Pair sentenced on federal drug charges

Published 4:56 pm Thursday, January 10, 2019

VALDOSTA — Two men were sentenced in federal court in the last couple of days after entering guilty pleas on drug charges, according to prosecutors.

Claude William Hill of Tifton and Christopher Lee Fiveash were sentenced by Judge Hugh Lawson, according to a statement from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Georgia.

Hill was sentenced Thursday to 175 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release for possession with intent to distribute meth, the statement said. He had more than 67 grams of meth he was intending to sell, according to the statement.

Fiveash was sentenced Wednesday to two years of probation for simple possession of meth, involving slightly more than two grams for personal use, the statement said.

Both men entered guilty pleas Oct. 4, according to court records.

On Nov. 14, 2017, a Lanier County deputy pulled over a vehicle in Lakeland for not dimming headlights, according to court documents. Hill gave a false name, and the deputy could smell the odor of marijuana coming from the vehicle, documents show.

Fiveash, a passenger in the vehicle, was told to get out, according to court documents. He was wanted in Lowndes County for shoplifting, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office statement.

As a deputy approached Hill to arrest him, he broke away and ran, evading capture until the next day, according to the plea agreement.

A bag found on the vehicle’s floor contained cell phones, tablets and two empty syringes, while a black-zippered bag beside the center console contained suspected marijuana, methamphetamine and clear plastic baggies, the plea deal stated.

Hill was a career offender with two felony drug convictions before this offense, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

“Mr. Hill ran from officers twice, and even shoved an innocent bystander in his attempt to evade deputies,” U.S. Attorney Charles “Charlie” Peeler said. “This case is a prime example of the dangers our law enforcement are exposed to in their daily lives protecting us.”

Terry Richards is senior reporter at The Valdosta Daily Times.