Macon County -- August 21, 2026: A 26-year-old Macon County man will serve between 13 and 22 years in state prison following a guilty plea to multiple drug-related offenses, District Attorney Ashley H. Hornsby announced.
Superior Court Judge Tessa Sellers sentenced Austen Jeffery Caiata to serve a total of 165 to 268 months in prison and ordered him to pay a mandatory $100,000 state fine.
The charges stem from an October 1, 2025, traffic stop conducted by Macon County Deputy Ruben Esquivel, who pulled Caiata over for driving with a revoked license. During the stop, the deputy observed a clear crystal shard in the driver’s seat that field-tested positive for methamphetamine.
Following his arrest, deputies booking Caiata into the county jail discovered fentanyl hidden inside a makeshift pocket sewn into his jeans. A subsequent search of his residence uncovered additional illegal substances. Caiata was actively on probation at the time of the incident.
In court, Caiata entered guilty pleas to the following charges:
Trafficking in fentanyl
Two counts of possession with intent to manufacture, sell, or deliver a controlled substance
Possession of a controlled substance on jail premises
Possession of methamphetamine