Southern District of Georgia
Press releases recorded for this federal judicial district.
Four men federally indicted on attempted child sexual enticement chargesRead the Press Release
SAVANNAH, GA: Four men have been indicted on federal charges after a multi-agency sting operation targeting online predators.
The men are all charged with Attempted Enticement and Inducement of a Minor to Engage in Sexual Activity, a charge that carries a statutory penalty upon conviction of 10 years to life in prison, said Jill E. Steinberg, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. A conviction subjects the defendants to lifetime registration as a sex offender; at least five years to life of supervised release, upon completion of any prison term; and substantial financial penalties.
There is no parole in the federal system.
“As exemplified in Operation Nightfall, the dangers of the internet require the collaboration of multiple law enforcement agencies in identifying adults who are using online platforms to target children,” said U.S. Attorney Steinberg. “We will continue our work protecting our most vulnerable citizens.”
Those indicted on federal charges in Operation Nightfall include:
- Bobby Edwards Crews-Couch, 41, of Pooler, Ga.;
- Lancaster Graham, 38, of Garden City, Ga.;
- Clifton Newman, 34, of Savannah; and,
- Henry London Taylor, 69, of Savannah.
Criminal indictments contain only charges; defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Operation Nightfall, a proactive undercover child exploitation investigation, was coordinated and investigated by the Georgia Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, Homeland Security Investigations, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation’s Child Exploitation and Computer Crimes Unit, and the Savannah Police Department, with assistance from multiple state and local law enforcement agencies, the Southern District of Georgia U.S. Attorney’s Office, and the Chatham County District Attorney’s Office.
The operation targeted those who communicate online with children in order to engage in illegal sex acts. A total of seven individuals, including the named four federal defendants, were arrested on multiple state charges involving online sexual communications with purported children, and attempting to meet a child for illegal sex acts.
The defendants are being prosecuted for the United States by Sherri A. Stephan and Timothy P. Dean, Assistant U.S. Attorneys for the Southern District of Georgia.
Anyone with information on suspected child sexual exploitation can contact the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children at 800-843-5678, or https://report.cybertip.org/.
Five Georgia men sentenced to federal prison for participating in a dog fighting operationRead the Press Release
DUBLIN, GA: Five middle Georgia men have been sentenced to federal prison for their roles in a large-scale dog fighting operation.
The 96 dogs rescued from the operation were discovered during searches conducted as part of an investigation into a drug trafficking conspiracy in Laurens, Treutlen, Johnson, and Emanuel Counties, said Jill E. Steinberg, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. Two of those implicated in the dog-fighting operation also were sentenced in connection with the drug-trafficking conspiracy.
“As this investigation shows, animal fighting operations often occur in conjunction with other illegal activity,” said U.S. Attorney Steinberg. “In this case, holding these defendants accountable protects the welfare of these rescued animals while also removing dangerous drugs from the community.”
The five defendants each pled guilty to Conspiracy to Violate the Animal Welfare Act, and were sentenced in U.S. District Court. They include:
- Travis Martin, a/k/a “Fat,” 43, of Wrightsville, Ga., sentenced to 24 months in prison and fined $1,000. U.S. District Court Judge Dudley H. Bowen ordered the new sentence to be served consecutively to the 200-month sentence Martin is serving as the leader of the drug trafficking conspiracy;
- Sentell Carey, 41, of Wrightsville, Ga., sentenced to 18 months in prison and fined $2,000. Carey is serving a sentence of probation in the drug trafficking conspiracy;
- Dennis Wilcher, a/k/a “Buck,” 42, of Wrightsville, Ga., sentenced to 30 months in prison and fined $3,000;
- Terry Gilmore, 28, of Sandersville, Ga., sentenced to 23 months in prison and fined $2,500; and,
- Jonathan Linder, 35, of Rentz, Ga., sentenced to 20 months in prison and fined $2,000.
The defendants are all prohibited from owning dogs or engaging in any activity involving dogs, and must serve three years of supervised release upon completion of their prison terms. There is no parole in the federal system.
As described in court documents and testimony, the 2022 investigation by the Laurens County Sheriff’s Office and the Drug Enforcement Administration led to a 27-county federal indictment charging 11 defendants with participating in an operation distributing methamphetamine and heroin in the greater Laurens County area. That investigation led to multiple searches of residences and vehicles and the seizure of large amounts of drugs, cash, and firearms.
During that investigation, authorities rescued 96 dogs suspected to be part of a dog fighting operation from three locations in Johnson County, and two other locations in Laurens and Washington counties.
The dogs were seized in a civil action brought by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Georgia, and the U.S. Marshals Service contracted with an agency to provide veterinary service, care, and rehabilitation of the rescued dogs.
“The intentional infliction of pain and suffering on animals for sport is unfathomable,” said Special Agent-in-Charge Miles Davis of the U.S. Department of Agriculture-Office of Inspector General (USDA-OIG). “We appreciate the commitment of our law enforcement partners to pursue these individuals who choose to participate in these heinous acts while also committing other severe offenses in our communities.”
The criminal dog fighting prosecution was investigated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture Office of Inspector General and lead Agent Kelsey Tolomeo, with assistance from the U.S. Marshals Service and local law enforcement agencies, and prosecuted for the United States by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica K. Rock, while the civil forfeiture of the dogs was coordinated by Southern District of Georgia Civil Division Chief Shannon Heath Statkus.
The drug trafficking case was investigated by the Laurens County Sheriff’s Office and the Drug Enforcement Administration, with the assistance of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation Southeastern Regional Drug Enforcement Office, the Emanuel County Sheriff’s Office, the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office, and the Ocmulgee Drug Task Force, and prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer J. Kirkland.
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Glynn County woman sentenced to federal prison for defrauding real estate companyRead the Press Release
BRUNSWICK, GA: A Glynn County woman who managed the office of a real estate company has been sentenced to prison for siphoning off more than a quarter of a million dollars from her employer.
Tabitha Dobi, 46, of Brunswick, was sentenced to 33 months in prison after pleading guilty to Wire Fraud, said Jill E. Steinberg, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. U.S. District Court Judge Lisa Godbey Wood also ordered Dobi to pay $251,569 in restitution and to serve three years of supervised release upon completion of her prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
“Tabitha Dobi misused her position to defraud hundreds of thousands of dollars from an employer who trusted her,” said U.S. Attorney Steinberg. “This sentence holds her accountable for her fraudulent activity.”
As described in court records and testimony, a real estate company located in St. Simons spurred an investigation after a missing cash deposit led to the discovery of discrepancies in their financial records.
FBI investigators determined that Dobi, the company’s office manager for four years, used her position to steal cash deposits intended for the company’s property rentals, then manipulating the company’s accounting system to conceal the thefts.
Dobi also instructed one rental tenant to pay her directly through an online payment app and used the money for her personal benefit, and allowed friends to stay at the company’s rental properties without charge and without the company’s authorization.
As a result of those schemes, the company lost $251,569.
“Dobi violated the trust placed in her by her employer and will now spend time in prison paying for her crimes,” said Will Clarke, Supervisory Senior Resident Agent of FBI Atlanta’s Brunswick office. “Hopefully, this sentence sends a message that the FBI is dedicated to working with our partners to protect companies from anyone seeking to defraud them for their own personal greed.”
The case was investigated by the FBI, and prosecuted for the United States by Southern District of Georgia Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew A. Josephson.
Repeat bank robber sentenced to federal prison for Waycross heistRead the Press Release
WAYCROSS, GA: A former Brooklyn, N.Y., man with prior bank robbery convictions has been sentenced to 14 years in federal prison for robbing a Waycross bank.
Matthew McCloskey, 34, of Waycross, was sentenced to 168 months in prison after pleading guilty to Bank Robbery, said Jill E. Steinberg, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. U.S. District Court Judge R. Stan Baker ordered that McCloskey’s sentence run concurrently with his state sentence on a kidnapping conviction related to the bank robbery, ordered him to pay $877 in restitution, and to serve three years of supervised release upon completion of his prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
“Robbing a bank doesn’t just take money from a faceless institution; it terrorizes employees forced to comply with a robber’s frightening demands,” said U.S. Attorney Steinberg. “Matthew McCloskey is being held accountable for his criminal behavior.”
As described in court documents and testimony, McCloskey entered the Ameris Bank in Waycross on Sept. 9, 2022, and handed a note to the teller demanding money. After receiving cash, he ran to a waiting vehicle and fled the scene.
Waycross Police Department investigators located the getaway vehicle, and its owner admitted giving McCloskey a ride to the bank. Investigators learned that McCloskey and his girlfriend took a taxi to a local motel and used cash from the robbery to pay for the taxi. Officers took McCloskey into custody at the motel after a struggle that resulted in the kidnapping conviction on state charges when McCloskey refused to allow his girlfriend to leave their room.
McCloskey has two prior felony convictions for bank robbery in New York in 2013 and 2016.
“I sincerely appreciate the commendable efforts of Waycross Police Department officers, the FBI, and the U.S. Attorney's Office,” said Waycross Police Chief Tommy A. Cox Jr. “Our teamwork was paramount in bringing peace and closure to the victims of the crime.”
“By now, Matthew McCloskey should realize robbing a bank is not a winning proposition,” said Savannah Senior Supervisory Resident Agent Will Clarke of FBI Atlanta. “Those who choose to become involved in such a lifestyle should know that law enforcement at every level will work together tirelessly to bring them to justice.”
The case was investigated by the Waycross Police Department and FBI, and prosecuted for the United States by Southern District of Georgia Assistant U.S. Attorney L. Alexander Hamner.
Justice Department Secures Agreement to Resolve Sexual Harassment Lawsuit Against Savannah, Georgia, LandlordRead the Press Release
The Justice Department announced today that Iraj Shambayati, a landlord who owns and manages over 45 residential properties in and around Savannah, Georgia, has agreed to pay $600,000 to resolve allegations that he violated the Fair Housing Act (FHA) by sexually harassing and retaliating against his female tenants for over 15 years.
“No female tenant should have to endure sexual harassment and abuse in the sanctity of her own home,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “This settlement should send a clear message to housing providers and property owners: when you exploit your power and sexually harass and abuse tenants, the Justice Department will aggressively use federal civil rights laws to hold you accountable. As we mark National Fair Housing Month, we want survivors of these heinous acts to know that we stand with them and we encourage them to speak out and report complaints of unlawful sexual harassment.”
“Sexual harassment by a landlord is never acceptable,” said U.S. Attorney Jill E. Steinberg for the Southern District of Georgia. “This consent order takes Iraj Shambayati out of the property management business and emphasizes the Justice Department’s commitment to hold accountable landlords who would use their power to exploit tenants.”
Under the consent order approved by the United States District Court for the Southern District of Georgia, Shambayati and two other defendants, 1511 Rosewood LLC and IDHD Properties LLC, will pay $590,000 in monetary damages to female tenants and prospective tenants harmed by Shambayati’s conduct, as well as a civil penalty to the federal government. The order requires the defendants to vacate any retaliatory eviction judgments obtained against these tenants and to take steps to correct the tenants’ credit histories. The defendants are also prohibited from managing residential rental properties in the future and must retain an independent property manager for the properties.
The lawsuit, filed in August 2023, alleged that, since at least 2008, Shambayati harassed female tenants by making repeated and unwelcome sexual comments and advances, inappropriately touching their bodies without their permission, entering their homes without their permission or knowledge, requesting sexual acts from them in exchange for rent or other housing-related benefits and taking retaliatory actions against female tenants who rejected his sexual advances or complained about the harassment.
The Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Georgia handled the case.
Individuals who believe that they may have been victims of sexual harassment at rental dwellings owned or managed by Iraj Shambayati should contact the Justice Department at [email protected] or [email protected] or leave a message at 1-833-591-0291, selecting option 1 for English, option 2 for sexual harassment and then option 2 for Shambayati.
The Justice Department’s Sexual Harassment in Housing Initiative is led by the Civil Rights Division, in coordination with U.S. Attorneys’ Offices across the country. The goal of the department’s initiative is to address, deter and raise awareness about sexual harassment by landlords, property managers, maintenance workers, loan officers or other people who have control over housing. Since launching the initiative in October 2017, the department has filed 40 lawsuits alleging sexual harassment in housing and recovered nearly $12 million for victims of such harassment.
The FHA prohibits discrimination in housing based on sex, race, color, religion, national origin, disability and familial status. More information about the Civil Rights Division and the laws it enforces is available at www.justice.gov/crt. Individuals can report sexual harassment or other forms of housing discrimination by calling the Justice Department’s Housing Discrimination Tip Line at 1-833-591-0291 or submitting a report online. Individuals can also report such discrimination by contacting HUD at 1-800-669-9777 or by filing a complaint online.
Coffee County man sentenced to federal prison for illegally obtaining COVID-19 pandemic relief fundsRead the Press Release
WAYCROSS, GA: A Coffee County man was sentenced to federal prison and ordered to pay more than $1.3 million in restitution for fraudulently obtaining funds intended to help businesses struggling financially during the pandemic.
Kyle Waldron, 59, of Douglas, Ga., was sentenced to 15 months in prison after pleading guilty to money laundering, said Jill E. Steinberg, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. U.S. District Court Judge Lisa Godbey Wood also ordered Waldron to pay $1,371,219 in restitution. During the investigation federal agents seized $326,461 from Waldron’s bank accounts, which is subject to forfeiture. Judge Wood ordered Waldron to serve three years of supervised release upon completion of his prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
“Kyle Waldron committed brazen fraud and theft from pandemic relief funds,” said U.S. Attorney Steinberg. “We continue to collaborate with our law enforcement partners to hold accountable those who would illegally access these funds to fuel their own greed.”
Enacted by Congress in 2020, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act provided more than $650 billion to financially struggling small businesses during the COIVD-19 pandemic. Those funds were disbursed primarily as grants and forgivable loans through the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL) through the Small Business Administration (SBA).
As described in court documents and testimony, an investigation by Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigations and the U.S. Secret Service determined that Waldron submitted at least 20 different PPP or EIDL applications on behalf of multiple businesses and individuals. To obtain loan funds, Waldron submitted multiple fake IRS forms in support of the funding applications, and falsely claimed large numbers of non-existent employees and inflated revenues in fraudulent requests for PPP and EIDL funding. Those applications resulted in SBA disbursements of more than $1.3 million.
“The sentence, along with the restitution, serves as a notice to those who committed COVID-19 fraud that IRS Criminal Investigation special agents and our partners are still conducting investigations and holding them accountable,” said Demetrius Hardeman, Special Agent in Charge, IRS Criminal Investigation, Atlanta Field Office.
“Waldron believed that he could commit fraud and steal money designated to help businesses struggling to survive during the COVID-19 pandemic,” said J. Craig Reno, Resident Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Secret Service Savannah Resident Office. “This sentence should serve as a warning to potential thieves that they will be caught and prosecuted. As part of our dual protective and investigative mission, we are tasked with safeguarding the United States’ financial and payment systems from criminal exploitation. The U.S. Secret Service is committed to investigating cases of fraud and we work hand-in-hand with our law enforcement partners to pursue justice for victims of financial crime across the country.”
The case was investigated by Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigations and the U.S. Secret Service and prosecuted for the United States by Southern District of Georgia Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew A. Josephson and J. Bishop Ravenel.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
Multiple defendants prosecuted on federal firearms, drug chargesRead the Press Release
SAVANNAH, GA: Newly returned indictments in the Southern District of Georgia include felony charges for illegal firearms possession and drug distribution, while additional defendants have been sentenced to federal prison or await further proceedings after pleading guilty to federal gun charges.
“Reducing violent crime in our communities requires a collaborative effort with our law enforcement partners to remove illegally possessed firearms from our streets,” said Jill E. Steinberg, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. “Active prosecution of these cases also discourages others from illegally using guns.”
The cases are prosecuted as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods in collaboration with federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies, including the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the FBI, to reduce violent crime with measures that include targeting convicted felons who illegally possess guns.
Those indicted during the April term of the U.S. District Court Grand Jury include:
- Lial Stephens, 28, of Pooler, Ga., charged with two counts of Interference with Commerce by Robbery, and two counts of Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Crime of Violence. The charges stem from armed robberies in September and November of 2023 at a Garden City, Ga., convenience store.
- Cornelius Denzel Butler, a/k/a “Juice,” 30, of Baxley, Ga., charged with Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine, Cocaine, Crack Cocaine, and Marijuana, and Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime;
- Raquan Williams, 23, of Savannah, charged with False Statement During the Purchase of a Firearm, and Illegal Receipt of a Firearm by a Person Under Indictment;
- Keith Javon Johnson, 31, of Savannah, charged with Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition by a Convicted Felon;
- Richard Bruce Salyer Jr., 48, of Forsyth, Ga., charged with Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon; and,
- Eddie Robertson, 30, of Savannah, charged with Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon.
In addition, O’kere Shields, 22, of Savannah, charged with Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon in a recently unsealed indictment.
All indicted defendants are considered innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Defendants recently adjudicated on federal firearms charges include:
- Jacques B. Pope, 32, of Savannah, was sentenced to 120 months in prison after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Savannah police officers investigating gunshots in a public area determined Pope possessed a pistol. Pope previously was convicted on federal firearms charges.
- Karron L. Shuman, 36, of Savannah, was sentenced to 86 months in prison after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Savannah police found a pistol in Shuman’s vehicle during a traffic stop.
- Dennis Mitchell, 51, of Brunswick, Ga., was sentenced to 37 months in prison after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Brunswick police officers found Mitchell in possession of a gun during a traffic stop.
- Jakobian Sentell Jones, 25, of Warrenton, Ga., awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon, and Possession with Intent to Distribute Cocaine and Methamphetamine. Georgia State Patrol troopers found Jones in possession of a revolver during a traffic stop, and in possession of cocaine and methamphetamine during a subsequent search.
- Zanuck Lorenzo Berry, 43, of Martinez, Ga., awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Drug Enforcement Administration agents searched Berry’s home in January 2023 as part of a drug trafficking investigation and found an assault-style rifle, two semiautomatic “ghost gun” pistols, a third handgun, and a shotgun.
- Othnell Christian Ferguson, 27, of Pembroke, Ga., awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Statesboro police officers determined Ferguson possessed a pistol during a foot chase following a February 2023 traffic stop.
- Robert Antonio Green, 26, of Savannah, awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. A probation officer from the Georgia Department of Community Supervision found a handgun in Green’s possession during a probation class.
- Desirae Heinsler, 38, of Eastman, Ga., awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to False Statement During the Purchase of a Firearm. After officers from the Rochester (NY) Police Department recovered multiple illegally possessed firearms, the investigation determined the guns originally were purchased in Georgia by Heinsler who provided false information to a licensed firearms dealer in Jeff Davis County.
- Tamarcus Antonio Heard, 37, of Washington, Ga., awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. A Georgia State Patrol trooper found Heard in possession of a pistol during a traffic stop.
- Michael Jerome Germany, 50, of Grovetown, Ga., awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Grovetown police officers found a pistol in Germany’s vehicle during a traffic stop.
- Arthur Eugene Cannon, 41, of Savannah, awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to Possession of a Stolen Firearm. Savannah Chatham Counter Narcotics Team investigators determined that Cannon illegally possessed a stolen pistol discovered during a drug trafficking investigation. A co-defendant, Thomas Allen Gordon, 56, of Savannah, awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to Possession of Methamphetamine and Fentanyl with Intent to Distribute.
- Jarrett Lamar Knight, 45, of Savannah, awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. As described in the plea agreement, Knight was a convicted felon when he sold a shotgun to a confidential informant during an ATF investigation.
- Matthew Lacey, 26, of Savannah, awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Savannah police officers arrested Lacey on warrants from an April 2023 domestic violence incident and found him in possession of a handgun.
The cases are being prosecuted for the United States by the Southern District of Georgia U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Under federal law, it is illegal for an individual to possess a firearm if he or she falls into one of nine prohibited categories including being a felon; illegal alien; or unlawful user of a controlled substance. Further, it is unlawful to possess a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense or violent crime. It is also illegal to purchase – or even to attempt to purchase – firearms if the buyer is a prohibited person or illegally purchasing a firearm on behalf of others. Lying on ATF Form 4473, which is used to lawfully purchase a firearm, also is a federal offense.
For more information from the ATF on the lawful purchasing of firearms, please see: https://www.atf.gov/qa-category/atfw-form-4473
Ghost Busted defendant who sold fatal fentanyl doses sentenced to two decades in prisonRead the Press Release
BRUNSWICK, GA: A Glynn County man has been sentenced to 20 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to trafficking drugs that led to two fatal overdoses.
Jon Dillon Screen, 32, of Brunswick, Ga., was sentenced to 240 months in prison after pleading guilty to Possession with Intent to Distribute and to Distribute 50 Grams or More of Methamphetamine and a Quantity of Fentanyl, said Jill E. Steinberg, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. U.S. District Court Judge Lisa Godbey Wood also ordered Screen to serve five years of supervised release upon completion of his prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
“Dillon Screen’s sentence is among the highest of all defendants sentenced in Operation Ghost Busted, and for good reason: He sold drugs that killed people,” said U.S. Attorney Steinberg. “This multi-agency investigation and prosecution demonstrates our commitment to holding accountable those who illegally sell fentanyl and other deadly drugs.”
Operation Ghost Busted, unsealed in January 2023 as USA v. Alvarez et al., charged 76 defendants with involvement in a drug trafficking conspiracy that distributed large amounts of high-grade methamphetamine, along with fentanyl, heroin, and alprazolam in the greater Glynn County area.
For more than two years, investigators from the FBI Coastal Georgia Violent Gang Task Force, the Glynn County Police Department, the Brunswick Police Department, the Glynn County Sheriff's Office, and the Camden County Sheriff's Office collaborated with multiple federal, state and local agencies to identify the sprawling drug trafficking network. The conspiracy operated inside and outside Georgia prisons, coordinated by members of the Ghost Face Gangsters working with affiliates of other criminal street gangs including the Aryan Brotherhood, Bloods, and Gangster Disciples.
Screen, a member of the Gangster Disciples with a significant criminal history including a federal conviction for heroin trafficking, was a large-scale distributor and dealer in the operation. The investigation determined that two people – Screen’s 31-year-old girlfriend and a 58-year-old Brunswick man – died after injecting fentanyl obtained directly from Screen.
More than 70 defendants have been sentenced in the conspiracy or are awaiting sentencing after pleading guilty. Other defendants are awaiting trial including David D. Young, a/k/a “Khaos,” 43, of Hortense, Ga., who was a fugitive until his March 10 capture in Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico. The remaining defendants are considered innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Among the defendants previously sentenced in this case, James D. NeSmith, 26, of Brunswick, used contraband cell phones and a corrupt prison guard to coordinate the drug distribution operation as an inmate at Telfair State Prison where he was serving a life sentence for murder. He was sentenced to life in federal prison after pleading guilty in the drug trafficking conspiracy. His girlfriend Rachael P. Byrd, a/k/a “Bird is the Word,” 26, of Waverly, Ga., was a major drug distributor and transporter who served as the outside link between NeSmith and other drug dealers. She is serving a 324-month sentence after pleading guilty in the conspiracy.
“In September 2021, the McIntosh County Sheriff’s Office investigated Jon Dillon Screen after his girlfriend was found deceased in Darien,” said Lt. Mike Ward with the McIntosh County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigations Division. “In the course of several months following the untimely death of Rebecca Cain, Investigators were able to obtain evidence that resulted in the arrest of Screen. Our agency began working with the FBI and Glynn County Police Department that identified similar acts. We will continue to hold responsible those who distribute narcotics resulting in the death of others.”
“Dillon Screen didn’t care whose lives he put in danger to sell his fatal drug mixtures, including his own girlfriend,” said Senior Supervisory Special Agent Will Clark of FBI Atlanta’s Brunswick office. “Operation Ghost Busted put a major dent in drug trafficking in Southeast Georgia. We will continue operations like this as long as gangs and dealers continue selling their deadly drugs.”
“The charges in this indictment further demonstrate the utter brutality of this group and the havoc the gang inflicts on our communities,” said Beau Kolodka, Assistant Special Agent in Charge of the Atlanta Field Office of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. “ATF and our law enforcement partners will continue to combat gang violence with relentless perseverance until the gang is dismantled and its members are brought to justice.”
“Drug trafficking is not a victimless crime. Dangerous drugs are claiming lives and are damaging to the welfare of citizens and communities across the state,” said Chris Hosey, Director of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation. “The GBI takes these crimes very seriously and will continue to participate in operations like Operation Ghost Busted alongside partners to combat drug distribution in the state of Georgia.”
Operation Ghost Busted, the largest drug trafficking prosecution in the history of the Southern District of Georgia, was investigated under the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF). OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach.
Agencies involved in the investigation include the FBI Coastal Georgia Violent Gang Task Force; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the U.S. Marshals Service; the Georgia Bureau of Investigation; the Georgia Department of Corrections; the Georgia Department of Community Supervision; the Glynn County Police Department; the Brunswick Police Department; the Glynn County Sheriff’s Office; and sheriff’s offices from Pierce, Camden, Wayne, Treutlen, McIntosh, Toombs, Telfair, Dodge, and Ware counties. The case is being prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jennifer J. Kirkland and Criminal Division Deputy Chief E. Greg Gilluly Jr.
Multiple defendants prosecuted on federal firearms, drug chargesRead the Press Release
SAVANNAH, GA: Newly returned indictments in the Southern District of Georgia include felony charges for illegal firearms possession and drug distribution, while additional defendants have been sentenced to federal prison or await further proceedings after pleading guilty to federal gun charges.
“Illegally possessed firearms continue to present a challenge for law enforcement agencies, including the increasing threat from guns illegally modified for fully automatic fire,” said Jill E. Steinberg, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. “With our law enforcement partners, we will target these illegal weapons and remove them to make our streets safer.”
The cases are prosecuted as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods in collaboration with federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies, including the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the FBI, to reduce violent crime with measures that include targeting convicted felons who illegally possess guns.
Those indicted during the March term of the U.S. District Court Grand Jury include:
- Jacorey Rivers, 32, of Savannah, charged with Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon; Possession of a Machinegun; and Possession with Intent to Distribute 400 or More Grams of Fentanyl;
- Christopher Michael Owens, a/k/a “Lambo,” 41, Robert Michael Waltz, a/k/a “Hurricane,” both of Hinesville, Ga., and Juan Carlos Rosado Morla, 27, of Gainesville, Ga., charged with multiple drug trafficking offenses. Owens and Waltz are charged with Possession with Intent to Distribute Crack Cocaine; Waltz and Morla are charged with Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and to Distribute 500 Grams or More of Cocaine, and Attempted Possession with Intent to Distribute 500 Grams or More of Cocaine; Owens is charged with Possession with Intent to Distribute Marijuana, Possession of a Firearm During and in Relation to a Drug Trafficking Crime, and Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon; and Morla is charged with Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and to Distribute Marijuana and 500 Grams or More of Methamphetamine, and Possession with Intent to Distribute Marijuana and 500 Grams or More of Methamphetamine;
- Garland D. Williams, 55, of Hephzibah, Ga., charged with Possession with Intent to Distribute 500 Grams or More of Methamphetamine, and Possession of a Firearm During a Drug Trafficking Crime;
- James Timothy Johnson, 30, of Waycross, Ga., charged with Possession of a Machinegun; and,
- Christopher Jeramy Blair, 44, of Pembroke, Ga., charged with Possession of Firearms by a Convicted Felon.
All indicted defendants are considered innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Defendants recently adjudicated on federal firearms charges include:
- Chester Morgan, 53, of Savannah, was sentenced to 46 months in prison after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Savannah Police officers arrested Morgan in May 2023 after finding a co-worker’s stolen pistol in his vehicle.
- Wesley Rosenberg, 25, of Ludowici, Ga., was sentenced to 20 months in prison and fined $1,000 after pleading guilty to Engaging in the Firearms Business Without a License. An ATF investigation determined Rosenberg unlawfully imported and sold firearm silencers.
- Isaac C. Brown, 40, of Guyton, Ga., awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Georgia Ports Authority police conducting enhanced screenings at the Garden City Terminal found a pistol inside Brown’s truck in March 2023.
- Joshua Bowser, 29, of Savannah, awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Savannah Police officers found Bowser in possession of a semiautomatic pistol with an extended magazine while serving an arrest warrant related to a shooting in Savannah’s City Market.
- Kenneth Oliver Riley, 60, of Savannah, awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Savannah Police officers found a revolver in Riley’s pocket during a shooting investigation.
- Brian Wesley Dean, 45, of Bloomingdale, Ga., awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Pooler police officers found a pistol in Dean’s possession during a traffic stop.
- Jose Miguel Marrero, 27, and his mother Jacqueline Christmas, 50, both of Statesboro, Ga., each await sentencing after pleading guilty to False Statement During the Purchase of a Firearm. An ATF investigation determined that Marrero and Christmas purchased multiple handguns from a Bulloch County gun store, falsely claiming that Marrero was the buyer of the guns when they were actually purchased by and delivered to Christmas’ brother-in-law in New York.
The cases are being prosecuted for the United States by the Southern District of Georgia U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Under federal law, it is illegal for an individual to possess a firearm if he or she falls into one of nine prohibited categories including being a felon; illegal alien; or unlawful user of a controlled substance. Further, it is unlawful to possess a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense or violent crime. It is also illegal to purchase – or even to attempt to purchase – firearms if the buyer is a prohibited person or illegally purchasing a firearm on behalf of others. Lying on ATF Form 4473, which is used to lawfully purchase a firearm, also is a federal offense.
For more information from the ATF on the lawful purchasing of firearms, please see: https://www.atf.gov/qa-category/atfw-form-4473
Atlanta man sentenced to prison for fraudulently obtaining COVID-19 small-business relief fundingRead the Press Release
SAVANNAH, GA: An Atlanta man who provided phony documentation to receive small business pandemic relief payments has been sentenced to prison and ordered to repay the funding.
Kemar Clarke Jr., 28, of Atlanta, has been sentenced to eight months in prison and ordered to pay $41,665 in restitution, said Jill E. Steinberg, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. U.S. District Court Judge R. Stan Baker also ordered Clarke to serve three years of supervised release upon completion of his prison term.
“When Congress approved relief funding for small businesses struggling during the COVID-19 pandemic, far too many people saw it as an opportunity to cash in at the expense of deserving business owners,” said U.S. Attorney Steinberg. “We are committed to holding accountable those who defraud American taxpayers.”
The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act authorized the Small Business Administration to provide and/or guarantee loans to keep small businesses afloat during the pandemic’s financial challenges. One of the programs provided forgivable loans through the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP).
As described in court documents and testimony, agents from the Department of the Army Criminal Investigative Division at Fort Stewart determined that a paralegal specialist serving in the U.S. Army at Hunter Army Airfield had fraudulently obtained a PPP loan for a non-existent barber shop. The investigation also determined that the soldier, after receiving $20,832 in PPP funding, then paid an $8,000 kickback to Clarke for submitting the application on his behalf.
The investigation also determined that Clarke also had fraudulently obtained PPP funding for $20,832 – the maximum amount available to a sole proprietor. The restitution amount reflects the total PPP payouts.
“Unscrupulous actors engaged in PPP fraud have pilfered taxpayer dollars and undermined public trust in government programs.” said Steven Ausfeldt, Special Agent in Charge of Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division’s Southeast Field Office. “We will continue to aggressively pursue fraudsters who try to defraud the U.S. Army and hold them accountable for exploiting government programs for their own profit.”
The case was investigated by the Department of the Army Criminal Investigative Division and prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew A. Josephson and David H. Estes.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
Bryan County men indicted for bombing Richmond Hill residenceRead the Press Release
SAVANNAH, GA: Two Bryan County men have been indicted on multiple federal charges for the January 2023 bombing of a Richmond Hill residence.
Stephen Glosser, 37, and Caleb Kinsey, 34, both of Richmond Hill, Ga., are charged with Stalking; Use of an Explosive to Commit Another Felony Offense; Conspiracy to Use an Explosive to Commit a Felony; and Possession of an Unregistered Destructive Device. Kinsey also is charged with False Statement During the Purchase of a Firearm, and Possession of Firearms by a Convicted Felon.
The conspiracy charge carries a statutory penalty upon conviction of up to 20 years in prison, with an additional 10 years upon conviction for the charge of using an explosive to commit a felony. There is no parole in the federal system.
The indictment in USA v. Glosser et al., returned by the March session of the U.S. District Court Grand Jury, was announced by Southern District of Georgia U.S. Attorney Jill E. Steinberg. It alleges from December 2022 to January 2023, the two men used electronic communications to place Victim 1 under surveillance “with the intent to kill, injure, harass, or intimidate,” and used a destructive device during that conduct.
The conspiracy charge describes using cell phones to “create a plan to kill, intimidate, harass, or injure the victim” through methods including shooting arrows into the victim’s front door, acquiring and releasing “a large python into the victim’s home to eat the victim’s daughter,” mailing dog feces or dead rats to the victim’s home, scalping the victim, and blowing up the victim’s home.
The indictment further alleges that Glosser located the victim’s home using internet searches, mapped out a path to the victim’s residence, and then with Kinsey acquired and built an explosive device at Glosser’s home using Tannerite that Kinsey purchased online. The two then “used a destructive device to blow up the victim’s home” on or about Jan. 13, 2023.
Both Glosser and Kinsey are in custody awaiting further court proceedings and are considered innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The case is being investigated by Bryan County Fire and Emergency Services, the Bryan County Sheriff’s Office, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Chatham County Sheriff’s Office and its K-9 unit, the Savannah Fire Department, and the Grant Parish (Louisiana) Sheriff’s Office, and Prosecuted for the United States by Southern District of Georgia Assistant U.S. Attorney L. Alexander Hamner.
Johnson County man sentenced to federal prison for lead role in drug trafficking conspiracyRead the Press Release
DUBLIN, GA: A Johnson County man has been sentenced to more than 16 years in prison after pleading guilty to drug trafficking, and awaits sentencing with other defendants after pleading guilty to dog fighting charges.
Travis Lee Martin, a/k/a “Fat,” 42, of Wrightsville, Ga., was sentenced to 200 months in prison after pleading guilty to Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and to Distribute 50 Grams or More of Methamphetamine and 100 Grams or More of Heroin, said Jill E. Steinberg, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. U.S. District Court Judge Dudley H. Bowen ordered the sentence to run consecutively to a pending sentence Martin faces in a related dogfighting case, fined Martin $5,000 and ordered him to serve five years of supervised release upon completion of his prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
“This sentence is a testament to the outstanding investigation by the Laurens County Sheriff’s Office, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and other law enforcement agencies that identified and dismantled Martin’s multi-county drug trafficking and dog fighting operations,” said U.S. Attorney Steinberg. “These collaborations are vital in eradicating dangerous criminal activity in our communities.”
Martin and 11 co-defendants were named in a 27-count drug conspiracy indictment unsealed in December 2022, identifying an operation distributing methamphetamine and heroin in Laurens, Treutlen, Johnson, and Emanuel counties. The three-year investigation led to multiple searches of residences and vehicles, resulting in numerous seizures of drugs, cash and firearms. Martin’s guilty plea in the case acknowledges the forfeiture of $80,050 in cash seized during the investigation.
All of the remaining defendants have been sentenced after pleading guilty to related charges and are serving sentences of up to 87 months in prison.
During the drug trafficking investigation, authorities also rescued 96 dogs suspected to be part of a dog fighting operation from three Johnson County locations, a location in Laurens County and one in Washington County. Martin and four co-defendants await sentencing after pleading guilty to Conspiracy to Violate the Animal Welfare Act, a charge that carries a maximum statutory penalty of up to five years in prison. Among those co-defendants is Sentell Eugene Carey, 40, of Wrightsville, Ga., who is serving four years’ probation after also pleading guilty in the drug trafficking case. Judge Bowen will schedule sentencing hearings after U.S. Probation Services completes pre-sentence investigations for each defendant.
The dogs were seized in a civil action brought by the Southern District of Georgia U.S. Attorney’s Office, and the U.S. Marshals Service contracted with an agency to provide veterinary service, care and rehabilitation of the rescued dogs.
“Illicit drugs like methamphetamine and heroin have destroyed countless lives,” Robert J. Murphy, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Division stated, “Cases like this clearly demonstrate the resolve of the DEA to hold criminals accountable.”
“The U.S. Department of Agriculture, Office of Inspector General-Investigations, actively investigates allegations of animal abuse. This agency has made animal fighting a high priority in order to demonstrate that these blatant acts of cruelty to animals will no longer be tolerated,” said Special Agent in Charge Miles Davis. “We would like to thank the U.S. Attorney’s Office and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica K. Rock for aggressively prosecuting perpetrators of animal fighting, and our federal, local state law enforcement partners, for their dedicated work in this investigation.”
The drug trafficking case was investigated by the Laurens County Sheriff’s Office and the Drug Enforcement Administration, with the assistance of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation Southeastern Regional Drug Enforcement Office, the Emanuel County Sheriff’s Office, the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office, and the Ocmulgee Drug Task Force, and prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer J. Kirkland.
The criminal dog fighting prosecution was investigated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture Office of Inspector General, with assistance from the U.S. Marshals Service and local law enforcement agencies, and prosecuted for the United States by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica K. Rock, while the civil forfeiture of the dogs was coordinated by Southern District of Georgia Civil Division Chief Shannon Heath Statkus.
Mother and son tax preparers sentenced to prison for tax fraudRead the Press Release
AUGUSTA, GA: The owners of a McDuffie County, Ga., tax preparation service have been sentenced to prison for filing dozens of fraudulent tax returns to obtain hundreds of thousands of dollars in excess IRS refunds for clients.
Annie Bailey, 67, of Thomson, was sentenced to 21 months in prison and her son Tremarcus Bailey, 43, also of Thomson, Ga., was to 30 months in prison after pleading guilty to Conspiracy to Defraud the United States, said Jill E. Steinberg, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. U.S. District Court Chief Judge J. Randal Hall also ordered the Baileys to pay restitution of $683,046 and to each serve three years of supervised release upon completion of their prison terms.
There is no parole in the federal system.
“The Baileys’ business was a breeding ground for fraudulent activity, illegally enhancing their customers’ income tax refunds at the expense of the U.S. Treasury,” said U.S. Attorney Steinberg. “Thanks to the investigative work of our law enforcement partners, the Baileys are being held accountable for their criminal behavior.”
As described in court documents and testimony, including the Baileys’ guilty pleas, Annie Bailey owned Bailey’s Tax Service in Thomson, Ga., and her son Tremarcus was an employee. The company prepared income tax returns on behalf of customers since 2000. The business came to the attention of Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation in 2017, and a subsequent investigation determined the Baileys used fraudulent and fabricated information when filing tax returns for individual customers in order to illegally inflate the amount of refunds the clients would receive.
The investigation determined that from 2014 to 2018, the fraudulent returns prepared by the Baileys resulted in $683,046 in criminal tax losses to the IRS.
“The sentencings of the Baileys should serve as a notice to dishonest tax preparers that their fraud will eventually be uncovered,” said Demetrius Hardeman, Acting Special Agent in Charge, Atlanta Field Office of IRS-Criminal Investigation. “We will continue to investigate and prosecute tax preparers who willfully include false items on tax returns, and this is a reminder to taxpayers to review their return with the preparer for accuracy.”
The case was investigated by Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, and prosecuted for the United States by Southern District of Georgia Assistant U.S. Attorney Henry W. Syms Jr.
Leader, final defendant in Augusta-area drug trafficking conspiracy sentenced to nearly 13 years in federal prisonRead the Press Release
AUGUSTA, GA: The last of 10 defendants in an Augusta-area drug trafficking conspiracy has been sentenced to more than a decade in federal prison.
Justin Wayne Fields, 40, of Swainsboro, Ga., was sentenced to 168 months in prison after pleading guilty to Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute, and to Distribute, Methamphetamine and Heroin, said Jill E. Steinberg, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. U.S. District Court Chief Judge J. Randal Hall also fined Fields $2,500 and ordered him to serve three years of supervised release upon completion of his prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
“Justin Fields and his network conspired with a Georgia state prison inmate to facilitate methamphetamine and heroin shipments from Atlanta to Richmond and Emanuel Counties,” said U.S. Attorney Steinberg. “The investigation and prosecution of this operation and a related conspiracy sent more than a dozen defendants to federal prison, removing their malign influence from our communities.”
As described in court documents and testimony, the investigations that led to the indictments of 10 defendants in USA v. Fields et. al in October 2022 and seven defendants in USA v. Wheatley et. al in April 2022, together dubbed Operation Wheat Fields, identified a conspiracy to transport and distribute large amounts of methamphetamine and heroin in the areas of Richmond and Emanuel counties.
The multi-agency investigation, led by the Swainsboro Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, identified a pipeline of illegal drugs from Mexico routed through Atlanta and into the greater Augusta area, facilitated by defendants that included those housed in Georgia prisons who used contraband devices to communicate via text message and Facebook. The investigation led to multiple searches of residences, vehicles, and hotel rooms that led to the seizure of illegal drugs and firearms.
Fields’ nine co-defendants, along with the seven defendants in the related indictment, all pled guilty to federal charges. Of the 17 defendants, 16 have been sentenced to terms of up to 240 months in federal prison for their roles in the conspiracies. They include:
- Jayson Dwayne Wheatley, 42, of Augusta, sentenced to 240 months in prison. Wheatley was identified as the leader in the parallel conspiracy indicted in USA v. Wheatley et. al.
- Joshua Brooks Woodward, 30, of Augusta, sentenced to 134 months in prison. Woodward, while an inmate in a Georgia state prison, used contraband cell phones to coordinate distribution from an Atlanta-area drug supplier to Fields and others in the conspiracy.
- Elizabeth Sarah Hagan, 39, of Augusta, sentenced to 120 month in prison. Hagan assisted Woodward with transporting money and buying drugs for which Woodward coordinated distribution.
“This sentence is a direct message to criminals that ATF will not allow egregious violations of our laws go unpunished,” said Beau Kolodka, Assistant Special Agent in Charge of the Atlanta Field Office of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. “If you traffic guns and drugs, you will be targeted, and we will ensure that you are prosecuted and removed from our streets.”
“Those who distribute deadly drugs, such as methamphetamine and heroin, create serious risks to our communities,” said Robert J. Murphy, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration Atlanta Division. DEA will use any resource necessary to remove these dangerous drug traffickers from our communities.”
“This sentencing shows that the GBI and our partners will not tolerate the nefarious acts of those who seek to traffic drugs in Georgia,” said Chris Hosey, Director of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation. “These drugs poison our communities and destroy families. There is no place for illegal drugs in our state, and we will continue to work to remove them from our streets and keep our communities safe.“
The case was investigated under the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach.
Operation Wheat Fields was investigated by the Swainsboro Police Department; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the Georgia Bureau of Investigation; the Emanuel County Sheriff’s Office; the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office; the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration; and the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office and is being prosecuted for the United States by Southern District of Georgia Assistant U.S. Attorney Patricia G. Rhodes.
Multiple defendants prosecuted on federal firearms, drug chargesRead the Press Release
SAVANNAH, GA: Newly returned indictments in the Southern District of Georgia include felony charges for illegal firearms possession and drug distribution, while additional defendants have been sentenced to federal prison or await further proceedings after pleading guilty to federal gun charges.
“With our law enforcement partners, we continue the work of removing firearms from the hands of those who can’t legally possess them – especially those convicted of prior felonies,” said Jill E. Steinberg, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. “This effort is a vital step in reducing gun violence in our communities.”
The cases are prosecuted as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods in collaboration with federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies, including the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the FBI, to reduce violent crime with measures that include targeting convicted felons who illegally possess guns.
Those indicted during the February term of the U.S. District Court Grand Jury include:
- Daveon Daniels, 25, of Grovetown, Ga., charged with Illegal Possession of a Machinegun and Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon.
- Matthew Lacey, 26, of Savannah, is charged in a superseding indictment with Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. He originally was indicted on the same charge in November 2023 and the superseding indictment adds enhanced penalties; and,
- Justin Anthony Brown, 32, of Augusta, charged with Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon.
Two Savannah men also were named in a recently unsealed January indictment: Jacerio Maurice Famble, 35, and Aaron Jamonta Bennett, 32, are charged with Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and to Distribute Psilocyn and Marijuana, and Possession with Intent to Distribute Psilocyn and Marijuana. Famble also is charged with Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime and Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon.
All indicted defendants are considered innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Defendants recently adjudicated on federal firearms charges include:
- Jonathan Duncan, 38, of Savannah, sentenced to 64 months in prison after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Savannah police officers found a pistol and drugs in Duncan’s vehicle during a November 2022 traffic stop. As noted in his guilty plea, Duncan has a prior state conviction for illegal gun possession.
- Keith Ponsell, 34, of Jesup, Ga., sentenced to 24 months in prison after pleading guilty to Possession of an Unregistered Firearm. A Georgia State Patrol trooper found an illegal “pen” gun in Ponsell’s pocket during a traffic stop in Jesup in June 2022.
- William Zaccaeus Hightower, 24, of Blackshear, Ga., awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to Possession with Intent to Distribute Cocaine and Marijuana, and Possession of a Machinegun. Pierce County sheriff’s deputies found a pistol and drugs in Hightower’s vehicle after an attempted traffic stop in May 2022 ended with Hightower striking a police vehicle and crashing. ATF agents determined the Glock 9mm pistol in Hightower’s possession was fitted with a device rendering it fully automatic.
- Christopher David Baskett, 46, of Augusta, awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Richmond County sheriff’s deputies arrested Baskett in September 2020 while investigating reports of gunfire in downtown Augusta. After an initial confrontation, deputies located a pistol in Baskett’s vehicle. Baskett has a prior conviction for voluntary manslaughter in South Carolina.
The cases are being prosecuted for the United States by the Southern District of Georgia U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Under federal law, it is illegal for an individual to possess a firearm if he or she falls into one of nine prohibited categories including being a felon; illegal alien; or unlawful user of a controlled substance. Further, it is unlawful to possess a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense or violent crime. It is also illegal to purchase – or even to attempt to purchase – firearms if the buyer is a prohibited person or illegally purchasing a firearm on behalf of others. Lying on ATF Form 4473, which is used to lawfully purchase a firearm, also is a federal offense.
For more information from the ATF on the lawful purchasing of firearms, please see: https://www.atf.gov/qa-category/atfw-form-4473
Final defendants sentenced to prison for roles in conspiracy to steal aircraft design secretsRead the Press Release
SAVANNAH, GA: Two California men have been sentenced to federal prison for their roles in a conspiracy to steal aircraft design and testing information in order to shorten the regulatory approval process for a competing company’s technology.
Juan Martinez, 53, of Brea, California, was sentenced to 63 months in prison after being convicted in August 2023 in U.S. District Court in Savannah on one count of Conspiracy to Steal Trade Secrets, said Jill E. Steinberg, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia, while Joseph Pascua, 61, of Escondido, California, was sentenced to 86 months in prison after being convicted in February 2023 for Conspiracy to Steal Trade Secrets.
U.S. District Court Judge R. Stan Baker also fined Martinez and Pascua $1,000 each and ordered them to serve three years of supervised release upon completion of their prison terms. There is no parole in the federal system.
“Ideas have value, especially when those ideas involve complex engineering designs such as those stolen by the participants in this conspiracy,” said U.S. Attorney Steinberg. “Our law enforcement partners did exceptional work to identify the members of this conspiracy and bringing them to justice.”
As the evidence showed at trial, Martinez was a contractor who worked as a technical lead for a small aeronautics company. With Pascua and the other conspirators, he launched a scheme to steal proprietary trade secret information from a large aircraft company for use in developing and marketing their own technology, with the intent to market and sell that technology to the true owner’s competitors.
Two other conspirators are serving federal prison terms after pleading guilty in the case. Craig German, 60, of Kernersville, North Carolina, is serving 70 months in prison after pleading guilty to Conspiracy to Steal Trade Secrets, plus 20 months for Perjury and False Statements to a Government Agency for providing false information during testimony given in his first sentencing. Gilbert Basaldua, 63, of Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, is serving 80 months in prison after pleading guilty to Conspiracy to Steal Trade Secrets and Interstate Transportation of Stolen Property.
“When companies invest huge amounts of time and money to develop technologies, only to have those technologies stolen, the results are devastating,” said Will Clarke, Supervisory Senior Resident Agent of FBI Atlanta’s Savannah office. “These defendants intended not only to enrich themselves but bypass the legally established system. This case should serve as a warning to those entrusted with valuable trade secrets: If you break the law, you will be punished.”
The case was investigated by the FBI and prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Darron J. Hubbard and Jenna G. Solari.
Key figure in international cocaine trafficking operation sentenced to 20 years in federal prisonRead the Press Release
SAVANNAH, GA: A key conspirator in a Colombian drug trafficking operation has been sentenced to 20 years in federal prison for attempting to fly cocaine to other countries using U.S.-registered aircraft to evade scrutiny.
Agim Cerma, a/k/a “Jimmy,” 54, a citizen of Albania living in Colombia, was sentenced to 240 months in prison after pleading guilty to his role in a conspiracy to transport cocaine aboard U.S.-registered aircraft, said Jill E. Steinberg, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. U.S. District Court Judge R. Stan Baker also ordered Cerma to serve three years of supervised release upon completion of his prison term and to be deported as part of his release conditions.
There is no parole in the federal system.
“International trafficking in illegal drugs represents a direct threat to the safety of the citizens of the United States, and this investigation and prosecution dismantles an operation planning to fly hundreds of kilos of cocaine out of Colombia,” said U.S. Attorney Steinberg. “We applaud the exceptional work of our law enforcement partners in shutting down this operation and bringing the conspirators to justice.”
As described in court documents and testimony, in 2020 the Drug Enforcement Administration, working with law enforcement agencies in Colombia, identified individuals involved in large-scale drug distribution. The investigation determined that Cerma and others were planning and coordinating production and transportation of hundreds of kilograms of cocaine from Cali, Colombia, to Europe via a U.S.-registered aircraft, hoping U.S. registration would avoid the additional scrutiny given to Colombian-flagged aircraft.
The scheme involved the payment of corrupt airport employees, production of more than 300 kilograms of cocaine from a lab in Colombia, and payments toward the organization and execution of the scheme at approximately $300,000 in U.S. Currency. The investigation revealed Cerma to be the leader of the drug trafficking organization and conspiracies with co-defendants to export the cocaine using an U.S. registered aircraft.
Law enforcement authorities at the Bonilla Aragon International Airport in Cali later seized suitcases containing approximately 330 kilograms of cocaine destined for an aircraft traveling to Europe.
Cerma was arrested in Colombia in July 2021 and extradited to the United States in September 2023. Four Colombian co-defendants also were extradited to the United States, and three of them have entered guilty pleas in U.S. District Court: Jairo Fernando Cardona Lopez, 52, has been sentenced 175 months in prison; Edwin Durlandy Montilla Gonzalez, 39, has been sentenced to 150 months in prison; and Pedro Antonio Penagos Londono, 47, has been sentenced to 48 months. The fourth co-defendant, William Cruz Perez, 67, is awaiting trial and is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.
ADD AGENCY COMMENTS
The case was investigated under the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF). OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach.
The case was investigated by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, with assistance from the U.S. Marshals Service, United States Customs and Border Protection, and the Georgia Ports Authority. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs and the Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section’s Judicial Attaché’s office at the U.S. Embassy in Bogota provided significant assistance in securing the arrests and extraditions from Colombia. The case was prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Marcela C. Mateo and Darron Hubbard.
Southern District of Georgia U.S. Attorney’s Office staff presented with Attorney General’s Award for Distinguished ServiceRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON: Staff members from the Southern District of Georgia received recognition today as Attorney General Merrick B. Garland announced the recipients of the 70th and 71st Attorney General’s Awards, honoring Justice Department employees and others for extraordinary contributions to the enforcement of our nation’s laws. Recipients from both 2022 and 2023 were selected from a group of more than 800 nominees.
“Each of today’s recipients has served with distinction, and in so doing, they have enabled the Justice Department to advance its work on behalf of the American people,” said Attorney General Garland. “Their exceptional leadership, heroism, and dedication have benefited people and communities across the country.”
Southern District of Georgia First Assistant U.S. Attorney Tara M. Lyons, along with Paralegal Tracy Long and Victim Witness Coordinators Kellie Wiggins and Iverna Campbell, received the 70th Attorney General’s Award for Distinguished Service, the agency’s second-highest award, along with nine staff members from the Department of Justice Civil Rights Division and the FBI. The award recognizes the investigation and prosecution team in the Ahmaud Arbery case.
“The trial and conviction of the three men responsible for the murder of Brunswick, Ga., resident Ahmaud Arbery was a painstaking, arduous journey for these dedicated investigators and prosecutors, and this prestigious award recognizes their accomplishments,” said U.S. Attorney Steinberg. “We especially are honored that our staff members’ hard work on behalf of the United States delivered a measure of justice for the victim’s family.”
Three Brunswick men – Travis McMichael; his father, Gregory McMichael; and William “Roddy” Bryan – were convicted at trial in February 2022 of violating Ahmaud Arbery’s civil rights, targeting Arbery because of his race as they pursued him through a Brunswick neighborhood. Arbery died after Travis McMichael shot him. The McMichaels were sentenced to life terms in August 2022, while Bryan was sentenced to 35 years in prison. All three also are serving state sentences.
This case was investigated by the FBI and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Tara Lyons of the Southern District of Georgia, and Deputy Chief Bobbi Bernstein and Special Litigation Counsel Christopher J. Perras of the Department of Justice Civil Rights Division.
Owner of tax preparation business sentenced to prison for defrauding pandemic relief funding programsRead the Press Release
DUBLIN, GA: A Georgia woman was sentenced to five years in prison and ordered to repay more than half a million dollars she fraudulently obtained from COVID-19 small business relief programs.
Gladys Harun, 44, of Byron, Ga., was sentenced to 60 months in prison after pleading guilty to lying to a federal investigator, said Jill E. Steinberg, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. U.S. District Court Judge Dudley H. Bowen also ordered Harun to pay $552,679 in restitution, and to serve three years of supervised release upon completion of her prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
“Harun used her knowledge as a tax preparer to fraudulently obtain hundreds of thousands of dollars in funds intended for small businesses struggling financially during the COVID-19 pandemic,” said U.S. Attorney Steinberg. “Such greed-fueled theft from government programs hurts businesses legitimately in need of vital relief efforts.”
As described in court documents and proceedings, Harun was a franchisee of a tax preparation service with multiple locations in Georgia. She admitted to lying to investigators from the Small Business Administration Office of Inspector General about applications she filed for herself and on behalf of others, including her customers, to obtain more than $550,000 from a California lender through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act’s Paycheck Protection Program and Economic Injury Disaster Loans.
“Schemers who stole taxpayer dollars from SBA ‘s Paycheck Protection Program will be brought to justice,” said SBA-OIG’s Eastern Region Special Agent in Charge Amaleka McCall-Brathwaite. “This sentence demonstrates that those responsible will be held accountable. I want to thank the U.S. Attorney’s office and our law enforcement partners for their support and dedication to pursuing justice in this case.”
“This successful effort with our partner agencies is just one example of the Secret Service commitment to aggressively investigate fraud, especially cases that involve government programs designed to help businesses,” said Resident Agent in Charge J. Craig Reno of the U.S. Secret Service Savannah Resident Office. “The United States Secret Service, along with our state, local, and federal law enforcement partners, will continue to investigate, arrest, and support the successful prosecution of the criminals who choose to commit fraud in Georgia and across the nation.”
“Harun’s sentencing shows after the expiration of the PPP and EIDL programs more than two years ago, those who fraudulently obtained funds are still being held accountable,” said Maisha Horton, Acting Assistant Special Agent in Charge, IRS Criminal Investigation, Atlanta Field Office. “There are individuals who believe they’ve gotten away with stealing taxpayers funds through those programs; however, IRS Criminal Investigation and our law enforcement partners vigorously continue investigating suspects and forwarding our findings to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for adjudication.”
The case was investigated by the Small Business Administration Office of Inspector General, the U.S. Secret Service, and IRS Criminal Investigation, and prosecuted for the United States by Southern District of Georgia Assistant U.S. Attorney L. Alexander Hamner.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
Cousins sentenced to federal prison for roles in Treutlen County drug trafficking operationRead the Press Release
AUGUSTA, GA: Two cousins have been sentenced to federal prison for their roles in operating a crack cocaine distribution network in Treutlen County.
Kenyatte Harden, 39, of Soperton, Ga., was sentenced to 87 months in prison after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon, and Cody Harden, 35, of Soperton, Ga., was sentenced to 48 months in prison after pleading guilty to Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and to Distribute Crack Cocaine, Cocaine, and Marijuana, said Jill E. Steinberg, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. U.S. District Court Judge Dudley H. Bowen also fined Kenyatte Harden $2,500 and Cody Harden $1,500, and ordered each defendant to serve three years of supervised release upon completion of their prison terms.
There is no parole in the federal system.
“Local and federal law enforcement agencies identified and disrupted an organization that was distributing illegal drugs throughout the Soperton, Ga., area,” said U.S. Attorney Steinberg. “Our office is committed to assist communities of all sizes in shutting down criminal enterprises and keeping their citizens safe.”
As described in court documents and testimony, investigators from the Treutlen County Sheriff’s Office and the Drug Enforcement Administration began targeting the Hardens’ drug trafficking operation in early 2021, culminating in the arrests and indictments of both men and their 14 co-conspirators in October 2022. These cases have now been fully adjudicated with the Hardens’ sentencings.
The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Treutlen County Sheriff’s Office, with assistance from the Jeff Davis County Sheriff’s Office and other agencies, and prosecuted for the United States by Southern District of Georgia Assistant U.S. Attorneys John P. Harper III and L. Alexander Hamner.
Key figure in Operation Ghost Busted sentenced to nearly 30 years in prison in drug trafficking conspiracyRead the Press Release
BRUNSWICK, GA: A Glynn County, Ga., woman who was a large-scale meth trafficker and also worked with a corrupt guard to smuggle drugs into prison has been sentenced to nearly 30 years in federal prison.
Rachael P. Byrd, a/k/a “Byrd is the Word,” 26, of Waverly, Ga., was sentenced to 324 months in prison after pleading guilty to Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute, and to Distribute, 50 Grams or More of Methamphetamine, said Jill E. Steinberg, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. U.S. District Court Judge Lisa Godbey Wood also ordered Byrd to serve five years of supervised release upon completion of her prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
“Rachael Byrd provided a pipeline from an Atlanta methamphetamine supplier to a corrupt prison guard, and to the conspiracy’s leader inside prison walls,” said U.S. Attorney Steinberg. “She fueled meth addiction in communities throughout south Georgia, and this substantial sentence holds her accountable.”
Operation Ghost Busted, unsealed in January 2023 as USA v. Alvarez et al., charged 76 defendants with involvement in a drug trafficking conspiracy – linked to the white supremacist Ghost Face Gangsters – that distributed large amounts of high-grade methamphetamine, along with fentanyl, heroin, and alprazolam in the greater Glynn County area.
Byrd served as a leader in the drug trafficking organization, transporting and distributing multiple kilos of meth from an Atlanta-area supplier to other distributors and street-level dealers in south Georgia. She served as the outside link to her boyfriend, James D. NeSmith, 26, who was an inmate serving a life sentence for murder in Telfair State Prison, relaying his instructions to others in the conspiracy. Byrd also supplied meth to former prison guard Desiree M. Briley, 26, of McRae-Helena, Ga., who smuggled the drugs to NeSmith in prison.
NeSmith was sentenced to life in federal prison after pleading guilty, and Briley was sentenced to 18 months in prison.
For more than two years, investigators from the FBI Coastal Georgia Violent Gang Task Force, the Glynn County Police Department, the Brunswick Police Department, the Glynn County Sheriff's Office, and the Camden County Sheriff's Office collaborated with multiple federal, state and local agencies to identify a sprawling drug trafficking network operating in multiple south Georgia counties. The network operated inside and outside Georgia prisons, coordinated by members of the Ghost Face Gangsters working with affiliates of other criminal street gangs including the Aryan Brotherhood, Bloods, and Gangster Disciples. Before their indictment in Operation Ghost Busted, the defendants in the case had a combined total of more than 245 prior felony convictions.
Nearly 70 of the defendants have been sentenced or await sentencing after entering guilty pleas in U.S. District Court, while the remainder await further court proceedings and are considered innocent unless and until proven guilty.
“Byrd helped to lead a major drug trafficking organization that was responsible for plaguing the streets of our communities with drugs and crime, and she learned the fate for her corruptions,” said Will Clarke, Senior Supervisory Resident Agent of FBI Atlanta’s Brunswick Office. “This significant sentence is the result of the hard work and coordination of our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners working to bring illegal drug trafficking to an end in Georgia.”
“The sentencing of Rachael Byrd is yet another strike against the powerful and violent drug trafficking organizations whose reach stretches across international borders and directly threatens our communities in the United States,” said Beau Kolodka, Assistant Special Agent in Charge of the Atlanta Field Office of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. “ATF will continue to work together with our law enforcement partners on both sides of the border to pursue those who threaten our communities through the smuggling and distribution of illegal and dangerous drugs.”
“Illegal drugs are dangerous and threaten the safety of Georgia communities,” said Georgia Bureau of Investigation Director Chris Hosey. “The GBI is committed to working with our local and federal partners to investigate the horrific crimes connected to criminal street gangs.”
Operation Ghost Busted was investigated under the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF). OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach.
Agencies involved in the investigation include the FBI Coastal Georgia Violent Gang Task Force; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the U.S. Marshals Service; the Georgia Bureau of Investigation; the Georgia Department of Corrections; the Georgia Department of Community Supervision; the Glynn County Police Department; the Brunswick Police Department; the Glynn County Sheriff’s Office; and sheriff’s offices from Pierce, Camden, Wayne, Treutlen, McIntosh, Toombs, Telfair, Dodge, and Ware counties. The case is being prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jennifer J. Kirkland and Criminal Division Deputy Chief E. Greg Gilluly Jr.
Multiple defendants prosecuted on federal firearms, drug chargesRead the Press Release
SAVANNAH, GA: Newly returned indictments in the Southern District of Georgia include felony charges for illegal firearms possession and drug distribution, while additional defendants have been sentenced to federal prison or await further proceedings after pleading guilty to federal gun charges.
The cases are prosecuted as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods in collaboration with federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies, including the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the FBI, to reduce violent crime with measures that include targeting convicted felons who illegally possess guns.
“As a new year begins, we renew our determination to remove guns from the hands of those who are prohibited from possessing them,” said Jill E. Steinberg, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. “Felons and firearms don’t mix, and it’s vital to public safety that we keep them separated.”
In the past five years, more than 800 defendants have been prosecuted in the Southern District of Georgia for firearms offenses – most often for possessing a firearm after conviction for a previous felony. That charge carries a statutory penalty of up to 15 years in prison, and there is no parole in the federal system.
Those indicted during the December and January terms of the U.S. District Court Grand Jury include:
- Eric Massey, 29, and Unique Haynes, 26, both of Jacksonville, Fla., charged with Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and to Distribute Methamphetamine, Cocaine and Fentanyl. Haynes also is charged with Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine, Cocaine, and Fentanyl; Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime; and Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. The arrests in the case occurred in Augusta as a result of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office, with assistance from the Georgia State Patrol.
- Lynwood Forrest Burke, 60, of Dearing, Ga., charged with Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine, and Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon.
All indicted defendants are considered innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Defendants recently adjudicated on federal firearms charges include:
- William Beau Devore, 21, of Martinez, Ga., was sentenced to 102 months in prison and fined $2,000 after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Columbia County sheriff’s deputies arrested Devore in January 2022 after a burglary determined that he was illegally in possession of five guns.
- Zion Howard, 23, of Augusta, was sentenced to 80 months in prison after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Richmond County sheriff’s deputies found Howard in possession of a pistol while investigating a reported shooting.
- Isaac Wilford Stewart, 24, of Augusta, was sentenced to 37 months in prison and fined $1,500 after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Waynesboro police officers found a pistol in Stewart’s wrecked vehicle after he fled from an attempted traffic stop in October 2022.
- Joquan K. Clark, 25, of Waynesboro, Ga., was sentenced to 30 months in prison and fined $1,500 after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Waynesboro police officers responding to a domestic dispute arrested Clark after finding a pistol in his pocket.
- Marquese Shavel Palmer, 30, of Collins, Ga., was sentenced to 46 months in prison and fined $1,500 after pleading guilty to Possession of Marijuana with Intent to Distribute, and Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Palmer was indicted along with 31 other defendants as part of an alleged drug trafficking conspiracy in multiple Georgia counties. Investigators who searched Palmer’s residence found drugs, firearms, ammunition, and Gangster Disciples documents and paraphernalia.
- Jovonn Courtney Stokes, 26, of Springfield, Ga., was sentenced to 85 months in prison and ordered to pay restitution after pleading guilty to three counts of Interference with Commerce by Robbery, and one count of Use of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Crime of Violence. Stokes brandished a handgun while robbing two Chatham County convenience stores and an Effingham County convenience store in November and December 2022.
- Tyrone Dion Lyons Sr., 39, of Augusta, was sentenced to 50 months in prison and fined $1,000 after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Richmond County deputies and U.S. Marshals found a pistol in Lyons’ vehicle while serving a warrant for his arrest on Gwinnett County, Ga., charges.
- Tori Davis, 33, of Savannah, was sentenced to 90 months in prison after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon, and Possession of Oxycodone and Fentanyl with Intent to Distribute. Garden City police found drugs and a loaded handgun in his vehicle during a traffic stop.
- Michael Floyd, 31, of Garden City, Ga., was sentenced to 77 months in prison and fined $5,000 after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. A special-duty Savannah police officer found Floyd carrying a pistol in his waistband while inside Savannah’s Oglethorpe Mall.
- Calvin Polite, 36, of Savannah, was sentenced to 37 months in prison after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Savannah police officers found a pistol in Polite’s possession while investigating a report of shots fired in a Savannah neighborhood.
- David Wayne Cleland, 34, of Ridgeland, S.C., was sentenced to 33 months in prison after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Garden City police officers investigating a suspicious vehicle in a motel parking lot found Cleland asleep in the car with a handgun in his lap.
- Robert Sanders, 66, of Hephzibah, Ga., was sentenced to 12 months and one day in prison and fined $1,000 after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Fort Eisenhower military police questioned Sanders after finding him fishing in an unauthorized area at the installation and discovered a pistol in his vehicle.
- Steve Shontell Heath, 46, of Hephzibah, Ga., was sentenced to 46 months in prison after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. A Burke County sheriff’s deputy found a pistol in Heath’s vehicle during a traffic stop.
- DeShawn Tisdale, 24, of Savannah, was sentenced to 18 months in prison after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Savannah police officers found a pistol in Tisdale’s vehicle while investigating a trespassing call at a Savannah residence.
- Tommy Cowart, 60, of Statesboro, Ga., awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Bulloch County deputies arrested Cowart after finding a rifle in his car during a traffic stop.
- Dennis Mitchell, 51, of Brunswick, Ga., awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Brunswick police officers found Mitchell in possession of a gun during a July 2022 traffic stop in which he was a passenger in the vehicle.
- Jamell Williams, 44, of Savannah, awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Savannah police officers investigating reports of shots fired near a motel determined Williams was in possession of a rifle.
- Karron L. Shuman, 36, of Savannah, awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Savannah police found a pistol in Shuman’s vehicle during a November 2022 traffic stop.
- Hunter W. Taylor, 26, of Hephzibah, Ga., awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Richmond County deputies investigating reports of gunfire in May 2022 charged Taylor after determining he possessed a rifle.
- Jacques B. Pope, 32, of Savannah, awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Savannah police officers investigating gunshots in November 2022 determined Pope had been in possession of a pistol.
- Zachary Smith, 26, of Savannah, awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Savannah police officers investigating a February 2022 reported robbery took Smith into custody when he was shot after pointing a pistol in the direction of a police officer.
The cases are being prosecuted for the United States by the Southern District of Georgia U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Under federal law, it is illegal for an individual to possess a firearm if he or she falls into one of nine prohibited categories including being a felon; illegal alien; or unlawful user of a controlled substance. Further, it is unlawful to possess a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense or violent crime. It is also illegal to purchase – or even to attempt to purchase – firearms if the buyer is a prohibited person or illegally purchasing a firearm on behalf of others. Lying on ATF Form 4473, which is used to lawfully purchase a firearm, also is a federal offense.
For more information from the ATF on the lawful purchasing of firearms, please see: https://www.atf.gov/qa-category/atfw-form-4473
03-24
Richmond County man sentenced to prison for trafficking illegal synthetic drugsRead the Press Release
AUGUSTA, GA: A Richmond County man who operated a mail-order business selling illegal synthetic drugs has been sentenced to federal prison.
Conway James Rhinehart, 43, of Hephzibah, Ga., was sentenced to 108 months in prison after pleading guilty to Possession with Intent to Distribute Controlled Substances, specifically a-PHP, a synthetic cannabinoid, and Eutylone, commonly known as “bath salts,” said Jill E. Steinberg, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. U.S. District Court Chief Judge J. Randal Hall also ordered Rhinehart to forfeit $50,000 in seized proceeds and to serve three years of supervised release upon completion of his prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
“Conway James Rhinehart was so brazen in his illegal drug-selling operation that even after he was indicted and freed on pre-trial release, he continued selling illegal drugs until taken into federal custody,” said U.S. Attorney Steinberg. “This sentence shuts down his operation and holds him accountable for his illegal activity.”
As described in court documents and testimony, investigators in 2020 began seizing packages containing a-PHP and Eutylone sent from various overseas locations to Rhinehart under multiple aliases and addresses in the Augusta area. Rhinehart was packaging, reselling and shipping the drugs nationwide through a website, marketing them as “energy powders” or “energy crystals.”
Rhinehart was indicted in June 2022, and after being released on bond was arrested after again attempting to operate his mail-order business. He pled guilty in September 2023.
“Removing this offender from the Richmond County community will effectively disrupt a major illegal synthetic drug operation,” said Robert J. Murphy, the Special Agent in Charge of the Atlanta Field Division of the Drug Enforcement Administration. “This defendant will now spend well-deserved time in prison.”
“This sentencing sends a very clear message that Postal Inspectors will relentlessly investigate individuals who try to illegally utilize the mail system to transport drugs,” said Tommy D. Coke, Inspector in Charge of the Atlanta Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. “We thank our law enforcement partners for their invaluable help in bringing this defendant to justice.”
The case was investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Customs and Border Protection, Homeland Security Investigations, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Pennsylvania State Police, and prosecuted for the United States by Southern District of Georgia Assistant U.S. Attorneys L. Alexander Hamner, Matthew A. Josephson and Jeremiah L. Johnson.
Drug trafficking indictment charges 18 defendants with meth and heroin distribution conspiracyRead the Press Release
STATESBORO, GA: Eighteen defendants from the Laurens and Toombs County, Ga., area are in custody awaiting further legal proceedings after their initial court appearances from a 55-count drug trafficking indictment in U.S. District Court.
Each of the 18 defendants is charged with Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and to Distribute Methamphetamine and Heroin, with others additionally charged with possession and distribution of drugs and illegal firearms use and possession, along with multiple charges related to the use of cell phones inside and outside Georgia prison facilities to advance the conspiracy, said Jill E. Steinberg, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia.
“This case once again demonstrates that small communities are not immune from the disastrous consequences of drug trafficking,” said U.S. Attorney Steinberg. “The continued vigilance of our law enforcement partners helps ensure illegal drug distribution operations are identified and disrupted.”
The case, investigated under the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces, began in response to significant drug trafficking activity in Toombs and Laurens counties. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation, along with local law enforcement agencies, coordinated with the Drug Enforcement Administration to infiltrate the network and obtain evidence to prosecute the defendants named in the indictment.
Those named in the indictment include:
- Brett Youmans, 45, of Dublin, Ga. Youmans currently is an inmate at the Coffee County Correctional Facility serving the remainder of a state sentence for illegal gun possession.
- Woodrow Scott, 52, an inmate at Macon State Prison where he is serving a life sentence for murder.
- Constance Marie Scott, 51, of Brookhaven, Ga., sister of Woodrow Scott.
- Patrick Portwood, 42, of Dublin, Ga. Portwood currently is an inmate at the Burress Correctional Training Center serving the remainder of a state sentence for methamphetamine distribution.
- Jermaine Maurice Brown, 46, of Vidalia, Ga.
- John Taylor Jackson, 35, of Vidalia, Ga.
- Brittany Nicole Cook, 33, of Lyons, Ga.
- Joshua Brown, 22, of Vidalia, Ga.
- Stacy NeeSmith, 40, Dublin, Ga.
- Cordell Stallings,55, of Lyons, Ga.
- Joshua James Carlo, 47, of Uvalda, Ga.
- Willie Brown, 52, of Vidalia, Ga.
- Jody Ivey, 42, of Ivey, Ga.
- Antone Victoria, 43, of Vidalia, Ga.
- Tiffany Marie Turbyfill, 33, of Twin City, Ga.
- Laquanta King, 35, of Atlanta.
- Wesley McRae, 40, of Hawkinsville, Ga.
- Jaquan Collier, 24, of Vidalia, Ga. Prior to his arrest, Collier worked as a jailer at Toombs County Detention Center.
In addition to drug charges, several of the defendants are charged with illegal gun possession. The indictment includes notice of forfeiture of 16 firearms seized during the investigation.
Indictments contain only charges. Defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The case was investigated under the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF). OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach.
The case is being investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the FBI, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, the Laurens County Sheriff’s Office, the Toombs County Sheriff’s Office, and the Vidalia Police Department, and prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorney John P. Harper III.
Multiple defendants named in newly unsealed indictment charging Savannah drug trafficking conspiracyRead the Press Release
SAVANNAH, GA: Multiple defendants have been charged in a partially unsealed 14-count federal indictment alleging their involvement in a drug trafficking conspiracy in the Savannah area. The indictment follows a prior related indictment in which two individuals also are charged in a violent carjacking.
The indictment in USA v. Grant et al. alleges that the defendants conspired starting at least as early as January 2021 to possess and distribute illegal drugs including methamphetamine, cocaine, fentanyl, and marijuana, said Jill E. Steinberg, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. A conviction on the conspiracy charge carries a statutory sentence of up to 20 years in prison, along with substantial fines and penalties, followed by a period of supervised release upon completion of any prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
“As our law enforcement partners continue to identify, infiltrate and disrupt drug trafficking operations threatening the safety of our community, we remain dedicated to complementing their efforts by holding accountable those involved in these criminal enterprises,” said U.S. Attorney Steinberg.
The indictment charges all of the defendants with Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and to Distribute Methamphetamine, Cocaine, Fentanyl, and Marijuana. Three defendants still are being sought.
Those named in the partially unsealed indictment include:
- Tremaine Grant, a/k/a “Trench,” 24, of Savannah;
- Laron Thompson, a/k/a “Hollywood,” 38, of Savannah;
- Tyquian Bowman, a/k/a “Quando Rondo,” 24, of Savannah;
- Donald Davis, a/k/a “Lil’ D,” 29, of Savannah;
- Ty’Sean Davis, a/k/a “Stro,” 21, of Savannah;
- Jarrell Palmer, a/k/a “Rel,” 36, of Pooler, Ga.
Thompson and Grant also face drug distribution charges. Grant and Palmer are charged with Conspiracy to Interfere with Commerce by Robbery, and Grant and Thompson face firearms charges.
The indictment provides notice of forfeiture of seven seized handguns and dozens of rounds of ammunition.
Two additional defendants – Robert Moss, a/k/a “Fat Boy,” 32, and Brandon McCall Williams, a/k/a “Lil’ B,” a/k/a “Dough Boy,” 32, both of Savannah – were already arraigned in connection with a partially unsealed indictment charging them in a related drug-trafficking conspiracy and alleging their involvement in a Sept. 2021 Savannah carjacking in which the victim was shot and wounded. An additional defendant is still being sought.
Criminal indictments contain only charges; defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The case was investigated under the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF). OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach.
Agencies investigating the case include the FBI; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; the Chatham-Savannah Counter Narcotics Team; and the Savannah Police Department. The case is being prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Bradley R. Thompson and Frank M. Pennington II.
Former bank teller sentenced for stealing nearly $90,000 deposited by Georgia convenience storeRead the Press Release
STATESBORO, GA: A former Candler County bank teller has been sentenced to federal prison after pleading guilty to skimming money from a convenience store’s deposits.
Kayla Monroe Evans, 32, of Metter, Ga., was sentenced to two months in prison followed by two months of home confinement after pleading guilty to Bank Fraud, said Jill E. Steinberg, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. U.S. District Court Chief Judge J. Randal Hall also ordered Evans to pay $97,165 in restitution and to serve five years of supervised release.
“Kayla Evans violated the trust of her employer and its customer, and is being held accountable for her theft,” said U.S. Attorney Steinberg. “This sentence offers assurance that those who commit fraud will be brought to justice.”
As described in court documents and testimony, Evans worked as a teller for the Synovus Bank in Metter, where a local convenience store maintained its account. An auditor for the store began noticing discrepancies between the amount of cash presented to the bank for deposit compared to the amount credited to the store and worked with the bank to determine the cause.
A subsequent investigation found that from July 2019 through February 2021, Evans personally handled the store’s deposits, frequently skimming cash for her personal use from the amount presented and crediting a smaller deposit to the store. In total, Evans stole approximately $87,748 from the convenience store’s deposits. As part of her plea agreement, Evans agreed to pay restitution for the full loss caused by her criminal conduct, and to never seek employment in any financial institution.
“We are pleased to work with the U.S. Attorney’s Office in bringing to justice those who commit bank fraud for their own personal gain,” said Brian Tucker, Special Agent in Charge, Eastern Region, Office of Inspector General for the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.
The federal investigation was led by the Office of Inspector General for the Federal Reserve Board and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. The investigation received support from the Candler County Sheriff’s Office, the District Attorney’s Office for the Middle Judicial Circuit, and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation. The case was prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew A. Josephson.
Cocaine trafficker sentenced to two decades in federal prisonRead the Press Release
STATESBORO, GA: An Evans County, Ga., man has been sentenced to two decades in federal prison for distributing cocaine as part of a major drug trafficking network.
Tony Deshawn Slater, 52, of Claxton, Ga., was sentenced to 240 months in prison after pleading guilty to Distribution of Cocaine, said Jill E. Steinberg, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. U.S. District Court Chief Judge J. Randal hall also fined Slater $2,500 and ordered him to serve three years of supervised release upon completion of his prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
“We’re gratified at the number of law enforcement agencies from such a large geographic area coordinating their efforts to identify and disrupt this major drug distribution network,” said U.S. Attorney Steinberg. “Together we will continue to hold accountable those who endanger our communities by distributing illegal drugs.”
Slater was one of 32 defendants named in the November 2022 indictment in USA v. Morales-Jimenez et al., the culmination of an investigation dubbed Operation Carpet Ride. The investigation identified drug trafficking operations spanning Bulloch, Burke, Candler, Effingham, Evans, Liberty, Richmond, and Tattnall counties, and elsewhere, from as early as January 2016. The conspiracy is alleged to have imported large quantities of cocaine, methamphetamine and other drugs from Mexico and the Caribbean for distribution in the Southern District.
Slater, with multiple prior convictions for distributing and possessing cocaine and other drugs, pled guilty in May to Distribution of Cocaine. The investigation also revealed that Slater possessed firearms and maintained a premises for purposes of distributing a controlled substance. About half of the defendants in Operation Carpet Ride have been sentenced after pleading guilty to charges related to the conspiracy, while the remaining defendants await further legal action.
The case was investigated under the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF). OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach.
The case was investigated by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration; the Federal Bureau of Investigation; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the U.S. Postal Inspection Service; United States Customs and Border Protection; Homeland Security Investigations; the Georgia Bureau of Investigation; The Savannah Chatham Narcotics Team; the Puerto Rico State Police; the Georgia State Board of Pardons and Paroles; the Georgia Department of Community Supervision; the Tattnall County Sheriff’s Office; the Bulloch County Sheriff’s Office; the Evans County Sheriff’s Office; Liberty County Sheriff’s Office; the Barceloneta Police Department; the Claxton Police Department; Statesboro Police; and the Glennville Police Department; and prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Frank M. Pennington II and OCDETF Coordinator Marcela C. Mateo.
Return preparer and former owner of national tax preparation franchise sentenced to prison for evading his own taxesRead the Press Release
STATESBORO, GA: A Bulloch County, Ga., man has been sentenced to federal prison for income tax evasion.
Samir Patel, 56, of Statesboro, Ga., was sentenced today (Dec. 19) to two years in prison after previously pleading guilty to tax evasion, said Jill E. Steinberg, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. U.S. District Court Chief Judge J. Randal Hall also ordered Patel to pay approximately $550,000 in restitution to the United States, a fine of $95,000, and ordered him to serve three years of supervised release upon completion of his prison term.
There is no parole in the federal system.
“Much of our nation’s operating revenues are dependent on the lawful participation of citizens in the income tax system, and those who evade their responsibilities place a greater burden on everyone else,” said U.S. Attorney Steinberg. “This sentence demonstrates the substantial consequences of attempting to cheat the system.”
As described in court documents and testimony, Patel was a tax return preparer at a national return preparation business. In 2015, Patel purchased a franchise of the business in Claxton, Ga. As the owner, he hired, trained, and supervised tax preparers, and continued to prepare returns for customers. Patel, however, willfully filed false income tax returns that omitted more than $1.28 million in income – including almost $1.18 million from S&W Amusements, a company that placed coin operated amusement machines in convenience stores and gas stations – and evaded proper assessment of his personal taxes for years 2015, 2016, and 2017.
As part of his sentence, Patel is prohibited from preparing tax returns for others or for entities in which he has no interest during his term of supervised release.
IRS Criminal Investigation investigated the case, which was prosecuted for the United States by Trial Attorneys Matthew C. Hicks and Richard J. Hagerman of the Department of Justice Tax Division, and Assistant U.S. Attorney John P. Harper III of the Southern District of Georgia.
Ten indicted on federal charges in Augusta-area meth-trafficking operationRead the Press Release
AUGUSTA, GA: Ten defendants in the Augusta area have been indicted on federal charges for participating in a major methamphetamine trafficking operation.
The defendants in USA v. Walters et al. all are charged with Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and to Distribute Methamphetamine, along with multiple individual charges related to meth possession and distribution and illegal gun possession, said Jill E. Steinberg, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. Conviction on the conspiracy charge carries a statutory penalty of up to 20 years in prison, along with substantial fines and a period of supervised release upon completion of any prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
“The charges in this indictment succinctly spell out the danger that trafficking in illegal drugs presents to the safety of our communities – particularly when those engaged in drug trafficking also illegally possess weapons,” said U.S. Attorney Steinberg. “We commend the challenging work of our law enforcement partners in identifying and disrupting these operations.”
The recently unsealed indictment charges:
- Edward Jake Walters, a/k/a “State Farm,” a/k/a “Jake from State Farm,” 29, of Grovetown, Ga.;
- Phillip Smith, 49, of Augusta;
- Dustin Bayles, 35, of Thomson, Ga.;
- Glen Taylor, 42, of Beech Island, S.C.;
- Linda Campbell, 52, of Augusta;
- Joshua Wasden, 35, of Thomson, Ga.;
- Brian Hilliard, 40, of Augusta;
- Gary Holcomb, 59, of Martinez, Ga.;
- Donnie Skillman, 46, of Augusta; and,
- Destiny Poole, 23, of Grovetown, Ga.
Each defendant has appeared in U.S. Magistrate Court for initial hearings and await further proceedings. Indictments contain only charges; defendants are considered innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The case was investigated under the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF). OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach.
The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; the Georgia Bureau of Investigation; the Aiken County Sheriff’s Office; the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office; the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office; and the McDuffie County Sheriff’s Office; and prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorney Bradley R. Thompson.
Fort Eisenhower woman indicted for murder in child’s deathRead the Press Release
AUGUSTA, GA: A U.S. Army spouse at Fort Eisenhower has been indicted on two counts of murder by a federal grand jury.
April Evalyn Short, 30, of Fort Eisenhower – formerly Fort Gordon – was indicted on charges of Premeditated Murder and Felony Murder, said Jill E. Steinberg, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia.
The indictment alleges that on Nov. 15, 2023, at Fort Eisenhower, Short killed her 11-month-old child by “stabbing and cutting… with an edged weapon while engaged in the knowing and willful perpetration of child abuse.”
Short is in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service and awaits further proceedings. She is considered innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The case is being investigated by Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division with assistance from the FBI, and prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Henry W. Syms Jr. and Patricia G. Rhodes.
Bomb hoaxes lead to indictment of Chatham County manRead the Press Release
SAVANNAH, GA: A Chatham County man has been indicted for making bomb hoaxes targeting a Savannah mosque and an office park.
Mohammed Arafat Afaneh, 27, of Savannah, was indicted by a U.S. District Court Grand Jury on two counts of False Information and Hoaxes, said Jill E. Steinberg, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. Afaneh was located and arrested on state charges in Louisville, Kentucky, and remanded to the custody of U.S. Marshals after an initial appearance hearing in federal court in the Western District of Kentucky.
The indictment alleges that on Nov. 17, Afaneh conveyed information that a bomb that would detonate at 3 p.m. at an office park on Chatham Parkway in Savannah, near the federal court building, and that a bomb would detonate seven minutes before Maghrib, or afternoon prayers, inside the Islamic Center of Savannah.
Responding law enforcement agencies determined both warnings were hoaxes.
Indictments contain only charges. Afaneh is considered innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The case is being investigated by the FBI, and prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorney Darron J. Hubbard.
Atlanta-area man sentenced to federal prison for attempted stolen-car smuggling operationRead the Press Release
SAVANNAH, GA: A Douglas County, Ga., man has been sentenced to prison after pleading guilty in a scheme to smuggle stolen cars to Africa.
Prince Bediako, 41, of Douglasville, Ga., was sentenced to 28 months in prison after pleading guilty to Smuggling, said Jill E. Steinberg, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. U.S. District Court Judge William T. Moore Jr. also fined Bediako $1,000 and ordered him to serve three years of supervised release upon completion of his prison term.
There is no parole in the federal system.
“This sentence is a credit to our law enforcement partners who work hard every day to detect, intercept, and prevent the theft of goods and identities alike, and to hold those accountable who would attempt to smuggle goods through one of our nation’s busiest ports.” said U.S. Attorney Steinberg. “We applaud our law enforcement partners who safeguard this vital gateway to the United States.”
As described in court documents and testimony, on multiple occasions in 2020, Bediako aided a co-conspirator in the use of false and stolen identities and credit cards, including both fictional identities and those of unwitting individuals. The co-conspirator, using a false identity, would contact a dealership online and contract with them to ship vehicles from another state, after which the credit card payment would “bounce,” and the dealership would be left without payment.
Nineteen dealerships across the Southeast were identified as victims of this type of theft. Bediako arranged to transport the fraudulently obtained vehicles to the Port of Savannah, and then used the false and stolen identities to attempt to smuggle those vehicles to Ghana while concealing his own identity or participation in the scheme.
Personnel at the Port of Savannah intercepted the shipments.
“The Bureau of Industry and Security will not tolerate efforts to undermine the integrity of our export control system through the submission of false or misleading information,” said John Johnson, Special Agent in Charge, Miami Field Office, Office of Export Enforcement. “The Office of Export Enforcement will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to apply the investigative resources and utilize the authorities necessary to ensure compliance with U.S. export laws.”
“Our CBP Officers continually refine their skills, knowledge and awareness of current trends and techniques utilized by bad actors. These skills led to the interdiction and recovery of these stolen vehicles,” said Henry Deblock, Area Port Director in Savannah. “Their sustained efforts, training, and analysis, along with valuable collaboration among law enforcement agencies led to the success in this case. At the Port of Savannah, we take pride in our officer’s abilities to go past the point of seizure and build out the entire criminal network. That extra step is vital in dismantling these criminal organizations and putting these bad actors behind bars.”
The case was investigated by the U.S. Bureau of Industry and Security Office of Export Enforcement; U.S. Customs and Border Protection; the Georgia Ports Authority Police Department; and the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office; and prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jenna G. Solari and Darron J. Hubbard.
Richmond County man convicted at trial for trafficking heroin, illegally possessing a firearmRead the Press Release
AUGUSTA, GA: A Richmond County man has been convicted at trial on drug trafficking and gun possession charges.
Kelvin Laron Howard, 68, of Augusta, was convicted by a U.S. District Court jury after a two-day trial on charges of Possession with Intent to Distribute Heroin; Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime; and Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon, said Jill E. Steinberg, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. The conviction subjects Howard to a statutory penalty of up to 20 years in prison on the drug charge, with an additional mandatory minimum of five years in prison for gun possession in conjunction with drug trafficking. There is no parole in the federal system.
“Kelvin Howard viewed Augusta as a wide-open market where he could profit from illegal drugs,” said U.S. Attorney Steinberg. “Working with our law enforcement partners, we will continue to identify and shut down those who would endanger our communities with illicit drugs and illegal guns.”
The jury deliberated for less than an hour before finding Howard guilty on all charges brought in an indictment filed in U.S. District Court in May 2020. As described in court documents and testimony, the charges stemmed from an investigation by the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office that identified Howard as a heroin distributor in the Augusta area. During a search of Howard’s apartment in August 2019, investigators found enough heroin for more than 700 individual doses, along with drug scales and packaging materials, nearly $1,000 in cash and a loaded semiautomatic pistol.
U.S. District Court Chief Judge J. Randal Hall will schedule a sentencing hearing for Howard after U.S. Probation Services completes a presentence investigation.
The case was investigated by the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office with the assistance of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Patricia G. Rhodes and L. Alexander Hamner.
Southern District of Georgia U.S. Attorney’s Office named in award for prosecutions targeting major drug trafficking operationsRead the Press Release
Award recipients who attended the Atlanta ceremony for the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces Special Group Achievement Award include Blake Dill, with Customs and Border Protection (from left); Jacob Royal, with the Blackshear Police Department; Kristeena Jackson-Billiot, with the Drug Enforcement Administration; Barry Ripley, Georgia Ports Authority Police Department; Brandon Carver, Appling County Sheriff’s Office; AUSA Marcela Mateo; Jason Peters, DEA; Jason Kennedy, DEA; AUSA John Harper; Shawn Fields, Liberty County Sheriff’s Office; AUSA Frank Pennington; DEA Group Supervisor Deverron “Ram” Ramcheran; U.S. Attorney Jill Steinberg; and Linh Vuong, DEA.
SAVANNAH, GA: Prosecutors with the Southern District of Georgia U.S. Attorney’s Office are among the recipients of an award celebrating success in investigating, prosecuting and dismantling major drug trafficking operations in Georgia and beyond.
U.S. Attorney Jill E. Steinberg announced receipt of the Special Group Achievement Award from the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces Southeast Region, recognizing the efforts of the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force Group that includes the Southern District of Georgia U.S. Attorney’s Office. Three federal prosecutors – Assistant U.S. Attorney and OCDETF Coordinator Marcela C. Mateo, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Frank M. Pennington II and John P. Harper III – are named in the award, along with individuals and task force officers from the Drug Enforcement Administration and local law enforcement agencies.
“This prestigious award recognizes the outstanding success of the collaborative efforts between federal, state and local law enforcement agencies in disrupting regional and transnational drug trafficking and money laundering operations,” said U.S. Attorney Steinberg. “The award is a visible symbol of their unwavering commitment to keeping our communities safe.”
The Special Group Achievement Award recognizes a group of individuals who demonstrate a commitment to OCDETF’s mission and goals, including its principal strength in partnership through multi-agency cooperation.
The investigations and prosecutions named as part of the award are credited with the seizure of more than 2,200 kilos of cocaine; more than 18,000 kilos of marijuana; approximately 56 kilos of heroin; dozens of firearms; and approximately $13 million, with more than 60 defendants prosecuted as result of indictments from the investigations.
In addition to the prosecutors from the Southern District of Georgia U.S. Attorney’s Office, recipients of the award and their agencies at the time of the operations include DEA Group Supervisor Deverron M. Ramcheran, Intelligence Analyst Kristeena Jackson-Billiot, and special agents Lupersio Perez, Jason Peters, Linh Vuong, and Jason Kennedy; U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Agent Harry D. Hamrick; Customs and Border Protection Agent Blake R. Dill; Georgia Ports Authority Police Department Investigator Barry T. Ripley; GBI Special Agent Nicholas K. McNeal; Chatham-Savannah County Narcotics Investigators Joseph Hood, with the Savannah Police Department, and Thomas Hicks, with the Thunderbolt Police Department; Investigators Ryan Alexander with the Glynn County Sheriff’s Office, Shawn E. Fields with the Liberty County Sheriff’s Office, Robert L. Livingston with the Treutlen County Sheriff’s Office, Thimothy G. Burris with the Laurens County Sheriff’s Office, Brandon Carver with the Appling County Sheriff’s Office, and Michael Lewis with the Bulloch County Sheriff’s Office; and Investigators Jacob T. Royal with the Blackshear Police Department, and Willie J. Tyler with the Richmond Hill Police Department.
Operations cited in the OCDETF award include:
Operation Apex: This investigation targeted a transnational criminal organization operating within the United States and abroad with activities ranging from harvest and distribution of shark fins and other illegal seafood products, and resulted in the seizure of tons of cocaine and marijuana, and more than $11 million in laundered proceeds including diamonds, gold, silver and jewelry. Twelve defendants were prosecuted as a result of the investigation.
Operation Hear My Train A-Comin’: Agents from the DEA and Homeland Security Investigations targeted a transnational criminal organization using container vessels to smuggle bulk quantities of cocaine and other illegal drugs from South America and the Caribbean to European ports by way of the Port of Savannah. The operation seized more than 1,200 kilos of cocaine and approximately $664,000 in cash.
Operation Snow Plow: In conjunction with the Chatham-Savannah Counter Narcotics Team, this investigation targeted a major drug trafficking organization in the Savannah area, and resulted in 29 federal arrests from Georgia, Florida and Texas and the seizure of nearly 40 kilos of cocaine and other drugs, 38 firearms, nearly $600,000 in cash and 11 vehicles.
Operation Monroe Doctrine: Centered in the greater Laurens County area, this operation seized nearly 20 pounds of methamphetamine, 86 firearms, nearly $50,000 in cash and resulted in the prosecution of 29 defendants on drug trafficking charges.
Operation Deadlier Catch: In collaboration with the FBI, this investigation in the Chatham County area resulted in nearly 60 arrests on drug trafficking charges, along with the seizure of more than 24 kilos of cocaine, 126 pounds of marijuana, three kilos of heroin, 14 firearms, and $1.5 million in cash and other assets.
Richmond County man sentenced to more than 15 years in prison for illegal gun possessionRead the Press Release
AUGUSTA, GA: A Richmond County man with a violent criminal history has been sentenced to more than 15 years in prison for illegal possession of a gun.
Todd Joseph Harbuck, 48, of Augusta, was sentenced to 188 months in prison after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon, said Jill E. Steinberg, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. U.S. District Court Chief Judge J. Randal Hall also found that Harbuck violated the terms of his supervised release after a prior conviction and imprisonment for Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon, and sentenced Harbuck to an additional 24 months in prison to run consecutively with the new sentence. Upon release from prison, Harbuck must serve an additional five years of supervised release.
There is no parole in the federal system.
“Todd Harbuck’s disturbing record of violent attacks on women and public safety officers and illegal drug use makes it abundantly clear he is danger to society,” said U.S. Attorney Steinberg. “With our law enforcement partners, we will work to keep our community safe and remove guns from the hands of violent offenders.”
As described in court, Columbia County sheriff’s deputies responded in July 2022 to a report of domestic violence in Grovetown, Ga., and found Harbuck’s ex-girlfriend with injuries that included a serious laceration to her head and a bite mark on her arm. Harbuck threatened to shoot her and struck her in the head with a pistol before taking a gun from her. He then shoved a neighbor who came to her defense, pointed a weapon at her and fired into the air as he left and drove away.
Harbuck was arrested the next day in Oconee County, Ga. Deputies found drugs in Harbuck’s vehicle and later located the pistol taken from his ex-girlfriend.
Harbuck previously was sentenced to prison 2008 in U.S. District Court after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. He has prior state felony convictions that include assaulting and stabbing a loss prevention officer; attacking a Medical College of Georgia police officer who attempted his arrest for a felony probation violation in 2000 by punching her in the face and shoving her into a concrete floor; and for firing at McCormick County, S.C., deputies during a vehicle chase in July 2008.
This investigation took place under the umbrella of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program that has been successful in bringing together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office with assistance from the Oconee County Sheriff’s Office, and prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorney Patricia G. Rhodes.
Wayne County movie theater owner agrees to improve access for patrons with disabilitiesRead the Press Release
SAVANNAH, GA: The owner of a movie theater in Wayne County, Ga., has agreed to obtain equipment to assist patrons with disabilities as part of a settlement reached under the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Southern District of Georgia U.S. Attorney Jill E. Steinberg announced the settlement between the United States and Austin Hickox Legacy LLC (AHL), owner of the Historic Strand Dinner Cinema in Jesup, Ga. Under the terms of the settlement, the company agrees to provide closed-captioning and audio description devices for patrons of the Strand’s three auditoriums.
“This settlement helps to ensure that all patrons of the Strand’s theaters can participate fully and equally in the entertainment offered to the community, regardless of their abilities,” said U.S. Attorney Steinberg. “Just as importantly, this settlement should remind all places of public accommodation that our office will work under federal law to remove barriers to access and equal opportunity for all citizens.”
Under federal law, private entities that own or operate places of “public accommodation,” including movie theaters, are prohibited from discriminating on the basis of disability. The ADA authorizes the Justice Department to investigate complaints and undertake periodic reviews of compliance of covered entities. The Department is also authorized to commence a civil lawsuit in federal court in any case that involves a pattern or practice of discrimination or that raises issues of general public importance, and to seek injunctive relief, monetary damages, and civil penalties.
The investigation was the result of a complaint from a mother on behalf of her child with visual impairments that the Strand did not have audio description devices available for use by patrons with limited vision. After an investigation by the U.S. Attorney’s Office verified the complaint, AHL agreed to acquire six captioning devices and two audio description devices, and develop a plan to make the devices available by training its staff and posting instructions for operating the adaptive equipment. AHL also agreed to pay the complainant $1,500 as part of the settlement.
The settlement was negotiated on behalf of the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorney Bradford C. Patrick of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Georgia.
Any member of the public who wishes to file a complaint alleging that any place of public accommodation or public entity in the Southern District of Georgia is not accessible to persons with disabilities may do so at www.ada.gov. Additional information about the ADA can be found by calling the Justice Department’s toll-free information line at 800-514-0301 and 800-514-0383 (TTY).
Fort Eisenhower woman charged with murder in child’s deathRead the Press Release
AUGUSTA, GA: A U.S. Army spouse at Fort Eisenhower is in custody on a federal murder charge.
April Evalyn Short, 30, of Fort Eisenhower – formerly Fort Gordon – is charged by federal complaint with Murder, with an aggravating circumstance of the alleged crime occurring during an act of child abuse, said Jill E. Steinberg, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia.
Short has appeared for an initial hearing before U.S. Magistrate Judge Brian K. Epps and has not yet entered a plea. She is in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service and is awaiting further proceedings. She is considered innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The criminal complaint alleges that on the morning of Nov. 15, 2023, Short used a knife to cut the neck of an 11-month-old child who later was pronounced dead at Eisenhower Army Medical Center.
The case is being investigated by Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division with assistance from the FBI, and prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Henry W. Syms Jr. and Patricia G. Rhodes.
Burke County man sentenced to federal prison for possession of child pornographyRead the Press Release
AUGUSTA, GA: A Burke County man has been sentenced to federal prison after investigators discovered a massive cache of images of sexually exploited children on devices in his possession.
Jason Bonds Connelly, 61, of Waynesboro, Ga., was sentenced to 110 months in prison after pleading guilty to Possession of Child Pornography, said Jill E. Steinberg, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. U.S. District Court Chief Judge J. Randal Hall also ordered Connelly to pay a fine and assessment of $2,000, and to register as a sex offender and serve 15 years of supervised release upon completion of his prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
As described in court documents and testimony, investigators from the Georgia Bureau of Investigation and the Coweta County Sheriff’s Office in early 2022 were conducting an online investigation into network sharing of images of child pornography. They discovered an account with nearly 60,000 files believed to contain images of child sexual abuse, and the investigation led them to Connelly’s residence.
During a search of that home, investigators found images of child sexual exploitation, including images depicting sadistic and masochistic sexual contact between adults and children. As noted in court, the GBI identified Connelly’s internet address as one of the top offenders in the state of Georgia for sharing child sexual abuse material.
The case was investigated by the GBI, with assistance from the Coweta County Sheriff’s office, the Lowndes County Sheriff’s Office, and the Burke County Sheriff’s Office, and prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorney and Project Safe Childhood Coordinator Jason W. Blanchard.
Anyone with information on suspected child sexual exploitation can contact the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children at 800-843-5678, or https://report.cybertip.org/.
Richmond County man sentenced to federal prison for persuading child to produce sexually explicit imagesRead the Press Release
AUGUSTA, GA: A Richmond County man has been sentenced to 15 years in prison after pleading guilty to persuading a child to produce sexually explicit images.
Tibius Edwards, 26, of Augusta, was sentenced to 180 months in prison after pleading guilty to Production of Child Pornography, said Jill E. Steinberg, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. U.S. District Court Chief Judge J. Randal Hall also ordered Edwards to register as a sex offender and to serve 20 years of supervised release upon completion of his prison term.
There is no parole in the federal system.
“There is an epidemic in this country of adult predators contacting and befriending children online and persuading them to produce sexually explicit images of themselves,” said U.S. Attorney Steinberg. “The vigilance of a caring adult rescued the victim from further harm, and this sentence ensures Tibius Edwards will no longer be a danger to the community.”
As described in court documents and testimony, FBI agents interviewed Edwards in 2019 after receiving a minor’s cell phone from the child’s mother. Images discovered on the phone led investigators to Edwards, who had persuaded the minor to produce and provide sexually explicit images and share them with Edwards via an online messaging application.
“The defendants’ heinous behavior is deserving of a lengthy prison sentence to ensure he cannot inflict further harm on other victims,” said Justin Garrick, Acting Supervisory Senior Resident Agent in FBI Atlanta’s Augusta office. “This case shows how important it is that we continue to target and prosecute sexual predators who victimize children.”
The case was investigated by the FBI and the Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division, and prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorney and Project Safe Childhood Coordinator Jason W. Blanchard.
Anyone with information on suspected child sexual exploitation can contact the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children at 800-843-5678, or https://report.cybertip.org/.
Leader in Operation Ghost Busted, other defendants sentenced to prison after pleading guilty in drug trafficking conspiracyRead the Press Release
BRUNSWICK, GA: An incarcerated leader in a massive, gang-related drug trafficking conspiracy has been sentenced to life in federal prison after pleading guilty to charges brought in the largest-ever indictment in the Southern District of Georgia.
James D. NeSmith, a/k/a “DG,” 26, an inmate serving life in prison for murder at Telfair State Prison, was sentenced to a consecutive term of life in federal prison after pleading guilty to Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute, and to Distribute, 50 Grams or More of Methamphetamine, said Jill E. Steinberg, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. NeSmith’s federal sentence would begin if he is released from state custody, and U.S. District Court Judge Lisa Godbey Wood ordered that he would be housed at a facility no less than 500 miles from his Brunswick residence.
“James NeSmith’s sentence and others in this case represent significant milestones in this effort to dismantle a major drug trafficking operation in south Georgia,” said U.S. Attorney Steinberg. “With our law enforcement partners, we will continue to disrupt traffickers as they distribute deadly, addictive drugs and endanger the safety of our communities and prison facilities.”
Operation Ghost Busted, unsealed in January as USA v. Alvarez et al., charged 76 defendants with involvement in a drug trafficking conspiracy – linked to the white supremacist Ghost Face Gangsters – that distributed large amounts of high-grade methamphetamine, along with fentanyl, heroin, and alprazolam in the greater Glynn County area. Nearly 70 of the defendants have been sentenced or await sentencing after entering guilty pleas in U.S. District Court, while the remainder await further court proceedings and are considered innocent unless and until proven guilty.
For more than two years, investigators from the FBI Coastal Georgia Violent Gang Task Force, the Glynn County Police Department, the Brunswick Police Department, the Glynn County Sheriff's Office, and the Camden County Sheriff's Office collaborated with multiple federal, state and local agencies to identify a sprawling drug trafficking network operating in multiple south Georgia counties. The network operated inside and outside Georgia prisons, coordinated by members of the Ghost Face Gangsters working with affiliates of other criminal street gangs including the Aryan Brotherhood, Bloods, and Gangster Disciples. NeSmith is a member of the Gangster Disciples.
Key figures adjudicated in Operation Ghost Busted include:
- Desiree M. Briley, 26, of McRae-Helena, Ga., sentenced to 18 months in prison after pleading guilty to Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute, and to Distribute, Methamphetamine. Briley was a guard at Telfair State Prison where she helped move contraband into the facility at NeSmith’s direction.
- John E. Harrison, 26, of Brunswick, sentenced to 190 months in prison after pleading guilty to Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and to Distribute 5 Grams or More of Methamphetamine. Harrison acted with others as a courier and drug distributor in the conspiracy.
- Charles W. Walrath, a/k/a “Boomer,” 52, of Brunswick, sentenced to 144 months in prison after pleading guilty to Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and to Distribute Methamphetamine and Fentanyl. Walrath was identified as a mid-level drug distributor in the conspiracy.
- Clinton Taylor, 34, of Brunswick, sentenced to 105 months in prison after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Taylor, who illegally possessed an SKS assault-style rifle, has two prior convictions for illegal firearms possession, and faces state charges related to a machete attack on a Brunswick resident.
- Marissa D. Davis, 32, of Brunswick, sentenced to 97 months in prison after pleading guilty to Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and to Distribute Methamphetamine and Fentanyl. Davis worked with Walrath and others as an illegal drug distributor.
- Wendell McClain, 35, of Brunswick, sentenced to 96 months in prison after pleading guilty to Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and to Distribute Methamphetamine.
- Rachael P. Byrd, a/k/a “Byrd is the Word,” 26, of Brunswick, awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute, and to Distribute, 50 Grams or More of Methamphetamine. Byrd served as a leader in the drug trafficking organization, relaying instructions from her boyfriend James NeSmith and distributing multiple kilos of methamphetamine to distributors and dozens of street-level dealers, and delivering contraband to Briley for delivery to NeSmith in prison.
NeSmith’s mother and sister also are being prosecuted for participation in the conspiracy. Authorities also are seeking a fugitive, David D. Young, a/k/a “Khaos,” of Hortense, Ga., on multiple federal charges.
“Gangs that operate out of our prison systems not only bring drugs and violence into prison facilities – they also breed drug-fueled violence in our communities,” said Will Clarke, Supervisory Senior Resident Agent of FBI Atlanta’s Savannah Office. “We are committed to dismantling violent gangs like the Ghost Face Gangsters and holding their members and those who conspire with them accountable for criminal conduct.”
“This action serves as a textbook example of the impact that can be achieved when we blend our investigative resources with our state and local partners as we continue to aggressively dismantle major drug trafficking that plagues our communities,” said Beau Kolodka, Assistant Special Agent in Charge of the Atlanta Field Office of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. “ATF remains committed to targeting violent offenders and dismantling their criminal organizations.”
“Illegal drugs are dangerous and threaten the safety of Georgia communities,” said Georgia Bureau of Investigation Director Chris Hosey. “The GBI is committed to working with our local and federal partners to investigate the horrific crimes connected to criminal street gangs.”
Operation Ghost Busted was investigated under the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF). OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach.
Agencies involved in the investigation include the FBI Coastal Georgia Violent Gang Task Force; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the U.S. Marshals Service; the Georgia Bureau of Investigation; the Georgia Department of Corrections; the Georgia Department of Community Supervision; the Glynn County Police Department; the Brunswick Police Department; the Glynn County Sheriff’s Office; and sheriff’s offices from Pierce, Camden, Wayne, Treutlen, McIntosh, Toombs, Telfair, Dodge, and Ware counties. The case is being prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jennifer J. Kirkland and Criminal Division Deputy Chief E. Greg Gilluly Jr.
Multiple defendants prosecuted on federal firearms, drug chargesRead the Press Release
SAVANNAH, GA: Five people have been indicted in the Southern District of Georgia on felony charges including illegal firearms possession and drug distribution, while additional defendants have been sentenced to federal prison or await further proceedings after pleading guilty to federal gun charges.
The cases are prosecuted as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods in collaboration with federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies, including the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the FBI, to reduce violent crime with measures that include targeting convicted felons who illegally possess guns.
“The continuing work toward making our community safer demands the removal of guns from the hands of individuals who illegally possess them,” said Jill E. Steinberg, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. “That especially includes holding accountable previously convicted felons found in possession of firearms.”
In the past five years, more than 800 defendants have been prosecuted in the Southern District of Georgia for firearms offenses – most often for possessing a firearm after conviction for a previous felony. That charge carries a statutory penalty of up to 15 years in prison, and there is no parole in the federal system.
Those indicted during the November term of the U.S. District Court Grand Jury include:
- Tacumsa Xcaiver Lovett, A/K/A “GB Poncho,” 24, of Grovetown, Ga., charged with Distribution of Fentanyl; Distribution of Marijuana and Fentanyl; Possession with Intent to Distribute Oxycodone; Possession with Intent to Distribute Marijuana and Fentanyl; and Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime;
- Zanuck Lorenzo Berry, 43, of Martinez, Ga., charged with Possession with Intent to Distribute Cocaine and Methamphetamine; Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime; and Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon;
- Jeremy Studdard, 42, of Dublin, Ga., charged with Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon.
- Robert Antonio Green, 26, of Savannah, charged with Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon; and,
- Matthew Lacey, 29, of Savannah, charged with two counts of Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon.
All indicted defendants are considered innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Defendants recently adjudicated on federal firearms charges include:
- Lyondo Larell Ware, a/k/a “China,” 43, of Augusta, was sentenced to 120 months in prison and fined $1,500 after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Ware, a member of Augusta’s Loyalty Over Everything (L.O.E.) criminal street gang, was on felony probation when Richmond County deputies and Georgia Department of Community Supervision officers found a loaded pistol while searching his residence in September 2021.
- Arthur Singleton, 46, of Savannah, was sentenced to 70 months in prison after pleading guilty to Possession of Ammunition by a Convicted Felon. Savannah police officers arrested Singleton in February 2023 while investigating a trespassing call at a Savannah residence and found a bag containing loaded high-capacity gun magazines in Singleton’s waistband.
- Tyrell Smith, 32, of Savannah, was sentenced to 68 months in prison after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Smith, who had an active arrest warrant related to a March 2022 Savannah exchange of gunfire with a neighbor, ran from Savannah police who arrested him when they found him carrying a pistol.
- Johnny Harris, 23, of Savannah, was sentenced to 44 months in prison after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. He was arrested in October 2022 when Savannah police officers conducting surveillance near Frazier Homes determined Harris possessed an assault-style pistol while fleeing the area.
- Jonathan Bennett Capece II, 54, of Dublin, Ga., was sentenced to 24 months in prison after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Dublin police officers arrested Capece in April 2020 after finding drugs and two pistols in his vehicle during a traffic stop.
- DeShawn Tisdale, 24, of Savannah, awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Savannah police officers found a pistol in Tisdale’s vehicle while investigating a trespassing call at a Savannah residence in July 2021.
- Calvin Polite, 36, of Savannah, awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Savannah police officers found a pistol in Polite’s possession in September 2022 while investigating a report of shots fired in a Savannah neighborhood.
- Keith Ponsell, 34, of Jesup, Ga., awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to Possession of an Unregistered Firearm. A Georgia State Patrol trooper found an illegal “pen” gun in Ponsell’s pocket during a traffic stop in Jesup in June 2022.
- Akeem Ajmia Lanier, 34, of Metter, Ga., awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Metter police officers found a pistol in Lanier’s vehicle during a May 2022 traffic stop.
- Daiyuonte Reed, 31, of Oak Bluffs, Mass., awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Savannah police officers found a pistol in Reed’s possession while investigating a disturbance at a Savannah restaurant in July 2021.
Agencies investigating these cases include the ATF, the FBI, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, the Savannah Police Department, the Metter Police Department, and the Dublin Police Department.
The cases are being prosecuted for the United States by the Southern District of Georgia U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Under federal law, it is illegal for an individual to possess a firearm if he or she falls into one of nine prohibited categories including being a felon; illegal alien; or unlawful user of a controlled substance. Further, it is unlawful to possess a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense or violent crime. It is also illegal to purchase – or even to attempt to purchase – firearms if the buyer is a prohibited person or illegally purchasing a firearm on behalf of others. Lying on ATF Form 4473, which is used to lawfully purchase a firearm, also is a federal offense.
For more information from the ATF on the lawful purchasing of firearms, please see: https://www.atf.gov/qa-category/atfw-form-4473
Chatham County man indicted on multiple child sexual exploitation charges, including production of child pornographyRead the Press Release
SAVANNAH, GA: A Chatham County man has been indicted on multiple federal charges alleging sexual exploitation of children.
Sheldon Jason Burch, 49, of Savannah, is being held in the Chatham County Detention Center after being arrested on a criminal complaint, and now has been indicted on three counts of Production of Child Pornography, and one count each of Receipt of Child Pornography and Possession of Child Pornography, said Jill E. Steinberg, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia.
Conviction on the production charges carries a statutory minimum sentence of 15 years in prison, up to 30 years, while receipt carries a mandatory minimum sentence upon conviction of five years, up to 20, and the penalty upon conviction for possession of child pornography is up to 20 years in prison. There is no parole in the federal system, and conviction on any of the charges could include substantial financial penalties and restitution, a requirement to register as a sex offender, and a period of supervised release following any prison term.
Criminal indictments contain only charges; defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
“Criminal allegations involving the sexual exploitation of children are horrific, particularly when they involve subjecting minor victims to portrayal in pornographic images,” said U.S. Attorney Steinberg. “The creation and continued viewing of those images is tremendously traumatizing to victims, and our office works diligently to protect them and hold their abusers accountable.”
The indictment alleges that Burch, from on or about June 2006 through 2016, produced sexually explicit images of three minor victims, and up until June 2023 received and possessed additional images of child sexual exploitation.
Investigators are seeking information on other unidentified potential victims found on images in electronic devices seized from Burch’s residence, located on Cowan Avenue in Savannah, and are asking anyone who might have had contact with Burch to call the FBI Savannah Resident Agency at 877-644-0277. Investigators believe that many of the explicit images of the child victims in this case were taken at Burch’s residence over a period of several years.
The case is being investigated by the FBI and the Chatham County Police Department, and prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorney and Project Safe Childhood Coordinator Jason W. Blanchard.
Anyone with information on suspected child sexual exploitation can contact the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children at 800-843-5678, or https://report.cybertip.org/.
Richmond County man indicted on federal charges for bomb scare at Social Security officeRead the Press Release
AUGUSTA, GA: A Richmond County man has been indicted on federal charges for a bomb threat targeting the Social Security Administration’s Augusta office.
Keyon Tishaye Dickens, 38, of Augusta, currently is being held in the Jefferson County Detention Center after being indicted for Using a Telephone to Make a Threat to Injure a Person or Damage a Building by Explosives, and two counts of False Information and Bomb Hoax, said Jill E. Steinberg, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. The phone charge carries a statutory penalty upon conviction of up to 10 years in prison, and each of the hoax charges carry a statutory penalty of up to five years in prison, along with substantial financial penalties and a period of supervised release upon completion of any prison term.
There is no parole in the federal system.
“We take seriously any threats of violence against government employees or other workers,” said U.S. Attorney Steinberg. “Actions intended to frighten and intimidate innocent people will not be tolerated.”
The indictment alleges that Dickens called the Social Security Administration office in Augusta on Oct. 10, threatening to use an explosive device to harm the building and workers. Later, at the Social Security office, Dickens displayed a note with the handwritten message, “I have a bomb,” to a security officer who alerted the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office.
The building was locked down and evacuated, and no bomb was found. Richmond County deputies took Dickens into custody. He awaits further court proceedings and is considered innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The case is being investigated by the FBI, the Social Security Administration Office of the Inspector General and the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office, and prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorney George J.C. Jacobs III.
Appellate Division notches court wins for Southern District of Georgia U.S. Attorney’s OfficeRead the Press Release
SAVANNAH, GA: This year, the Appellate Division of the Southern District of Georgia U.S. Attorney’s Office continued to successfully defend the United States’ efforts to curb violent crime, to prosecute those who exploit children, and to protect American taxpayers, U.S. Attorney Jill E. Steinberg announced.
“The Southern District’s attorneys and staff consistently demonstrate exceptional skill and preparation in the cases they handle in court,” said U.S. Attorney Steinberg. “Prevailing on appeal is a resounding affirmation of the hard work of our Appellate Division in shepherding these cases through the complex appeals process.”
The Southern District of Georgia represents the interests of the United States in criminal cases in 43 Georgia counties and litigates civil cases in federal court. Highlights of those cases before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit include:
- United States v. Graham: Traditionally, grand juries indict defendants by meeting in one location, where they hear witnesses in person and review other evidence. During COVID-19, social-distancing requirements made that practice nearly impossible. The Southern District of Georgia adopted a unique, temporary approach: 10 or fewer grand jurors convened in each of three federal courthouses, with the three groups linked to each other remotely by secure video-teleconference. The district kept the wheels of justice rolling, continuing to fully investigate and indict cases during that time.
James L. Graham was one of them. Graham was indicted and later convicted for participating in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. On appeal, Graham argued that his conviction was invalid because his indictment under the remote procedure violated several laws, including his constitutional right to an indictment by a grand jury. The 11th Circuit affirmed Graham’s conviction, holding that the Southern District of Georgia’s innovative remote process did not change the grand jury’s basic nature, infect the jurors’ decision to indict Graham, result in any security breach, or cause any flaw in the presentation of evidence.
During COVID-19, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act authorized the U.S. Small Business Administration to issue billions of dollars in Economic Injury Disaster Loans to eligible small businesses. Two of the Southern District’s prevailing decisions involved those cases:
- United States v. Oudomsine: The defendant lied about owning a small business to fraudulently obtain an $85,000 loan. This case received national attention because the defendant used some of that money to purchase a $57,000 Pokemon trading card. On appeal, the 11th Circuit ruled that the defendant’s 36-month prison sentence was reasonable.
- United States v. Mack: The defendant lied about owning businesses to fraudulently obtain a $150,000 loan. She used some of the funds to vacation in Miami and gave some to her boyfriend. On appeal, the 11th Circuit ruled that her 48-month prison sentence was reasonable.
The Southern District of Georgia also continues to aggressively pursue cases that involve the exploitation of children by sexual predators and abusers.
- United States v. Gunn: Michael Peyton Gunn took pornographic pictures of a child in his custody and distributed those images on the internet. He also repeatedly sexually abused and prostituted the child. At trial, he was convicted of conspiring to sex traffic a child, coercing and enticing a child to engage in sexual activity, producing child pornography, possessing child pornography, and obstructing a child sex-trafficking investigation. On appeal, Gunn alleged that the government had withheld exculpatory evidence, but the 11th Circuit confirmed that the government committed no discovery violation. The Court affirmed Gunn’s conviction and sentence.
The Appellate Division of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Georgia is led by Division Chief Justin Davids, with Assistant U.S. Attorneys James Stuchell and Channell Singh, and assisted by Paralegals Taylor Workman and Leiandra Moran.
New York man sentenced to federal prison for sexual enticement of Georgia minorRead the Press Release
BRUNSWICK, GA: A New York man was sentenced to federal prison after pleading guilty to enticing a Georgia minor and persuading her to travel from Georgia to New York with him.
Jordan Harris, 25, of Queens, N.Y., was sentenced to 127 months in prison after pleading guilty to Coercion and Enticement of a Minor to Engage in Sexual Activity, said Jill E. Steinberg, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. U.S. District Court Judge Lisa Godbey Wood also ordered Harris to register as a sex offender and to serve 15 years of supervised release after completion of his prison term.
There is no parole in the federal system.
“A nightmare scenario for every parent is the prospect of their child being persuaded by a predatory adult to leave home,” said U.S. Attorney Steinberg. “The community is safer with Jordan Harris behind bars.”
As described in court documents and testimony, a Chatham County woman approached the Garden City Police Department in December 2021 for help in locating her missing minor daughter. A few days later, the mother received information that her daughter was in New York and retrieved her to return to Georgia.
Interviews with the victim revealed Harris had used online messaging applications to communicate with the minor for nearly a year before persuading her to leave with him via Greyhound bus to travel back to New York, instructing her along the way to remove the SIM card from her phone to prevent them from being tracked.
Harris was arrested in November 2022 when he again traveled to Savannah to make contact with the minor. Investigators seized Harris’ phone and found evidence of at least seven other minors with whom he had similarly communicated.
“Homeland Security Investigations and our law enforcement partners remain committed to protecting our children from online predators,” said Acting Special Agent in charge Travis Pickard who oversees Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) operations in Georgia and Alabama. “This sentence sends a clear message that we will not tolerate the exploitation of our children. We will continue to work tirelessly to keep our communities safe from those who seek to harm our most vulnerable members.”
The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the Garden City Police Department, and prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorney Tania D. Groover.
Anyone with information on suspected child sexual exploitation can contact the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children at 800-843-5678, or https://report.cybertip.org/.
Chatham County man sentenced to federal prison for forcibly taking mailbox keys from postal carrierRead the Press Release
BRUNSWICK, GA: A Chatham County man has been sentenced to prison after pleading guilty to robbing mailbox keys from a U.S. Postal Service employee.
Andre Rasheed Barnes, 24, of Garden City, Ga., was sentenced to 20 months in prison after pleading guilty to Robbery of Money, Mail, or Other Property of the United States, said Jill E. Steinberg, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. U.S. District Court Judge Lisa Godbey Wood also ordered Barnes to serve three years of supervised release upon completion of his prison term.
There is no parole in the federal system.
“The safety and security of our mail carriers is vitally important for the well-being of these employees and the smooth operation of our mail system,” said U.S. Attorney Steinberg. “It’s fortunate the mail carrier in this case was unhurt, and thanks to the work of our law enforcement partners Barnes and his co-defendant are being held accountable.”
As described in court documents and testimony, a carrier was delivering mail to community mailboxes at Chatham City Apartments in Garden City on July 16, 2022, when Barnes approached her and asked her to open a mailbox for him. She asked for his identification, and he then asked how to get a new key and left after she provided the information. Two days later, Barnes approached again with the same questions, and then fought with the carrier as he forcibly took her keys and fled.
Garden City police and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service later identified Barnes and an accomplice, Keyuhn Washington, 24, of Garden City, and found the stolen keys in Washington’s vehicle. After his arrest Washington was held in the Chatham County Detention Center and sentenced to time served after pleading guilty to Theft of Post Office Keys. He is now serving three years of supervised release.
“A large part of the Postal Inspection Service mission is the protection and safety of our postal employees,” said Tommy D. Coke, US Postal Inspector in Charge of the Atlanta Division. “This is a great example of Postal Inspectors working with our law enforcement partners to pursue criminals involved in violent acts in our local communities and bringing them to justice.”
The case was investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the Garden City Police Department, and prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorney Marcela C. Mateo.
U.S. Department of Justice announces grants totaling more than $1.2 million in the Southern District of GeorgiaRead the Press Release
SAVANNAH, GA: The U.S. Department of Justice has announced more than $1.2 million in grants awarded to agencies and entities to support law enforcement and public safety initiatives in the Southern District of Georgia.
These federal grants include funding for the Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, a key component of the Department of Justice’s strategy for reducing violent crime, and funding from the Office on Violence Against Women, said Jill E. Steinberg, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia.
“In addition to fueling the fight against violent crime through Project Safe Neighborhoods, these grants will assist local agencies and communities in keeping their residents safe and improving outcomes for vulnerable citizens,” said U.S. Attorney Steinberg.
The end-of-fiscal-year 2023 PSN grant to the Southern District of Georgia of $98,657, administered by the Bureau of Justice Assistance through Georgia’s Criminal Justice Coordinating Council, will distribute funding to Savannah, Augusta, and Brunswick, the three most populous cities in the Southern District, in collaboration with local public safety agencies to help achieve reductions in violent crime.
“Every sector of our society – not only the justice system, but nonprofit and faith-based groups, local leaders, and advocates, and people with lived experience who serve as credible messengers – plays a critical role in ensuring public safety and public health,” said OJP Assistant Attorney General Amy L. Solomon. “The Office of Justice Programs is proud to make these substantial investments in building community infrastructure and supporting communities as co-producers of safety and justice.”
Additional Department of Justice grants awarded during the regular end-of-fiscal-year funding cycle include:
Office on Violence Against Women:
- Waycross Area Shelter for Abused Persons Inc.: $500,000. This award, through the Improving Criminal Justice Responses to Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault, and Stalking Grant Program, is aimed at improving the greater Ware County area criminal justice system’s response to domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking by focusing on victim safety. The collaborative effort with the city of Waycross will implement a project that serves communities throughout the region.
- East Georgia State College, Swainsboro, Ga.: $399,117. With this award, East Georgia State College, in coordination with Sunshine House and the Swainsboro Police Department, will provide planning, education and training activities to prevent and respond to incidents of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking.
Bureau of Justice Assistance: Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant Program:
- City of Savannah, $119,429. This funding will be used to purchase two new bomb suits for the Savannah Police Department’s Bomb Unit; to replace outdated equipment used by the SPD Underwater Search and Recovery Team; and to purchase new traffic enforcement equipment for the Garden City Police Department.
- Glynn County, $23,925. This grant will be used to purchase five bicycles for the Glynn County Police Department’s patrol division for use in community oriented policing strategies.
- City of Waycross, $10,328: The funding will be used to purchase an air purification system for the Waycross Police Department’s evidence room, and to purchase ballistic shields for the Ware County Sheriff’s Office.
Bureau of Justice Assistance: The Kevin and Avonte Program:
- Liberty County, $99,990. Through its Bringing the Lost Home Project, the Liberty County Sheriff’s Office, primarily through its K9 Unit, will partner with Senior Citizens Inc. and Magnolia Manor Nursing Home and in each public school to operate a proactive program to locate or prevent the wandering of individuals with dementia or developmental disabilities.
More information on the implementation of these grants is available from the individual recipient agencies, and from the U.S. Department of Justice grants information page at justice.gov/grants.
Multiple defendants prosecuted on federal firearms, drug chargesRead the Press Release
SAVANNAH, GA: Six people have been indicted in the Southern District of Georgia on felony charges including illegal firearms possession and drug distribution, while additional defendants have been sentenced to federal prison or await further proceedings after pleading guilty to federal gun charges.
The cases are prosecuted as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods in collaboration with federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies, including the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the FBI, to reduce violent crime with measures that include targeting convicted felons who illegally possess guns.
“Removing illegally possessed firearms from convicted felons plays a key role in reducing violent crime in our communities,” said Jill E. Steinberg, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. “In collaboration with our law enforcement partners, we will continue to prioritize taking these tools of violence out of the hands individuals who are prohibited from possessing them.”
In the past five years, more than 800 defendants have been prosecuted in the Southern District of Georgia for firearms offenses – most often for possessing a firearm after conviction for a previous felony. That charge carries a statutory penalty of up to 15 years in prison, and there is no parole in the federal system.
Those indicted during the October term of the U.S. District Court Grand Jury include:
- Ricky Rich, 41, of East Dublin, Ga., charged with four counts of Distribution of 5 Grams or More of Methamphetamine; Distribution of Fentanyl; Possession with Intent to Distribute 50 Grams or More of Methamphetamine; Possession with Intent to Distribute Fentanyl; three counts of Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon; and two counts of Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime;
- Othnell Christian Ferguson, 27, of Pembroke, Ga., charged with Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon;
- Jamal Brashad Hawkins, 20, of Swainsboro, Ga., charged with Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon;
- Jamario D. Owens, 24, of Savannah, charged with Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon;
- Keith Alan Scorza, 53, of Savannah, charged with False Statement During the Purchase of a Firearm, and Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person, referring to a domestic violence protective order; and,
- Pedro Walker, 24, of Savannah, Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon.
Defendants recently adjudicated on federal firearms charges include:
- Reginald General Jackson, 36, of Savannah, was sentenced to 120 months in prison after pleading guilty to Possession of a Stolen Firearm. Savannah Police officers found Jackson in possession of multiple pistols after they were called in June 2022 to a Savannah motel room that Jackson was refusing to leave.
- Tony Lavardo Blount Jr., 32, of Augusta, was sentenced to 78 months in prison and fined $1,500 after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Columbia County Sheriff’s deputies were called to a Grovetown, Ga., home to investigate a report of domestic violence and arrested Blount after a brief foot chase when he pulled a pistol from his pocket.
- Calvin Lomont Powell Jr., 22, of Waynesboro, Ga., was sentenced to 41 months in prison and fined $1,500 after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Georgia State Patrol troopers found a pistol, drugs, and cash in Powell’s car during a June 2022 traffic stop.
- Derrick Drurell Long, 32, of Augusta, was sentenced to 56 months in prison and fined $1,500 after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Georgia Department of Community Supervision officers arrested Long in June 2020 after finding a pistol in his apartment during a search.
- Reco Casey, a/k/a “Rico,” 33, of Augusta, was sentenced to 57 months in prison after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. In September 2021, Richmond County Sheriff’s deputies found a pistol in the vehicle where Casey was a passenger. Casey was on state felony probation at the time of his arrest.
- Tavares L. Freeman Jr., 22, of Augusta, was sentenced to 45 months in prison and fined $1,500 after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Freeman was arrested in August 2022 after he was seen tossing a pistol from a window of his home as Richmond County sheriff’s deputies and agents from the Georgia Department of Community Supervision arrived to conduct a search of the residence. Freeman was on probation from a state felony conviction at the time.
- Cortez Timmie Dinh, 27, of Martinez, Ga., was sentenced to three years’ probation, fined $1,500 and ordered to serve 40 hours of community service after pleading guilty to False Statement During the Purchase of a Firearm. During an August 2019 traffic stop, Richmond County deputies found guns and drugs in a vehicle in which Dinh was a passenger. The driver, Jose Ramon Valero Jr., 25, of Stonecrest, Ga., is serving 84 months in prison after pleading guilty to Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute, and to Distribute, Marijuana, and Possession of Firearms in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime. Dinh acted as a straw purchaser in buying one of the guns found in the vehicle for Valero, who was prohibited from possessing firearms because of a previous conviction for domestic violence.
- Jesu Aurelius Fox, 27, of Savannah, was sentenced to 30 months in prison after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Savannah Police officers found Fox in possession of a pistol while behind the wheel of his vehicle in August 2021.
- David Wayne Cleland, 34, of Ridgeland, S.C., awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Garden City police officers investigating a suspicious vehicle in a motel parking lot found Cleland asleep in the car with a handgun in his lap.
- Steve Shontell Heath, 46, of Hephzibah, Ga., awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. A Burke County sheriff’s deputy found a pistol in Heath’s vehicle during a December 2021 traffic stop.
Agencies investigating these cases include the ATF, the FBI, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, the Savannah Police Department, the Statesboro Police Department, the Swainsboro Police Department, and the Laurens County Sheriff’s Office.
The cases are being prosecuted for the United States by the Southern District of Georgia U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Under federal law, it is illegal for an individual to possess a firearm if he or she falls into one of nine prohibited categories including being a felon; illegal alien; or unlawful user of a controlled substance. Further, it is unlawful to possess a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense or violent crime. It is also illegal to purchase – or even to attempt to purchase – firearms if the buyer is a prohibited person or illegally purchasing a firearm on behalf of others. Lying on ATF Form 4473, which is used to lawfully purchase a firearm, also is a federal offense.
For more information from the ATF on the lawful purchasing of firearms, please see: https://www.atf.gov/qa-category/atfw-form-4473
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Two Georgia men sentenced for trafficking fentanylRead the Press Release
SAVANNAH, GA: Two Georgia men, including one from Bryan County, have been sentenced to federal prison for trafficking the deadly synthetic opioid fentanyl.
Darien Cothern, 34, of Marietta, Ga., was sentenced to 42 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release, and Javarus McKinney, a/k/a “Jody,” 34, of Richmond Hill, Ga., was sentenced to 130 months in prison followed by six years of supervised release, said Jill E. Steinberg, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia.
McKinney was convicted after a four-day trial in March on charges of Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute, and to Distribute, Fentanyl; Possession with Intent to Distribute and Distribution of Fentanyl; and Possession with Intent to Distribute and Distribution of Fentanyl in or Near Schools, but acquitted on enhanced charges related to the death of an overdose victim. Cothern pled guilty to Distribution of Fentanyl, and his plea acknowledged that the death resulted from the fentanyl the victim purchased from Cothern.
“Fentanyl is an addictive synthetic opioid that has flooded this country, and nearly 300 people in the United States die each day from drug overdoses including those from fentanyl,” said U.S. Attorney Steinberg. “Along with our law enforcement partners, we will continue to hold accountable those who deal in deadly illegal drugs.”
Richmond Hill Police officers initiated an investigation Aug. 12, 2020, after a 25-year-old male victim was found dead in a residential pool. An autopsy determined the man had a fatal dose of fentanyl in his system at the time of his death. Working with agents from the Savannah Office of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, investigators identified McKinney as a Richmond Hill-area distributor of counterfeit Oxycodone pills containing fentanyl, and determined Cothern obtained the pills from McKinney and sold them to the victim.
“The Chatham-Savannah Counter Narcotics Team (CNT) is committed to collaborating with and assisting our fellow law enforcement agencies,” said CNT Director Michael G. Sarhatt. “This year alone, Chatham County has encountered over 65 overdose deaths, exceeding numbers from 2022. This abundant influx of fentanyl creates a significant threat to not only our community but to surrounding counties as well. CNT considers this a significant concern and is utilizing every asset to rid this hideous poison from our community. The sentences given to these defendants send a clear message to those distributing fentanyl on our streets: they will be caught and serve a lengthy prison term.”
“Fentanyl is extremely dangerous to the consumer and leaves behind a trail of devastation and destruction,” said Robert J. Murphy, Special Agent in Charge of the Atlanta Division of the Drug Enforcement Administration. “The defendants in this case had total disregard for the safety of others.”
The case was investigated by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, the Chatham-Savannah Counter Narcotics Team, and the Richmond Hill Police Department, and prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Darron J. Hubbard and Frank M. Pennington II.
Guilty plea to bank fraud sends Georgia man to federal prisonRead the Press Release
AUGUSTA, GA: An Atlanta-area man has been sentenced to federal prison and ordered to pay nearly $300,000 in restitution after pleading guilty to siphoning money from a private individual’s bank account.
Marqualdis Antwon Logan, a/k/a “Alphonso Baugh,” 38, of Stone Mountain, Ga., was sentenced to 51months in prison after pleading guilty to eight counts of Bank Fraud and one count of Aggravated Identity Theft, said Jill E. Steinberg, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. U.S. District Court Chief Judge J. Randal Hall also ordered Logan to pay restitution of $272,097 and to serve five years of supervised release after completion of his prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
“Hard-working individuals sacrifice to save money for their future needs, including retirement,” said U.S. Attorney Steinberg. “Marqualdis Logan’s greed-driven scheme stole hundreds of thousands of dollars and damages the financial security of his innocent victims.”
As described in court documents and testimony, a Columbia County woman and her daughter alerted their bank and the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office in September 2020 when they noticed suspicious activity in their money market account. The FBI determined that a fraudulent online profile had gained access to the account and was cashing and depositing online checks into other bank accounts controlled by Logan and others.
The investigation determined Logan wrote checks on the account totaling more than $500,000 and succeeded in depositing or cashing checks totaling $497,136. The restitution in the case represents the outstanding unrecovered funds, which Logan used for purchases and travel. He was arrested in November 2022 while traveling in the U.S. Virgin Islands.
As part of the plea agreement, Logan acknowledged his prior involvement in a scheme in which he withdrew more than $100,000 from another victim’s account by using identifying information stolen from the victim’s deceased husband. Unreimbursed funds from that case, and from Logan’s receipt of $20,832 in funds from a fraudulently obtained COVID-19 small business relief loan, are calculated as part of his restitution.
“These fraud scams, although not violent, are not victimless and can be devastating to individuals and their personal livelihoods,” said Brian Ozden, Assistant Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “This guilty plea shows the FBI’s dedication to working with our partners to hold anyone accountable who would steal from hard working and honest individuals, rather than put in the work themselves.”
The case was investigated by the FBI and the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office, with assistance from the U.S. Marshals Service, and prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer A. Stanley.