Three local men sentenced in federal court

March 8, 2022–8:15 p.m.

NEWS RELEASE

Michael Lee Spears, Dustin Wayne Womack, and Jarrett Louallen have been sentenced for firearms and drug trafficking crimes that occurred in Rome, Georgia.

“Our community is safer with these violent felons and drug pushers no longer on the streets,” said U.S. Attorney Kurt R. Erskine. “We are grateful for the hard work and the longstanding partnerships between federal and state law enforcement agencies in Northwest Georgia.”

“The sentencing of these three men demonstrates the FBI and our law enforcement partners’ commitment to protecting our citizens against violent offenders,” said Philip Wislar, Acting Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “The FBI will continue to use aggressive approaches to identify, disrupt, and dismantle violent offenders and their criminal enterprises, ultimately making our communities safer.”

“The hard work of law enforcement and prosecutors to stop offenders from plaguing neighborhoods with illegal drugs and guns makes a big impact on communities. We will continue to work with our partners to investigate these crimes to dismantle criminal enterprises,” said Vic Reynolds, Director, Georgia Bureau of Investigation.

According to U.S. Attorney Erskine, the charges and other information presented in court: On May 13, 2019, the Floyd County Police Department responded to a 911 call about someone shooting a firearm at a residence. Law enforcement developed information indicating the person living at that residence had been involved in a dispute with Jarrett Louallen prior to the shooting. The FBI further learned that Louallen may have taken the firearm used in the shooting to Talladega, Alabama.

On June 24, 2019, law enforcement officers traveled to Louallen’s relatives’ home in Talladega, Alabama. Law enforcement located the firearm, which was an AM 15 semi-automatic rifle with a 30-round magazine with the serial numbers removed and painted over with black paint. The FBI confirmed that Louallen was the individual who shot at the residence after reviewing video surveillance.

On May 22, 2019, investigators conducted an undercover drug buy with Michael Lee Spears. Spears sold 132.237 grams of methamphetamine during the operation.

The following day, members of the Rome/Floyd Metro Task Force, the Rome SWAT Team, and the FBI executed a search warrant at Spears’ residence. Spears fired at the officers from inside his residence. Law enforcement officers returned fire and Spears eventually surrendered.

In addition, on June 21, 2019, the FBI and law enforcement officers with the Rome/Floyd Metro Task Force, the Floyd County Sheriff’s Office, the Floyd County Police Department, the Rome Police Department, traveled to the Sunrise Inn in Rome, Georgia, to execute an arrest warrant for a probation violation for Dustin Wayne Womack. As officers approached the door, they could hear people inside moving around. Officers kicked open the door and saw Womack running towards the bathroom. An officer heard an object land in the bathtub and saw a firearm. Law enforcement obtained a search warrant for the room and, during the search, recovered 118.952 grams of methamphetamine, two digital scales, and a glass smoking device.

The defendants’ sentences are as follows:

• Michael Lee Spears, 46, of Rome, Georgia, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Mark H. Cohen to eight years, eleven months in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release. This sentence accounts for the two years, nine months he has already spent in custody. Spears was convicted on charges of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon on June 23, 2021, after he pleaded guilty.

• Dustin Wayne Womack, 32, of Lindale, Georgia, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Thomas W. Thrash, Jr., to ten years in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release. Womack was convicted on charges of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon on July 22, 2021, after he pleaded guilty.

• Jarrett Louallen, 34, of Rome, Georgia, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Thomas W. Thrash, Jr., to five years, ten months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release. Louallen was convicted of one charge of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon on March 31, 2021, after he pleaded guilty.

These cases were investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, with significant assistance provided by the Rome/Floyd Metro Task Force. Additionally, agencies involved were the Floyd County Police Department, Floyd County Sheriff’s Office, Rome Police Department, and the Floyd County District Attorney’s Office.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Erin N. Spritzer prosecuted the case.

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