent’s vehicle.
Hampton’s attorneys noted that he never touched or controlled either the drugs or the $1,400 in cash that was set aside for the transaction. They further contended that Hampton was entrapped by the police, a contention opposed by Assistant District Attorney Jeremy Hayes.
The deal never took place as undercover agents with the Tactical Narcotics Team of the Fayette County Sheriff’s Office decided for safety reasons to make the arrest after the drug dealer and a companion arrived at the gas station east of Fayetteville.
Prior to making the arrests, Hampton met with the dealer, identified as David Paul Thompson, outside the store and spoke for a few moments before going inside, according to testimony from the TNT case agent.
A chemical analyst from the Georgia State Crime Lab testified that the drugs she tested in conjunction with the case weighed a total of 40.54 grams and tested positive as methamphetamines.
One of the bags was found in Thompson’s vehicle and the other was found near where Thompson was apprehended after he fled the parking lot on foot as marked and unmarked sheriff’s units moved in to make the arrests, the TNT case agent testified.
The TNT case agent testified that an unnamed confidential informant sought out Hampton to set up the deal as the middleman. Defense attorney Tracy Waldrop told the jury in opening statements that the confidential informant was actually Hampton’s boss at his part-time lawn service job, arguing that the boss essentially ordered Hampton to find someone who would sell methamphetamine or he would lose the two days or so he was working each week.
Co-defendants Thompson, and Dwayne Eddie Collett previously entered guilty pleas to close their cases. Collett, of Jonesboro, admitted to trafficking methamphetamine and possession of alprazolam and was sentenced to 15 years in prison on March 18.
Thompson, of Chinaberry Court in Peachtree City, entered a guilty plea to a reduced charge of possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute and was sentenced to 10 years in prison followed by five years probation.
