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Dunwoody woman gets nearly 20 years for leading multi-state drug ring

By FOX 5 Atlanta Digital Team
Published  April 18, 2025 8:18pm EDT
Dunwoody
FOX 5 Atlanta

The Brief

    • Karla Lopez-Delgado was sentenced to nearly 20 years in prison for leading a multi-state drug trafficking ring involving fentanyl, meth, and cocaine, with operations based in metro Atlanta.
    • Authorities seized over 100 kilograms of drugs and a handgun from her Dunwoody apartment, where she lived with her young daughter.
    • Six co-defendants were also sentenced, including one who coordinated from prison, as part of a federal investigation under Operation Take Back America.

DUNWOODY, Ga. - Seven defendants have been sentenced in connection with a wide-reaching drug trafficking operation that distributed fentanyl, methamphetamine, cocaine, and other illicit drugs across metro Atlanta and neighboring states.

What we know:

Karla Lopez-Delgado, identified as the ringleader, was sentenced to 19 years and eight months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release. She pleaded guilty to drug trafficking charges, including possessing methamphetamine with intent to distribute at a location where a minor was present. Six co-defendants also received prison or home detention sentences for their roles in the conspiracy.

According to Acting U.S. Attorney Richard S. Moultrie, Jr., Lopez-Delgado ran the operation with the help of Jonathon Torres-Aguirre, who was incarcerated at Washington State Prison in Davisboro, Georgia, during much of the scheme.

The investigation, which began in 2022, was led by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). Agents seized meth and fentanyl from Lopez-Delgado’s customers on seven separate occasions.

By the numbers:

When authorities executed a search warrant at her Dunwoody apartment — which she shared with her four-year-old daughter — they discovered a significant cache of drugs: approximately 4.5 kilograms of fentanyl, over 80 kilograms of methamphetamine, nearly 20 kilograms of cocaine, and a handgun. Investigators also recovered multiple cell phones containing extensive communications with Torres-Aguirre about their trafficking activity throughout Georgia, Alabama, North Carolina, and Tennessee.

Sentences handed down by U.S. District Judge Steven D. Grimberg:

  • Karla Lopez-Delgado: 19 years, 8 months in prison + 5 years supervised release
  • Jonathon Torres-Aguirre: 12 years, 7 months in prison + 5 years supervised release
  • Marco Camacho-Escobar: 10 years, 1 month in prison + 3 years supervised release
  • Carlos Santiago: 5 years, 3 months in prison + 4 years supervised release
  • Bennie Shelton: 3 years, 10 months in prison + 5 years supervised release
  • Issac Duran-Gomez: 3 years, 7 months in prison + 3 years supervised release
  • Kiara Jones: 1 year of home detention + 3 years supervised release

The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew R. LaGrone and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Tyler Mann, and was part of Operation Take Back America, a DOJ initiative aimed at eliminating transnational criminal organizations and drug cartels.

The investigation was conducted by HSI with assistance from the U.S. Secret Service, U.S. Marshals Service, Brookhaven Police Department, Bartow-Cartersville Drug Task Force, Cobb County Police Department, and Henry County Police Department.

This case was also part of the David G. Wilhelm Atlanta OCDETF Strike Force, a multi-agency initiative targeting major drug traffickers and money launderers operating in and around metro Atlanta.

The Source

  • Information for the above story was provided in a press release from Department of Justice, Northern District of Georgia. 

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