Cobb Sheriff's Office Assists in Drug Arrests

Thirteen people from Georgia and Kentucky are facing federal indictments from two separate cases for allegedly trafficking oxycodone and other prescription drugs.

The two cases stem from intensified efforts to address Georgia's growing problem with the abuse of prescription drugs, the release says.

In the first case, eleven Georgia citizens (see list below) were indicted this week; they face charges of conspiring to forge oxycodone prescriptions and trafficking in the illegally obtained oxycodone tablets.

• Lori Rene Anderson, 32, of Acworth
• Kristen Noelle Goduto, 27, of Marietta
• Kory Joseph Goduto, 30, of Marietta
• Pasquale Pete Goduto, 60, of Marietta
• Phillip David Hobbs, 38, of Canton
• Justin Howard, 28, of Braselton
• Georgia Ann Hulsey, 31, of Marietta
• Mark James O’Brien, 34, of Marietta
• Levi Young Stigall, 27, of Canton
• David Lee Tanner, 32, of Acworth
• Ryan Patrick Trento, 25, of Marietta

The conspiring charge carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $1,000,000, the release says.

The Cobb County Sheriff's Office is one of several area law enforcement agencies assisting in the cases that led to the arrests of those above.

Kristen Goduto allegedly led the 10 others in a conspiracy to possess oxycodone with the intent to distribute, United States Attorney Sally Yates says in the release of charges and other information presented in court.

“Goduto manufactured prescriptions for oxycodone and recruited others to pass the forged prescriptions throughout the Northern District of Georgia, from as far south as McDonough and Covington … to as far north as Dalton and Blue Ridge,” the release says. “Goduto allegedly paid those who passed the prescriptions in either cash or narcotics. By passing these forged prescriptions, this criminal organization obtained and attempted to obtain over 10,000 oxycodone tablets, which they intended to distribute on the streets.”

In the second case discussed in the release, James R. Anderson, 39, and Genia S. Elam, 31, both of Richmond, KY, had federal indictments returned on Tuesday. The indictments stem from charges of trafficking oxycodone.      

Yates says in the release that, based on the charges and other information presented in court, Anderson and Elam allegedly traveled from Kentucky to the Atlanta area in February and purchased roughly 170 sham oxycodone tablets from an undercover agent. They had planned to resell them in Kentucky. 

They both face one count of conspiracy to possess oxycodone with intent to distribute and one count of attempting to possess oxycodone with intent to distribute. The charges carry a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $1,000,000.

Leaders in federal, state and local law enforcement, public policy, health and medicine, substance abuse treatment, and academia convened in a summit at Georgia State University on March 2 to explore the scope of the prescription drug abuse problem and steps that can be taken to address the problem, the release says.

“The Georgia state legislature passed legislation on April 19 approving a prescription drug monitoring program, which will allow law enforcement and the medical board to more effectively identify and prevent the diversion and misuse of oxycodone and other abused prescription drugs,” the release reads. “The bill currently is awaiting signature by the governor to be enacted into law.”