Ladarius Blunt
Jeremy Jermaine WhatleyA federal judge this week sentenced two Chattanooga men to a combined 20 years in prison for their roles in a crack cocaine distribution ring spanning Atlanta, Chattanooga and Johnson City.
U.S. District Court Judge J. Ronnie Greer sentenced Ladarius Lebron Blunt, 27, to 15-½ years in prison on a charge of possessing at least 280 grams of crack cocaine with intent to distribute. Greer also sentenced 29-year-old Jeremy Jermaine Whatley to 5 years in prison for possessing at least 28 grams of crack cocaine with intent to distribute.
Court documents indicate both men were part of a group that bought drugs wholesale in Atlanta and Chattanooga. They then resold the crack cocaine in Johnson City. They were discovered during an undercover operation based in Washington County.
That investigation occurred around the same time that members of the Chattanooga Police Department, the Drug Enforcement Administration and the U.S. State Attorney’s Office investigated crack cocaine dealers running that same route from Chattanooga to Johnson City.
Investigators arrested 34 men in that case. Then-Chattanooga Police Chief Bobby Dodd called the group the “worst of the worst” during a November 2013 news conference. Some members of the group are affiliated with gangs, such as the Rollin’ 60’s Crips and the Woodlawn Crips.