Royce Cobb, also known as “Rapp,” has been sentenced to 23 years in federal prison for cocaine trafficking and illegal possession of a loaded semiautomatic firearm. Cobb, 47, of Atlanta, Georgia, is a repeat offender with previous convictions in Georgia and North Carolina for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, trafficking and attempted trafficking in cocaine, trafficking in marijuana, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. His criminal history includes a 2001 shooting that resulted in the death of one of his drug customers.
“More than a decade behind bars failed to deter Cobb from trafficking large amounts of drugs from an Atlanta stash house while armed,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. “Thankfully, the determined investigation of the DEA and their state and local partners finally halted Cobb’s illicit activity.”
Jae W. Chung, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Division, stated: “Far too many victims have suffered at the hands of repeat offenders who show no remorse for the chaos they create. DEA is committed to dismantling criminal networks and protecting our communities.”
ATF Assistant Special Agent in Charge Beau Kolodka commented: “When we team our resources with the resources of our local, state, and federal partners, gang members better beware. The removal of drugs, weapons and gang members from the streets immediately makes those communities safer.”
“This case underscores the powerful impact that can be achieved when law enforcement agencies unite with purpose, harnessing their collective strength to dismantle complex drug trafficking networks and deliver a decisive blow to criminal organizations,” said Acting Director Andy Dimond of the Atlanta-Carolinas High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (Atlanta-Carolinas HIDTA).
Court records show that Cobb was responsible for distributing at least 50 kilograms of cocaine, four kilograms of methamphetamine, as well as fentanyl and heroin. In 2022, investigators from the Drug Enforcement Administration began surveillance on Cobb’s southwest Atlanta stash house. This led to seizures including kilograms of illegal drugs concealed under vehicles or transported across state lines; agents confiscated approximately 17.6 kilograms of cocaine hidden under a tow truck bed and about 22 kilograms found in an associate’s vehicle in South Carolina.
In July 2023, authorities executed a search warrant at Cobb’s main stash location where they seized counterfeit pills containing fentanyl and methamphetamine, three bricks of marijuana, cash exceeding $250,000 from two locations combined, as well as firearms including a loaded semiautomatic weapon with a large-capacity magazine.
Cobb was convicted on April 16, 2024 after pleading guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine, possession with intent to distribute cocaine, and unlawful possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. United States District Judge J.P. Boulee ordered that Cobb serve his sentence followed by ten years of supervised release.
The investigation involved multiple agencies including the Drug Enforcement Administration; Atlanta-Carolinas HIDTA; Fulton County Sheriff’s Office; Suwanee Police Department; Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; Georgia State Patrol; Spalding County Sheriff’s Office; and Anderson County Sheriff’s Office (South Carolina). The prosecution was handled by Assistant United States Attorneys John T. DeGenova and Dwayne A. Brown Jr., along with former Assistant United States Attorney Rebeca M. Ojeda.
This case was part of Operation Take Back America—a nationwide initiative using Department of Justice resources through programs such as Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhood—to target cartels and violent crime organizations.
For more information about this case or related matters from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia visit http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
