Four Atlanta men are headed for federal prison after they used social media to advertise and sell heroin in the English Avenue neighborhood, federal authorities said Thursday.
A citizen tip alerted officials to the illegal drug sales, said Bob Page, spokesman for the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Bernard Stokley, 27, Tobias Ellison, 28, Alvin Hughley, 54, and Vance Hoard, 48, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute heroin, Page said.
“Dismantling this heroin ring illustrates the changing nature of the heroin market in English,” U.S. Attorney John Horn said. “Where the dealers used to sell openly on every corner, they now have to arrange their sales via phone or social media.
“And, as demonstrated by the brave citizen who called Crime Stoppers, the residents of English Avenue are no longer willing to tolerate this business in their community and are empowered to call police to help get rid of it.”
The men advertised the heroin on Facebook and took orders through Facebook and Snapchat, Page said.
In May, Atlanta police learned through Crime Stoppers that a person later identified as Stokley was advertising drugs for sale, including heroin, on Facebook, Page said.
Stokley also was offering “specials of the day” on illegal drugs, Page said.
Using the phone number on Stokley’s Facebook page, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives officials and police set up four undercover drug purchases from Stokley, Page said.
Stokley was present during each deal and he always sent a runner — Ellison, Hughley or Hoard — with the heroin, Page said.
Sentencings for the men are scheduled for April 20.
“The arrest and conviction of these four illegal drug dealers is proof that citizens and law enforcement can work together to put an end to the heroin epidemic,” Atlanta police chief Erika Shields said.
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