Sandy Springs heroin supplier pleads guilty, sentenced to 11 years

Prosecutors: Man funneled drugs between Atlanta, Macon
Michael Duffy was sentenced to 11 years in prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute heroin from a Sandy Springs home.

Credit: File photo

Credit: File photo

Michael Duffy was sentenced to 11 years in prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute heroin from a Sandy Springs home.

The lead supplier of a heroin distribution ring based out of Sandy Springs pleaded guilty and was sentenced to more than 11 years in prison Tuesday, officials said.

An investigation by federal and local law enforcement began in 2017 when Michael Duffy, 43, was identified as the main source of heroin between Atlanta and Macon, a spokeswoman for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for Middle Georgia said in a news release. He was sentenced to a little over 11 years in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute heroin.

“The significant sentence Duffy received reflects the seriousness associated with distributing heroin throughout our communities in Georgia,” FBI Atlanta Special Agent Alex Santiago said. “The FBI will spare no resource when it comes to identifying and prosecuting individuals that fuel the opioid epidemic by distributing poison and causing great damage to our citizens.”

From the end of 2018 to the start of 2019, Duffy sold heroin from a “trap house” at an Atlanta apartment, the release said. In early February 2019, Duffy moved into a house in Sandy Springs and used it to sell heroin. He admitted to having conspired with others to distribute up to 30,000 doses of heroin within those three months.

Authorities were led to Duffy after they began investigating heroin distribution by Reginald Summerford, 49, of Macon, after a dealer there was arrested, according to prosecutors. The wiretap investigation revealed Duffy as the main supplier.

Over the three months Duffy was distributing, Summerford generally went to him to resupply heroin about every five days and usually purchased about 142 grams on each trip, an amount that could provide up to 1,000 doses, the release said.

In February, when Summerford was on his way back from Duffy’s, his van was stopped and the heroin was seized. The drug was tested at the Drug Enforcement Agency Mid-Atlantic Laboratory and came back positive as heroin. Two days later, a federal search warrant was obtained and law enforcement searched Duffy’s Sandy Springs home. Officers found a pistol, ammunition, suspected narcotics and a bag containing small drug baggies, the release said.

“Michael Duffy richly profited from supplying large quantities of heroin as untold lives in Middle Georgia were ruined by the opioid addiction he was feeding,” U.S. Attorney Peter D. Leary said. “High-volume opioid suppliers and repeat offenders will face the possibility of federal prosecution for their crimes as we work alongside law enforcement to maintain the safety and health of the communities we serve.”

Summerford pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute heroin. He was sentenced to nearly seven years in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release.

Six others pleaded guilty to drug trafficking offenses and were sentenced to prison.