Rome woman sentenced to over five years for fentanyl distribution

ROME, Ga. - A Rome woman has been sentenced to more than five years in federal prison for distributing fentanyl.

Deaja Simone Clemons, 29, was sentenced to 63 months in prison, followed by five years of supervised release, after pleading guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute fentanyl, according to Acting U.S. Attorney Richard S. Moultrie, Jr.

The backstory:

The Drug Enforcement Administration’s Rome Field Office began investigating Clemons in February 2024 after receiving information that she was dealing fentanyl in the Rome area. Authorities later determined that Clemons sold 121 counterfeit "M30" pills—designed to resemble 30 mg oxycodone tablets but laced with fentanyl—within a one-month span. She allegedly sold 60 of those pills in Rome and 61 in Cedartown.

In early April, DEA agents and Polk County police officers followed Clemons as she traveled between Rome and Polk County. Officers stopped her vehicle and, during a search, recovered 124 fentanyl-laced pills and $3,922 in cash. Clemons was arrested, and investigators later determined that she had been selling approximately 300 fentanyl pills per week for about three months.

U.S. District Judge William M. Ray II handed down Clemons’ sentence after she pleaded guilty to the charges on December 13, 2024.

What they're saying:

"Clemons admits to selling thousands of fentanyl pills at a time that the illegal distribution and use of this drug continues to ravage communities within and outside our district," Moultrie said. "Our Office is grateful for the collaboration among our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners which makes it possible to combat the threat of drug traffickers like Clemons."

"Illicit drugs like fentanyl have destroyed countless lives," said Jae W. Chung, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Division. "Keeping our communities safe is our highest priority."