Feds say he tried to take over Columbus drug market. Now he faces 30 years in prison
A man prosecutors say was trying to take over the illicit drug market in Columbus was found guilty by a jury this week as a result of Operation Sweet Silence, according to a news release from the Department of Justice.
The DOJ said Marquez Holloway, aka “Glizzy,” 32, was found guilty of one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine, cocaine and more than 50 kilograms of marijuana.
The DOJ said Operation Sweet Silence was an extensive investigation from August 2022 to May 2024 into the Zohannon Street Gang involving armed drug trafficking.
The two-day trial started Monday before U.S. District Judge Clay Land. Holloway faces a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison, according to the DOJ.
Sentencing is scheduled for Feb. 24, 2026. There is no parole in the federal system.
The DOJ said agents discovered Holloway, who is not a member of the Zohannon organization, was working with others to take control of the illegal drug market in Columbus by supplying high-grade marijuana, cocaine and methamphetamine from California.
Holloway obtained at least 110 pounds of marijuana between September and December 2023, according to the news release.
The DOJ said evidence showed Holloway was sold a kilogram of cocaine and attempted to obtain methamphetamine for distribution in the community during this time.
Holloway had a prior state conviction in Georgia for drug trafficking, according to the DOJ.
“Illegal drugs pouring into our communities from dangerous cartels pose a serious threat to the safety of our nation,” U.S. Attorney William Keyes said in the news release. “Here in the Middle District of Georgia, we stand shoulder to shoulder with our local, state and federal law enforcement partners to dismantle criminal organizations and hold their associates accountable.”
“This is a huge victory for the citizens we serve,” Muscogee County Sheriff Greg Countryman said in the news release. “There is strength in collaboration when we combine our resources to go after criminal enterprises involving street gangs, drug dealers and convicted felons. We will continue this fight for safer streets and a safer community.”
Operation Sweet Silence
Countryman held a news conference in September 2024 to announce arrests in Georgia and Alabama connected to Operation Sweet Silence. The investigation resulted in 31 arrests.
The Muscogee County Sheriff’s Office worked with the FBI, Drug Enforcement Administration and other agencies to conduct the investigation over the past two years, Countryman told the Ledger-Enquirer at the time.
Drugs seized in the operation included:
- 496 pounds of methamphetamine valued at $22.45 million
- 126.95 pounds of cocaine valued at $5.75 million
- 15.62 pounds of fentanyl valued at about $707,273
- 1.3 kilos of heroin valued at about $130,859
- 5.9 pounds of GHB valued at $267,152
- 755.8 grams of mushrooms valued at $15,116.
Countryman said 55,248 pounds of marijuana was also seized in an illegal growing area in California.