A former corrections officer who worked at Hays State Prison in Trion, just a short drive south of LaFayette, is facing new federal drug trafficking and firearms charges after previously serving five years in federal prison.
Mark Edward Jeffery, 41, previously worked for the Georgia Department of Corrections at Hays State Prison, a facility located in Chattooga County about 15 miles from LaFayette.
Jeffery’s previous federal conviction stemmed directly from his work at the nearby prison.
In February 2018, authorities caught Jeffery smuggling cellphones, chargers and methamphetamine into Hays State Prison while he was employed there as a corrections officer.
Jeffery pleaded guilty in April 2019 to a federal methamphetamine trafficking charge and was later sentenced to five years in federal prison.
Federal prosecutors say Jeffery is now facing another round of serious drug and firearms charges.
The new case stems from a February 11, 2025 encounter with law enforcement. According to information presented in federal court, a deputy encountered Jeffery sleeping inside a vehicle.
During a subsequent search, authorities allege a clear bag containing multiple-colored pills was found in Jeffery’s pocket.
Investigators also allegedly discovered multiple bags of methamphetamine, a baggie containing heroin, two loaded handguns, a digital scale allegedly used for weighing narcotics and multiple empty bags allegedly used for packaging narcotics inside the vehicle.
On September 8, 2026, a federal grand jury returned an indictment against Jeffery.
He is charged with possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
The new allegations bring Jeffery back into the federal court system several years after his conviction for smuggling methamphetamine and other contraband into Hays State Prison, a facility familiar to many residents in the LaFayette and surrounding Northwest Georgia area.
The charges contained in the latest indictment are allegations. Jeffery is presumed innocent of the new charges unless and until proven guilty in court.