CATOOSA COUNTY, Ga. – Mountain Judicial Circuit announced that a local jury found defendant Kaleb Cooks, 25, of Chatsworth, Georgia, guilty on all counts of trafficking in fentanyl, possession of drug-related objects, and driving under the influence (DUI) on October 2, 2025. The conviction underscores the Circuit’s unwavering commitment to combating the fentanyl crisis and holding accountable those who endanger public safety.

On December 7, 2023, Catoosa County Sheriff’s Office deputies were called to a suspicious vehicle with an occupant potentially in need of assistance. The driver, identified as Cooks, appeared impaired. During the investigation, a deputy observed a large quantity of suspected fentanyl and cocaine in the defendant’s lap, which Cooks attempted to conceal. Deputies detected additional signs of impairment and conducted field sobriety testing, leading to his arrest for DUI. Authorities later recovered fentanyl, cocaine, and drug-related objects.

At sentencing, the defendant was sentenced to a total of 30 years, with five years to serve in the Department of Corrections. The District Attorney’s Office had asked for a significantly longer sentence, citing the CDC overdose statistic and the deadly impact of fentanyl trafficking.

“Fentanyl is a killer and those who traffic it will face the full weight of justice,” said Lookout

Mountain Judicial Circuit District Attorney Clayton M. Fuller. “We asked the court for a far longer sentence because Georgia is losing too many lives – 2,183 overdose deaths in the 12-month period ending July 2024- and we will use every lawful tool to stop the traffickers who profit from that devastation. Under my leadership, this Circuit will be the toughest in Georgia on fentanyl trafficking. I need the media to highlight this to our community— if you traffic poison here: we are coming after you, we will find you, and we won’t stop until you’re in prison.”

During the trial, presided over by Superior Court Judge Brian House, Assistant District Attorney Melissa Pittman presented compelling evidence, including testimony from the 911 caller, body-camera footage from deputies, forensic analysis confirming the presence of fentanyl exceeding trafficking thresholds, and testimony about the defendant’s impaired driving.

This conviction adds to a series of recent successes in the Circuit under Fuller’s leadership, including the February 2025 guilty plea of a Ringgold fentanyl trafficker who admitted sourcing the drug from nearby Chattanooga. As the opioid epidemic continues to claim lives across Georgia- the CDC reported 2,183 total drug overdose deaths in the 12-month period ending July 2024 authorities urge residents to report suspicious activity to law enforcement.