Southern District of Georgia

SAVANNAH, GA:  An 11th defendant pled guilty and three additional defendants received federal prison sentences today as the prosecution of a major drug trafficking and money laundering organization continues. 

Sentences this week in Operation Snowplow, which represents the largest single seizure of cocaine to date by the Chatham-Savannah Counter Narcotics Team (CNT), brings to nine the number of defendants sentenced, with two awaiting sentencing and three more defendants still being sought.

“The agencies who slammed the door on these merchants of misery include dedicated law enforcement professionals and prosecutors who team up to make our community safer,” said Bobby L. Christine, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. “For once in their lives, these convicted felons will make our neighborhoods better by no longer being part of them.”  

According to court documents and testimony, the drug-trafficking organization led by Omar Griffin and others acquired significant quantities of cocaine from Texas and Marijuana from California, along with other narcotics, from at least February 2014 through March 2018. The drugs were then packaged in children’s toys and DVD players, and concealed in cargo vans and truck trailers for shipment to Savannah, for distribution to mid-level dealers from several Savannah-area residences.

On March 5, 2018, law enforcement intercepted a shipment of 25 kilograms of cocaine that had been driven from Texas to a hotel in Richmond Hill, Ga., concealed inside a cargo trailer. Officers also seized more than $387,000 in cash that had been exchanged for the cocaine. After interdicting the drugs, law enforcement executed a number of search and arrest warrants. In total in this investigation, law enforcement seized more than 25 kilograms of cocaine, more than 30 pounds of marijuana, approximately $750,000 in cash, nearly two dozen firearms (including semi-automatic rifles), and other narcotics. 

Defendants sentenced this week include:

• Herman Williams, 44, of Savannah, convicted of Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute Cocaine, sentenced to 132 months in prison;
• Vincent Hooper, 55, of Savannah, convicted of Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon, sentenced to 30 months in prison;
• Emmett Ramsey, 36, of Savannah, convicted of Unlawful Use of a Communication Facility, sentenced to 42 months in prison;

Defendants awaiting sentencing include:

• Allen Grady, 42, of Port Wentworth, Ga., convicted of Conspiracy to Commit Money Laundering; and,
• Barron Robertson, 53, of Savannah, convicted of Possession with Intent to Distribute 5 Kilograms or more of Cocaine.

Defendants previously sentenced include:

• Barrington Miller, 48, of Savannah, convicted of Distribution of Cocaine, Maintaining a Drug-Involved Premises, and Unlawful Use of a Communication Facility, sentenced to 120 months in prison;
• Justin Swinton, 38:  of Port Wentworth, convicted of Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute 50 kilograms or more of marihuana, sentenced to 37 months in prison;
• Rodrigo Rodriguez, 48:  of Houston, Texas, convicted of Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute 5 kilograms or more of cocaine and 50 kilograms or more of marihuana, sentenced to 84 months in prison;
• Desmond Jones, 48, of Houston, convicted of Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute 5 kilograms or more of Cocaine, sentenced to 56 month in prison;
• Edgar Guadalupe-Marroquin, 36: of Houston, convicted of Interstate Travel to Carry on Unlawful Activities, sentenced to 60 months in prison; and,
• Christian Ramirez-Leyton, 44, of Houston, convicted of Interstate Travel to Carry on Unlawful Activities, sentenced to 60 months in prison.

Three defendants remain fugitives:

• Kia Hickman, 48, of Savannah;
• Omar Griffin, 40, of Pooler, Ga.; and,
• Jamaal Singleton, 41, of Savannah.

Individuals with information on the whereabouts of Griffin, Hickman, or Singleton can anonymously contact CNT at 912-652-3900, or Crime Stoppers at 912-234-2020. Criminal indictments contain only charges; defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

“This was an outstanding operation that not only positively impacted our local community but the nation as a whole,” said Everett Ragan, Director of CNT. “It was deemed successful because local, state, and federal enforcement agencies came together to plow this organization right into the ground.”

“Operation Snowplow emphasizes the importance of collaborative efforts between the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and our federal partners, reinforcing the Postal Inspection Service’s mission of protecting the public and preventing criminal misuse of our mail,” said Lesley C. Allison, Acting Inspector in Charge of the Miami Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.  

Operation Snowplow was investigated under the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF), the premier U.S. Department of Justice program to dismantle multi-jurisdictional drug trafficking organizations, and conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Chatham-Savannah Counter Narcotics Team, Savannah Police Department, Chatham County Police Department, and the Chatham County Sheriff’s Office K9 Unit and the Chatham County Aviation Unit, and prosecuted for the United States by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Georgia.

DUBLIN, GA:  A Georgia Department of Corrections officer was convicted on federal drug charges after a two-day trial in U.S. District Court.

Lekesia Lashea Harden, 23, of Dublin, was convicted on one count of Possession with Intent to Distribute Marijuana and Methamphetamine, said Bobby L. Christine, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. The charge carries a minimum sentence of 10 years to life in prison, and includes a period of supervised release after completion of the prison sentence. There is no parole in the federal system.

Harden, who worked as a corrections officer at Wheeler Correctional Facility, a medium-security, privately owned state prison in Alamo, Ga., was indicted along with her boyfriend, Tremayne O. Linder, 30, of Dublin, who recently pled guilty to the same charge.

“A corrections officer undoubtedly understood the potential risk of associating with a convicted felon and engaging in drug trafficking,” said U.S. Attorney Christine. “She now faces substantial time inside a prison cell as the price for her inexcusable violation of the law.”

Officers from the Dublin Police Department and Georgia Department of Community Supervision visited Harden and Linder’s residence April 9, 2018, to serve Linder with an arrest warrant for failing to complete requirements of probation. During a subsequent search of the residence, officers found 12 small packages, two containing methamphetamine and 10 containing marijuana. As noted in court documents and testimony, the marijuana was wrapped in electrical tape with some of the packages containing rolling papers, a sign that the material was packaged for contraband delivery to prison.

 “Harden decided that her relationship with a convicted felon was more important than the oath she swore as a corrections officer,” said Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta Chris Hacker. “Unfortunately, her decision taints every law enforcement officer who upholds their oath daily. But they can rest assured that she is being held accountable.”

The case was investigated by the FBI, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Dublin Police Department, and prosecuted for the United States by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Marchman and Assistant U.S. Attorney Hank Syms.

BRUNSWICK, GA:  A Darien pharmacist is facing up to five years in prison after admitting that she lied about filling prescriptions for prescribers of high volumes of opioids and other controlled substances.

Janice Ann Colter, 62, of Darien, Ga., entered a guilty plea to one count of False Statements Relating to Health Care Matters, said Bobby L. Christine, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. Colter faces up to five years in prison and substantial fines and restitution, along with three years of supervised release upon completion of any prison sentence. There is no parole in the federal system.

“As the opioid crisis has burned across our nation, unethical medical professionals have poured fuel on the raging fire of addiction,” said U.S. Attorney Christine. “Our office will continue to vigorously prosecute drug dealers who hide behind white coats while profiteering from their greed.”

As part of her guilty plea, Colter, who formerly was the pharmacist-in-charge of Darien Pharmacy, admitted lying about filling prescriptions written by high-volume prescribers of opioids and other controlled substances. According to court documents and testimony, those prescribers included Dr. Frank H. Bynes Jr. of Savannah, recently convicted in U.S. District Court on multiple counts of Unlawful Dispensation of Controlled Substances and Health Care Fraud, and other physicians located as far away as Florida. From 2015 to 2017, Darien Pharmacy received more than one million dosage units of highly addictive opioids from its suppliers.

Colter, along with Darien Pharmacy, also is a defendant in a federal suit filed in August, seeking civil penalties for filling prescriptions for controlled substances that she “knew or should have known were not issued for legitimate medical reasons and by a provider not acting within the regular course of professional practice,” according to the suit.

Robert J. Murphy, the Special Agent in Charge of the Atlanta Field Division of the DEA said, “This pharmacist misled her suppliers to keep open a pipeline to prescribers who were doling out massive amounts of addicting controlled substances. Ms. Colter was not only reckless with regard to the many patients she served, but she also violated the trust of the community she served.”

“Pharmacist Colter placed profit and greed over the health and welfare of her community,” said Derrick L. Jackson, Special Agent in Charge for the Office of Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. “We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to ensure that tax payer funds are not used to line the pockets of criminals who fuel the opioid crisis.”

The Drug Enforcement Administration and the Health and the Human Services Office of Inspector General investigated the case, and Assistant U.S. Attorney J. Thomas Clarkson prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.

BRUNSWICK, GA:  The former executive director of the Camden County Public Service Authority has admitted misappropriating funds intended for payment of employees’ federal payroll taxes.

Willliam Brunson, 52, of Kingsland, Ga., entered a guilty plea to one count of Tax Evasion in U.S. District Court in Brunswick, said Bobby L. Christine, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. The charge carries a penalty of up to five years in prison, along with fines, restitution and supervised release upon completion of any prison sentence. There is no parole in the federal system.

“Public employees in high places raking ill-gotten gains into their own pockets from taxpayers creates public distrust,” said U.S. Attorney Christine. “William Brunson’s greed destroyed a lot of goodwill, and fuels the cynicism and distrust that unfairly stains public service all too often.”

According to court documents and testimony, Brunson was responsible for paying over to the Internal Revenue Service employment taxes on behalf of the Public Service Authority (PSA). Federal taxes were withheld from employees’ paychecks from 2014 to 2016, but Brunson failed to remit more than $677,000 that was due to the IRS. In addition to not filing his personal tax returns during that period, Brunson also used a Camden County PSA credit card and other funds for his personal use, including the purchase of antique cars and car parts.

Brunson was terminated from the PSA in May 2018 after an audit of PSA finances and an investigation by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI).

“Corruption involving public officials will not be tolerated in the state of Georgia,” said Vic Reynolds, Director of the GBI. “It is essential that violators like Brunson be held accountable for these types of crimes. The GBI is fully committed to working with our federal partners to conduct public corruption investigations.” 

 “Brunson betrayed the public’s trust for personal gain. Instead of helping the community, Brunson was enriching himself at the expense of the taxpayers whom he was to serve. As a result of his greed, he must now be held accountable for his crimes in order to restore public trust,” said Thomas J. Holloman III, Special Agent in Charge of the IRS-Criminal Investigation, Atlanta Field Office. “IRS-CI will continue to leverage its skilled workforce in partnership with the U.S. Attorney’s Office to eradicate public corruption by recommending prosecution of any government employee involved in criminal activity under the guise of serving the public.”

“In our mission to protect U.S. citizens, nothing is more disturbing than when public officials abuse their positions by stealing from the taxpayers they serve,” said Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta Chris Hacker. “Hopefully, holding Brunson accountable for his greed, will help regain the public’s trust that was eroded by his actions.”

The case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service, the FBI and the GBI, and prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Georgia.

BRUNSWICK, GA:  All seven defendants in the April 2018 illegal entry and vandalism of Submarine Base Kings Bay were found guilty on federal charges after a four-day jury trial in U.S. District Court.

Stephen Michael Kelly, Mark Peter Colville, Clare Therese Grady, Martha Hennessy, Elizabeth McAlister, Patrick M. O’Neill, and Carmen Trotta were found guilty of Conspiracy, Destruction of Property on a Naval Installation, Depredation of Government Property, and Trespass, said Bobby L. Christine, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. Each defendant faces a sentence of up to 20 years plus six months in prison, and there is no parole in the federal system. Sentencing will be held at a later date.

“This verdict demonstrates the jury’s agreement with the simple fact of this case: that these individuals violated the security of a military installation and damaged federal government property,” said U.S. Attorney Christine. “Our office will vigorously protect those who lawfully exercise their Constitutional rights to protest peacefully, but we will aggressively pursue those who violate the law under the guise of such activities.”

As admitted by the defendants during the trial, with their own videos of the activities shown to jurors, the seven entered an outer security fence at the naval installation after cutting a padlock from a gate during the late hours of April 4, 2018. Once inside, the group damaged and vandalized property inside the facility before being taken into custody by naval security personnel.

“Damaging the perimeter security of a U.S. Navy base for any purpose poses a significant threat to national security,” said Special Agent in Charge Matt Lascell of the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) Southeast Field Office. “NCIS is dedicated to investigating criminal activity that wastes taxpayer money and threatens the Department of the Navy’s ability to carry out its critical mission.”

The case was prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Karl Knoche and E. Greg Gilluly Jr., with assistance from Litigation Technologist Dean Athanasopoulos. Special Agents Thomas Kenney and Barry Clinedinst led the investigation for NCIS.  

SAVANNAH, GA:  A Savannah man is facing a substantial prison sentence after a federal jury returned a guilty verdict against him.

Chase Anthony Davis, 30, of Savannah, was convicted of Arson on Thursday, Oct. 24, 2019, after a three-day trial in U.S. District Court, said Bobby L. Christine, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. Davis faces a sentence of five to 20 years in prison, followed by a period of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.

According to evidence presented at trial, on the evening of May 8, 2019, Davis, an employee of the Gryphon Tea Room, broke into the landmark restaurant located at 337 Bull Street in Savannah’s Historic District. Davis set six separate fires in the dining room area of the restaurant owned by the Savannah College of Art and Design. The fires self-extinguished, and the property damage caused to the restaurant has since been restored.

Gryphon shares space with The Arts Café and The Scottish Rite Temple and is closely connected with St. John’s Episcopal Church and numerous historic residential structures. It is housed in an adapted early 20th century apothecary constructed between 1913 and 1926.

“It’s fortunate that this malicious arson attack from a disgruntled employee failed to destroy a historical treasure in Savannah, and a welcome victory for justice that a jury of his peers is holding Davis accountable,” said U.S. Attorney Christine. “We commend the Savannah Fire Department, the Savannah Police Department, Savannah College of Art and Design security personnel and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives for their combined efforts to make our district safer.”

“This verdict shows ATF and the U.S. Attorney’s Office realize that starting a fire is a crime of violence that places innocent people’s lives and property in harm’s way, and demonstrates their collaborative efforts to fight the crime of arson,” said Beau Kolodka, Assistant Special Agent in Charge of the Atlanta Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (AFT). 

This case was investigated by the ATF and the Savannah Police Department, and was prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joshua Bearden and Jenna Solari.

SAVANNAH, GA:  The owner of a seafood restaurant, three family members and three others have been charged in a drug trafficking conspiracy that alleges the store was used as a front for the sale of marijuana and THC vaping pens.

The indictments, unsealed this week, allege The Original Nancy’s Seafood, at 2211 Skidaway Road, Savannah, was used to take in large quantities of marijuana and THC oil for repackaging and sale, said Bobby L. Christine, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia.

“Savannah is a wonderful city for seafood,” said U.S. Attorney Christine. “It shouldn’t be a marketplace for illegal drugs.”

The investigation began in August 2019, when law enforcement agencies tracked the source of marijuana being sold in Bulloch County to Savannah. Those named in the four-count indictment include:

Trinh Kapu, 46, of Savannah, owner of The Original Nancy’s Seafood; Ikaika Kapu, 28, of Savannah; Micah Kapu, 21, of Savannah; Matthew Dulin, 36, of Savannah; and Paul Gonning II, 23, of Savannah, all charged with Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and to Distribute Marijuana, Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime, Maintaining a Drug-Involved Premises, and Money Laundering Conspiracy.

In addition, Thanh Nguyen, 44, of Roseville, Calif., is charged with Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and to Distribute Marijuana, Maintaining a Drug-Involved Premises, and Money Laundering Conspiracy; and Chandler McMillian, 20, of Metter, is charged with Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and to Distribute Marijuana.

The charges carry penalties of up to 20 years in federal prison, with an additional sentence of up to five years for the firearms charge.

Criminal indictments contain only charges; defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

Robert J. Murphy, the Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Atlanta Field Division said, “These indictments should serve as a clear reminder to business operators who facilitate drug trafficking and money laundering schemes: While you think your criminal acts are going unnoticed, they are not. DEA, its law enforcement counterparts and the U.S. Attorney’s Office are watching; it’s just a matter of time before you are caught and brought to justice.”

 “Unfortunately, drugs cross boundaries. In this case, they were being sold out of an establishment that was meant to be a safe place for patrons,” said Everett Ragan, Director of the Chatham-Savannah Counter Narcotics Team (CNT). “We must remain vigilant when it comes to illegal activity and do our part to ensure our establishments are safe for visitors and not a danger.”

The case is being investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Chatham-Savannah County Counter-Narcotics Team and the Bulloch County Sheriff’s Office, and prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Frank M. Pennington II and Joshua Bearden, in coordination with the Asset Recovery Unit.

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List of indicted defendants and charges

• Trinh Kapu, 46, of Savannah, owner of The Original Nancy’s Seafood, is charged with Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and to Distribute Marijuana, Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime, Maintaining a Drug-Involved Premises, and Money Laundering Conspiracy;
• Ikaika Kapu, 28, of Savannah, is charged with Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and to Distribute Marijuana, Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime, Maintaining a Drug-Involved Premises, and Money Laundering Conspiracy;
• Micah Kapu, 21, of Savannah, is charged with Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and to Distribute Marijuana, Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime, Maintaining a Drug-Involved Premises, and Money Laundering Conspiracy;
• Matthew Dulin, 36, of Savannah, is charged with Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and to Distribute Marijuana, Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime, Maintaining a Drug-Involved Premises, and Money Laundering Conspiracy;
• Paul Gonning II, 23, of Savannah, is charged with Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and to Distribute Marijuana, Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime, Maintaining a Drug-Involved Premises, and Money Laundering Conspiracy;
• Thanh Nguyen, 44, of Roseville, Calif., is charged with Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and to Distribute Marijuana, Maintaining a Drug-Involved Premises, and Money Laundering Conspiracy; and,
• Chandler McMillian, 20, of Metter, is charged with Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and to Distribute Marijuana.

SAVANNAH, GA:  A Savannah doctor who operated a “pill mill” dispensing massive amounts of controlled substances – usually in return for cash – has been found guilty on 16 counts after a three-and-a-half day trial.

Dr. Frank H. Bynes Jr., of Savannah, was found guilty by a federal jury on 13 counts of Unlawful Dispensation of Controlled Substances, and three counts of Health Care Fraud, said Bobby L. Christine, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. The penalty for the charges is up to 20 years in prison, followed by a period of supervised release, for each of the counts of Unlawful Dispensation of Controlled Substances, and 10 years for each of the counts of Health Care Fraud. There is no parole in the federal system.

Sentencing will be at a later date.  

“The actions of Dr. Bynes are especially shocking in their massive scope, with countless individuals suffering because of the products of his illegal pill mill, including cocktails of opioids and other controlled substances, which he distributed to feed the addictions of people who were supposed to be in his care,” said U.S. Attorney Christine. “Medical professionals who violate their oaths and ethics while violating the law will find no safe haven in the Southern District, and we will be relentless in shutting down these white-coated drug dealers.”

According to court testimony and documents, Bynes worked at the MBA Community Clinic in Savannah, a/k/a MBA Diabetic Shoe and Supply Store, and at Georgia Laboratory Diagnostic in Garden City, where he wrote prescriptions for massive quantities of narcotics. Many of those prescriptions were for the known “holy trinity” drug cocktail of opioids, alprazolam and Soma, and were provided to large numbers of patients – including those who Bynes knew were addicted to controlled substances. According to evidence introduced at trial, Bynes prescribed the deadly drug cocktail more frequently to Medicare patients than any other physician in the United States.

While operating his illegal pill mill, Bynes falsely claimed to work for the Department of Justice and displayed false law enforcement credentials to his patients and others. Bynes also engaged in unprofessional sexual conduct with female patients, using his prescribing as a tool to coerce female patients. 

Among other evidence introduced at trial, Bynes collected photographs of his female patients in his phone and e-mail accounts, including hundreds of women to whom he prescribed controlled substances. Evidence also included documents establishing Bynes knew multiple patients suffered an overdose – yet Bynes disregarded numerous warnings to continue to prescribe the drug cocktail on which his patients had overdosed. In addition, Bynes defrauded Medicaid, Medicare and Tricare, resulting in excess of $2 million in fraudulent pharmacy claims.  

“For years, Dr. Bynes manipulated his patients and helped fuel one of the worst public health epidemics in Georgia’s history,” said Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr. “I am hopeful that the jury’s verdict may now begin the healing process for the many individuals and families afflicted by Dr. Bynes’ illegal prescribing practices.”

Robert J. Murphy, the Special Agent in Charge of the Atlanta Field Division of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) stated, “The dispensing of addictive prescription pain medication under the guise of a doctor’s care is not about the good of the community or an individual’s specific health needs; it is about greed. Individuals like Dr. Bynes who are involved in ‘pill mill’ activity are drug dealers who are licensed to wear white coats and carry stethoscopes. The guilty verdict makes the Savannah area a safer place today.”

“Today’s verdict underscores the egregious criminal conduct of Dr. Bynes,” says Derrick L. Jackson, Special Agent in Charge for Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General (HHS-OIG) in Atlanta. “For a physician to engage in sexual acts with patients while writing an inordinate amount of unnecessary and fraudulent opioid prescriptions goes against the very oath he has taken to ‘first, do no harm.’ HHS OIG will continue to work with our partners to protect the health and well-being of all Americans.”

“It saddens me that Dr. Bynes victimized military members and their dependents who were struggling with addiction,” stated Special Agent in Charge Cynthia A. Bruce, Defense Criminal Investigative Service, Southeast Field Office. “DCIS and our law enforcement partners will fully investigate and bring to justice those who choose to put their own personal interests ahead of the medical well-being of their patients.”      

“I am both excited and saddened by Doctor Frank Bynes’ conviction. One of the oldest oath’s in history, which doctors completing medical school still take today in various versions, states the ethical and moral obligations that doctors have to their patients. While the vast majority of the country’s licensed physicians are caring and conscientious individuals who hold the oath as inviolate, there are a minority of doctors that violate the sacred pledge they have taken and violate the trust of their patients. Sadly in this case, Dr. Bynes chose to violate his oath in exchange for sexual and financial gain,” said Everett Ragan, Director of the Chatham-Savannah Counter Narcotics Team (CNT). “In doing so, Dr. Bynes not only violated his oath but also violated the trust of his patients, flooding the Chatham County community and Southeast region with these very dangerous and addictive narcotic/opioid pain medications. I take pride in knowing the Chatham-Savannah Counter Narcotics Team played a major role in dismantling Dr. Bynes and his unlawful dispensation of controlled substances, and am thankful he can no longer poison our community.” 

Any individuals who believe they were victims of Bynes should call Assistant U.S. Attorney J. Thomas Clarkson at (912) 652-4422.

The case was investigated by the DEA, HHS-OIG, DCIS, the Georgia Medicaid Control Fraud Unit, and CNT, and prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorneys J. Thomas Clarkson and Matthew Josephson, with assistance from Litigation Technologist Dean Athanasopoulos and Jim Mooney, Deputy Director of the Georgia Medicaid Control Fraud Unit and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney.

FORT LAUDERDALE - Elvin I. Lewis, Jr., of Hollywood, Florida, was convicted today of conspiracy to commit money laundering and money laundering charges, following a five-day jury trial.  The charges stemmed from his decision to launder more than $3 million dollars in fraud proceeds from business email compromise (“BEC”) cyber scams, announced U.S. Attorney Ariana Fajardo Orshan for the Southern District of Florida, Special Agent in Charge Brian Swain of the U.S. Secret Service (USSS) Miami Field Office, and Special Agent in Charge George L. Piro of the FBI’s Miami Field Office.

According to evidence at trial, from approximately November 2017 through August 2018, in Broward County, Florida, and elsewhere, Lewis knowingly and willfully agreed to participate in, and did participate in, a conspiracy to commit money laundering, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1956(h) (Case No. 19cr60034).  The purpose of the scheme was for Lewis and his co-conspirators to unlawfully enrich themselves, to hide illegal proceeds, and to further wire fraud schemes by, among other things, withdrawing, depositing, and transferring fraudulently obtained funds between banks, and individuals.  As trial testimony established, Lewis also recruited others into the money laundering network, including a co-conspirator based in Detroit, whom he originally solicited on Craigslist.

Lewis’s co-conspirators – believed to be located abroad – contacted businesses (the “business victims”) located throughout the United States, using email, social media, and other Internet-based methods of communication, and falsely and fraudulently posed as vendors seeking payment for services rendered, in order to facilitate the BEC scams.  The co-conspirators, posing as vendors, used spoofed emails and email account takeover techniques to send emails falsely and fraudulently directing the business victims to make payments to various bank accounts, through wire transfers, in purported satisfaction of invoices due to the actual vendors. 

Lewis’s role in the laundering conspiracy was to wire fraud proceeds from the BEC scams into other corporate accounts under his and his co-conspirators’ control, in return for a five to ten percent cut of the funds.  In particular, as trial evidence established, Lewis created more than eight accounts at different banks for his purported real estate investment business, “A NuFinancial Consortium LLC.”  Through these accounts, Lewis laundered more than $3 million in BEC proceeds in less than a year, approximately $2.3 million of which was laundered in less than two weeks.  Lewis variously converted the funds to cashier’s checks and cash, and wired money between accounts.

The business victims of the cyber scams included: a major Canadian city; a trucking company in Tennessee; a power company in Ohio; an axle company in Indiana and Detroit; an importing business in Chicago; and others.

In total, Lewis made more than $160,000 in cash during the course of the fraud and money laundering schemes.  He used the funds to acquire a Porsche, which law enforcement seized as part of this criminal case.

Lewis is scheduled to be sentenced on Jan. 10, 2020 at 3:30 p.m. before U.S. District Judge Roy K. Altman.  He faces a statutory maximum sentence of twenty years in prison as to each of the eleven counts of conviction.  He also faces up to three years of supervised release, restitution and monetary penalties. 

U.S. Attorney Fajardo Orshan commended the investigatory efforts of the USSS and FBI in this matter.  She also thanked IRS-CI’s Orlando Field Office for the trial assistance provided by a money laundering expert.  This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lisa H. Miller and Michele S. Vigilance.  The asset forfeiture component of the case is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alison W. Lehr and Daren Grove.

Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or on http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov.

STATESBORO, GA:  A tax preparer has been charged with preparing fraudulent federal income tax returns that resulted in illegally excessive refunds for multiple clients.

Shawree A. Hagins, 58, of Millen, Ga., is charged with 36 counts of Fraud and False Statements in a federal indictment, said Bobby L. Christine, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. In addition to fines and asset forfeiture, the charges carry a possible sentence of up to three years in prison, followed by a period of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.

According to the court documents, Hagins is charged with preparing 36 tax returns on behalf of 12 clients, fraudulently claiming deductions in excess of the amount to which the taxpayers were entitled. The fraudulent claims resulted in excessive refunds of $162,890.

“Tax fraud steals from every legal, taxpaying citizen,” said U.S. Attorney Christine. “In the Southern District, tax preparers who think they can earn a few extra bucks by committing fraud are in for a rude awakening – and a day of reckoning.”

“We cannot allow anyone to claim money that doesn’t belong to them at the expense of the American taxpayer,” said Chris Hacker, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “The allegations against Hagins indicate a flagrant disrespect for the law and an abuse of a position of trust simply for personal greed.”

“The IRS Criminal Investigation Division takes tax violations very seriously,” said Thomas J. Holloman III, Special Agent in Charge of the Atlanta Field Office.  “As we approach the 2020 tax filing season, those who might consider preparing false tax returns should be aware of the extremely negative consequences as evidenced in this indictment. The indictment of Shawree Hagins emphasizes that the Internal Revenue Service and U.S. Attorney’s Office will continue their aggressive pursuit of those who would attempt to defraud America’s tax system.” 

Criminal indictments contain only charges; defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

The case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigations and the FBI, and is being prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorney Tara Lyons.

SAVANNAH, GA:  Three Savannah men will spend a total of nearly 34 years in federal prison after sentencing for a drug trafficking conspiracy and firearms crimes discovered after a high-speed chase with Georgia state troopers.

Amari Jermaine Sams, a/k/a/ “Face”, 37, of Savannah, was sentenced to 200 months in prison by U.S. District Court Judge R. Stan Baker, said Bobby L. Christine, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. Sams was convicted in July after a three-day jury trial for Conspiracy to Possess With Intent Distribute 50 grams or more of Methamphetamine and a quantity of Cocaine and Marijuana; Possession With Intent to Distribute 50 grams or more of Methamphetamine and a quantity of Cocaine and Marijuana; Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person; Possession of a Stolen Firearm; and Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime.

Also sentenced were Sams’ co-conspirators, Hakeem Campbell, 28, of Savannah, sentenced to 120 months in prison after pleading guilty to Possession with Intent to Distribute 50 Grams or More of Methamphetamine and a Quantity of Cocaine and Marijuana; and Jovonn Brisbon, 31, of Savannah, sentenced to 86 months in prison after pleading guilty to Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine, Cocaine and Marijuana and Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. All three will be subject to terms of supervised release after completion of their incarceration, and there is no parole in the federal system.

“Our community is automatically a safer place today because three violent drug traffickers are off of our streets,” said U.S. Attorney Christine. “We’re grateful that our state troopers safely ended their reckless attempt to flee from justice, and applaud the work of our law enforcement partners and prosecutors in slamming the door on these dangerous felons.”

According to evidence presented in court documents and proceedings, on the morning of April 22, 2018, Sams, Brisbon and Campbell stole a Ford F-150 from the Savannah Airport and fled from Georgia State Patrol officers at speeds up to 120 mph. During the pursuit, a stolen Glock 40 firearm was thrown from the vehicle and later recovered. State troopers forced the vehicle to a stop and apprehended Brisbon and Campbell, and Savannah Police Department officers captured Sams hiding in a creek parallel to I-516. A search of the stolen vehicle yielded approximately 75 grams of methamphetamine, and inside a book bag found next to the vehicle officers found a stolen Springfield XD .45 caliber pistol, approximately 1 pound of marijuana, 29 grams of cocaine, scales and baggies. The occupants had more than $4,000 cash combined.

 “This case is an example of the partnership between ATF and its local partners to investigate the perpetrators of violent crime,” said Beau Kolodka, Assistant Special Agent in Charge of the Atlanta Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Firearms, Tobacco and Explosives (ATF). “These sentences will ensure the incarceration of three dangerous criminals and contribute to the restoration of order and peace in Savannah.”

“Law enforcement is a collaborative effort, as this case highlights,” said Everett Ragan, Chatham-Savannah County Narcotics Team (CNT) Director. “I am thankful for our partnerships and even more thankful our streets are now safer.”  

“When criminals flee, it always adds an additional level of danger to the job a law enforcement officer performs,” said Lt. Stephanie Stallings, Public Information Director, Georgia State Patrol. “The Georgia State Patrol is proud to have well-trained troopers to assist when duty calls. It is an honor to take part in putting these criminals behind bars.”

This case was investigated by the ATF and CNT, along with the Savannah Police Department and the Georgia State Patrol. The case was prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joshua Bearden and Frank Pennington.

STATESBORO, GA:  A third guilty plea filed in U.S. District Court this week wraps up an investigation of child pornographers.

Charles Casey Garner, 40, of Brooklet, Ga., pled guilty in U.S. District Court to one count of Production of Child Pornography, said Bobby L. Christine, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. Previously, Richard Hunt Moore Jr., 48, of Hephzibah, Ga., and Carl Scott Ruger, 40, of Guyton, Ga., each pled guilty to one count of Production of Child Pornography.

The charge carries a minimum sentence of 15 years in federal prison and up to 30 years, along with substantial fines, restitution and asset forfeiture. After completion of their federal sentences, each will serve a period of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.

A fourth target in the investigation committed suicide in Illinois before questioning.

According to court documents and testimony, the investigation began when Moore was found with a minor at a motel in Augusta. After questioning Moore, Columbia County Sheriff’s Office investigators and the FBI found child pornography on electronic devices in Moore’s possession.

Garner, Ruger and the fourth target were identified during the subsequent investigation that determined the men had been involved in the exploitation of a juvenile for the production of child pornography.  

“The crimes these men committed are gut-wrenching and disgusting,” said U.S. Attorney Christine. “Our prosecutors and law enforcement partners won’t rest while a single one of these pedophile predators walks the streets. No matter what dark shadows they hide in, we will find them and drag their perverted crimes into the light.” 

“The production of child pornography is an assault against the most vulnerable members of our society,” said Special Agent in Charge Chris Hacker of the FBI Atlanta field office. “The FBI is committed to protecting our children and working with our law enforcement partners to identify and apprehend predators who carry out these atrocious crimes.”  

The cases were investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the FBI, along with the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office and the Effingham County Sheriff’s Office, and prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Tara Lyons and Marcela C. Mateo.

SAVANNAH, GA:  Pharmacists, a pharmacy, and several individuals have been named as defendants in various criminal and civil actions filed in federal court in the Southern District of Georgia as part of continuing efforts by the U.S. Attorney’s Office to combat the opioid epidemic.

The actions in Georgia and Florida were coordinated by the U.S. Department of Justice, and include 67 individuals charged in connection with various healthcare and controlled substance schemes.

For the actions taken in the Southern District of Georgia, U.S. Attorney Bobby L. Christine announced the following actions:

• A civil lawsuit in U.S. District Court in Brunswick, Ga., accuses Darien Pharmacy and Janice Ann Colter, 62, of Darien, Ga., pharmacist-in-charge of Darien Pharmacy, with filling prescriptions for controlled substances that she “knew or should have known were not issued for legitimate medical reasons and by a provider not acting with the regular course of professional practice.” The lawsuit represents the first-ever Controlled Substances Act suit against a pharmacy in the history of the Southern District of Georgia.
• A federal grand jury in Savannah indicted Jenna Savage, 26, of Port Wentworth, Ga.; Norman Lee Burnsed, 27, of Port Wentworth, Ga.; Tucker Chambers, 21, of Ellabell, Ga.; Macaila Brown, 22, of Rincon, Ga.; and Cameron Hilliard, 26, of Savannah, Ga., with conspiracy charges under the Controlled Substances Act relating to the distribution of oxycodone, Adderall, alprazolam, and clonazepam. Savage was further charged with 50 counts of illegally acquiring a controlled substance.
• A criminal information charges David L. Williford, 59, of Rincon, Ga., with illegally acquiring oxycodone. Williford, a pharmacist, is alleged in the information to have acquired the oxycodone from a pharmacy where he was employed.

“Nearly 70,000 people in the United States die each year from drug overdoses, and more than two-thirds of those deaths are due to opioid abuse,” said Bobby L. Christine, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. “It is beyond outrageous when medical professionals and others fuel this crisis by pouring illegally prescribed drugs into the illicit drug supply pipeline, and our office will continue to take aim at such illegal activity.”

Robert J. Murphy, the Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Division, said “Pharmaceutical products that are distributed for non-medical reasons can be just as deadly as illicit drugs. The defendants in these cases endangered the community by their actions. These cases have been a success because of the unified efforts of our federal, state and local law enforcement counterparts.”

“Being a healthcare professional in the Medicare program is a privilege, not a right. When physicians and other healthcare providers put their own financial gain above patient well-being and honest billing of government health programs, they violate the basic trust that taxpayers extend to healthcare professionals,” said Special Agent in Charge Derrick L. Jackson of the HHS-OIG Atlanta Regional Office. “These cases put corrupt medical professionals on alert that law enforcement will do everything possible to root out all forms of waste, fraud and abuse in our federal health care programs.”

Criminal indictments and informations contain only charges; defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. The claims asserted against defendants in a civil suit are allegations only and are not determinations of liability.

These cases are being investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Department of Health and Human Resources Office of Inspector General, and prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Bradford Patrick, Jonathan Porter, Katelyn Semales, and Marcela C. Mateo.

SAVANNAH, GA:  More than a dozen defendants, including 10 physicians and other medical professionals, have been charged for their alleged participation in a massive healthcare fraud scheme responsible for – in the Southern District of Georgia alone – more than $400 million in losses to Medicare.  

The charges against 19 defendants in the Southern District of Georgia were announced Sept. 27 as part of a nationwide Department of Justice operation into a scheme that involved trafficking orders and prescriptions for genetic testing, orthotic braces and pain creams. The charges were part of Operation Double Helix, which focused on fraudulent billing of genetic testing, and the charges announced today involve tens of millions of dollars billed to Medicare and generating more than $7 million in fraudulent genetic testing charges to the Georgia Medicaid Program, said Bobby L. Christine, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. 

The healthcare fraud scheme charged is the largest in the history of the Southern District of Georgia. The Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries whose identities were used as part of the scheme are located throughout the Southern District of Georgia, including the Augusta, Brunswick, Dublin, Savannah, Statesboro, and Waycross Divisions, as well as elsewhere in the United States.

“The scope and sophistication of the health care fraud detected in Operation Double Helix and the related Operation Brace Yourself is nearly unprecedented.  But the citizens of the Southern District of Georgia should know that we put together an unprecedented response,” said U.S. Attorney Christine. “Our office charged more defendants, responsible for more health care fraud losses, than ever before in this office’s history. While these charges might be some of the first, they won’t be the last.”  

The charges filed in the Southern District of Georgia were part of a nationwide operation, unveiled today by the U.S. Department of Justice, into individuals and entities that trafficked in patient information and prescriptions for genetic testing, orthotic braces, and pain creams. Nationwide, the DOJ announced charges against 35 defendants connected with the scheme, which is estimated to have resulted in more than $1.7 billion in fraudulent billing to the Medicare Program.

“These defendants allegedly duped Medicare beneficiaries into signing up for unnecessary genetic tests, costing Medicare billions of dollars,” Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division.  “Together with our law enforcement partners, the Department will continue to protect the public fisc and prosecute those who steal our taxpayer dollars.”

As part of this national enforcement action, U.S. Attorney Christine announced the following actions in the Southern District of Georgia:

• A federal grand jury in Savannah indicted Dr. Anthony Securo of Columbus, Ga., on five counts of health care fraud and five counts of false statements relating to health care. The indictment alleges that that Securo ordered more than 25,000 items of durable medical equipment for Medicare beneficiaries he claimed to be “treating,” but in fact never even met. These thousands of items were billed to Medicare for more than $23 million. According to the indictment, Securo ordered these medically unnecessary items after having short telephone conversations with the patients, but then signed medical records stating that Securo had performed examinations or physical tests of the patients that were never actually performed.
• The United States charged owners of two “telemedicine” physician recruiting companies who, according to court documents, operated companies that identified medical practitioners to write orders in exchange for payments, and facilitated such payments. Court documents allege that the two charged individuals, who were charged by criminal information with single counts of conspiracy, facilitated physician orders that ultimately were billed to Medicare for a combined $170 million.
• The United States charged nine medical professionals in addition to Securo for their roles in the healthcare fraud scheme, in which, according to court documents, the physicians and nurse practitioners ordered orthotic braces for Medicare beneficiaries they did not examine. Each were charged by criminal information with single counts of conspiracy for generating orders for orthotics, creams and laboratory tests that were billed to Medicare and the Georgia Medicaid Program for a combined $185 million.

Others charged in the Southern District of Georgia in the investigation included:

• The United States charged two individuals by criminal information with single counts of conspiracy for operating companies that bought and sold Medicare beneficiary information, and for operating companies that submitted claims for orthotic braces to the Medicare Program. Court documents allege that the two charged individuals brokered the sale of physician orders that ultimately were billed to Medicare for more than $10 million.
• The United States charged one company by criminal information with one count of conspiracy. According to court documents, the company brokered the sale of physician orders that ultimately were billed to Medicare for more than $10 million.
• The United States also charged by criminal information four companies that were created for the specific purpose of billing related to this scheme and billed no less than $8 million.

Indictments or criminal informations contain only charges; defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

“Through the dedicated work of U.S. Attorney Christine’s office, the FBI, HHS-OIG and our Medicaid Fraud Division, those who attempt to bilk government programs will be held accountable,” said Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr. “We are proud of this collaborative effort to stop the architects and implementers of these sophisticated healthcare schemes in their tracks.”

 “The FBI and its Savannah Resident Agency are proud to have participated in this nationwide effort to help protect the much-needed federal funds that Medicare provides,” said Chris Hacker, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “When providers are driven by greed and abuse the Medicare program, every taxpaying citizen is a victim, especially those who use the federal funds for their health care needs. Improper billing inflates costs, and the FBI and its law enforcement partners are determined to hold those who do it accountable.”

 “Being a healthcare professional in the Medicare program is a privilege, not a right. When physicians and other healthcare providers put their own financial gain above patient well-being and honest billing of government health programs, they violate the basic trust that taxpayers extend to healthcare professionals,” said Special Agent in Charge Derrick L. Jackson, with the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General. “These charges put corrupt medical professionals on alert that law enforcement will do everything possible to root out all forms of waste, fraud and abuse in our federal health care programs.”

“This type of corruption involving health care fraud against Medicare and Medicaid has managed to defraud American taxpayers of millions upon millions of dollars,” said Resident Agent in Charge Glen M. Kessler of the U.S. Secret Service. “The U.S. Secret Service is always willing to take prompt and coordinated actions to hold these telemarketers and medical professionals responsible for placing personal greed above the good of the public.”

This investigation is ongoing. Any doctors or medical professionals who have been involved with alleged fraudulent telemedicine and medical equipment marketing schemes should report this conduct to the FBI hotline at 1-800-CALL-FBI. Any beneficiaries who believe their identity may have been used fraudulently also should contact the FBI hotline.

U.S. Attorney Christine acclaimed the hard work of the investigatory team, led by the FBI, the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General, the United States Secret Service and the office of the Attorney General of Georgia.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys J. Thomas Clarkson and Jonathan A. Porter are prosecuting these cases on behalf of the United States, and Assistant Attorney General James P. Mooney is prosecuting cases on behalf of the Georgia Medicaid Fraud Control Unit.

AUGUSTA, GA:  Eight people have been charged in a 13-count federal indictment in a drug trafficking conspiracy that brought large amounts of narcotics from Atlanta for distribution in the Augusta area.

The indictments stem from a two-year joint investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration and Richmond County Sheriff’s Office into cocaine deliveries from the Atlanta area into Augusta, said Bobby L. Christine, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. In addition to other charges, all eight defendants – including an Augusta man and his two sons – are charged with Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and to Distribute Controlled Substances.

“This investigation is a great example of interagency cooperation supported by the latest technology,” said U.S. Attorney Christine. “Our office will take the handoff from our law enforcement partners, and carry the ball that last hundred yards to score another victory against those who would peddle poison in our community.”

During the investigation, federal agents and sheriff’s office investigators seized more than $500,000 in cash, more than two kilos of cocaine, 32 grams of crack cocaine and more than 9 pounds of marijuana, along with eight firearms.

Facing federal charges from the indictment are:

• Terrance Quain Freeman, 48, of Augusta, charged with Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and To Distribute Five Kilograms or More of Cocaine and an Amount of Marijuana; Possession with Intent to Distribute Marijuana; and Possession with Intent to Distribute Cocaine and Marijuana. If convicted, he faces a sentence of up to life in prison. His two sons also are charged in the conspiracy.
• Mario Hubbard, 43, of Atlanta, charged with one count of Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and To Distribute Five Kilograms or More of Cocaine and an Amount of Marijuana. If convicted, he faces a sentence of up to life in prison.
• Timothy Jeremy Myers, 31, of Augusta, charged with one count of Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and To Distribute Five Kilograms or More of Cocaine and an Amount of Marijuana, and Possession with Intent to Distribute 500 Grams or More of Cocaine. If convicted, he faces a sentence of up to life in prison.
• Timothy Dale Reid, 51, of Augusta, is charged with charged with Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and To Distribute 500 Grams or More of Cocaine; Possession with Intent to Distribute 500 Grams or More of Cocaine; Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime; Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon; and Possession of a Stolen Firearm. If convicted, he faces a sentence of up to life in prison.
• Willie Antonio Bass, 35, of Augusta, is charged with Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and To Distribute 500 Grams or More of Cocaine and Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. If convicted, he faces a sentence of up to 40 years in prison.
• Tyquain Freeman, 27, of Augusta, is charged with Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and To Distribute 500 Grams or More of Cocaine, and Possession with Intent to Distribute Marijuana. He is a son of Terrance Freeman. If convicted, he faces a sentence of up to 40 years in prison.
• Christopher Chin, 34, of Augusta, is charged with Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and To Distribute Cocaine, Crack Cocaine and Marijuana, and Possession with Intent to Distribute Cocaine, Crack Cocaine and Marijuana. If convicted, he faces a sentence of up to 20 years in prison. And,
• Quieaton Freeman, 20, of Augusta, is charged with Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and To Distribute Cocaine, Crack Cocaine and Marijuana; Possession with Intent to Distribute Marijuana; Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime; and Possession of Firearms by an Illegal Drug User. He is a son of Terrance Freeman. If convicted, he faces a sentence of up to 25 years in prison. 

If convicted, each of the defendants also would be subject to fines and to serve supervised release after completion of any prison terms.

Those facing charges from separate state indictments include:

• Marvin Hikeem Griffin, 30, of Augusta, charged with two counts of Illegal Use of Communications Facility (OCGA 16-13-32.3);
• Willie Lawrence Wimbley, 42, of Augusta, charged with Trafficking Heroin and Cocaine, Possession of Marijuana with Intent to Distribute, and one count of Illegal Use of Communications Facility;
• Terrell Maurice Myers, 31, of Augusta, charged with Possession of Cocaine with Intent to Distribute, Possession of a Firearm during a Crime, Use of an Article with an Altered Identification Mark, Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon, and one count of Illegal Use of Communications Facility;
• Dana Dione Myers, 49, of Augusta, charged with  Possession of Cocaine with Intent to Distribute, Possession of a Firearm during a Crime, Use of an Article with an Altered Identification Mark, and Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon;
• Alonzo Walters, 51, of Augusta, charged with Possession of Cocaine with Intent to Distribute, Possession of a Firearm during a Crime, Use of an Article with an Altered Identification Mark, and Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon;
• Bobby Lewis Jenkins, 31, of Augusta, charged with one count of Illegal Use of Communications Facility;
• Jamie Anderson, 28, of Augusta, charged with one count of Illegal Use of Communications Facility;
• Juan Holliman, 42, of Augusta, charged with one count of Illegal Use of Communications Facility;
• Joshua McDaniel, 24, of Augusta, charged with one count of Illegal Use of Communications Facility;
• Christian Walker, 50, of Augusta, charged with one count of Illegal Use of Communications Facility;
• Michael Daggett, 38, of Augusta, charged with three counts of Illegal Use of Communications Facility;
• Joseph L. Turner, 32, of Augusta, charged with one count of Illegal Use of Communications Facility; and,
• Cornice Roberts Lee, 53, of Augusta, charged with six counts of Computer Invasion of Privacy.

The investigation is ongoing, with additional defendants identified.

Robert J. Murphy, the Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Field Division stated, “This case illustrates how success can be achieved through collaborative efforts between federal, state and local law enforcement and the subsequent prosecution by the U.S. Attorney’s Office.”

“The only way to seriously affect drug distribution in Augusta is by targeting, disrupting and dismantling major drug trafficking organizations,” said Richmond County Sheriff Richard Roundtree. “We will continue to target these organizations. Our message is quite simple: If you distribute drugs in Augusta or cause those drugs to come to Augusta, we will hunt you down.”

Criminal indictments contain only charges; defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

The investigation was conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office, the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office, the Aiken County Sheriff’s Office, the Dekalb County HIDTA Task Force, the Greene County Sheriff’s Office, and the Georgia National Guard Counterdrug Task Force, and prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Patricia G. Rhodes and Hank Syms. State defendants are being prosecuted by Falin Syms, Senior Assistant District Attorney for the Augusta Judicial Circuit.

STATESBORO, GA:  A former Bulloch County sheriff’s deputy has been indicted by a federal grand jury with possession of child pornography.

Travis Tuenge, 43, of Statesboro, is charged with one count of Possession of Child Pornography, said Bobby L. Christine, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. The charge carries a penalty of up to 20 years in federal prison, and there is no parole in the federal system.

“Exploitation of children through child pornography is a despicable crime that will not be tolerated in the Southern District of Georgia,” said U.S. Attorney Christine. “In cooperation with our law enforcement partners, we will find and prosecute these cases no matter the status of those engaging in this exploitation.”

Criminal indictments contain only charges; defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

The case was investigated by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation with assistance from the U.S. Marshals Service Southeast Regional Fugitive Task Force, and is being prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joshua S. Bearden and Marcela C. Mateo.

BRUNSWICK, GA.:  Three federal prison inmates have been charged in separate incidents in which correctional officers were injured.

Eduardo Bermudez, 21; Dominique Moultrie, 31; and Ulysses Hensen, 43, inmates at Federal Correctional Institution Jesup, in Jesup, Ga., each are charged with Assaulting, Resisting, or Impeding employees of the Federal Bureau of Prisons, said Bobby L. Christine, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. The charge carries a penalty of up to 20 years in prison.

In each case, the defendant is alleged to have refused instructions from correctional officers before assaulting them, resulting in injuries to the officers.

“The protection of our correctional officers is of paramount concern,” said U.S. Attorney Christine. “Our office will not hesitate to prosecute inmates who harm the officers whose job it is to house those inmates safely and humanely.”

 “Staff at our federal correctional institutions serve, at times, under difficult conditions, trying to keep prisons safe for incarcerated felons,” said Chris Hacker, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “Any abuse of prison staff by inmates cannot and will not be tolerated, and will be pursued for prosecution by the FBI.”

Criminal indictments contain only charges; defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

The cases were investigated by the Federal Bureau of Prisons and the FBI, and prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorney Marcela C. Mateo.

WAYCROSS, GA:  A correctional officer at a privately-operated federal prison has been indicted on multiple counts of accepting bribes from an inmate and lying about it to investigators.

Micheal Eaddy, 23, of Blackshear, Ga., a correctional officer at D. Ray James Correctional Facility, a privately prison operated under federal contract in Folkston, Ga., was indicted by a federal grand jury on seven counts of Bribery, one count of Providing Contraband in Prison, and one count of False Statement, said Bobby L. Christine, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. The charges carry possible punishment of up to 15 years in prison, and there is no parole in the federal system.

In the same indictment, Jean Civil, 24, of Port-au-Prince, Haiti, an inmate at D. Ray James, is charged with Possessing Contraband in Prison after being found in possession of a cell phone. The charge carries possible punishment of up to one year in prison. Civil is serving a 78-month sentence for Conspiracy to Distribute 500 Grams or More of Cocaine.  

“Crimes inside our federally operated prison system can have a dangerous and damaging effect on community safety outside the prisons,” said U.S. Attorney Christine. “When guards violate their oaths and provide inmates with access to illegal materials, it reduces the ability to maintain order on the inside while facilitating criminal activity outside.”

According to the indictment, Eaddy is alleged to have accepted seven bribes totaling nearly $900 in return for smuggling cigarettes into the prison. He also is alleged to have denied accepting multiple bribes in return for smuggling contraband into the prison, instead claiming that he had conducted only one transaction. Investigators discovered the activity after seizing the contraband phone from Civil and examining its contents, which included electronic conversations between Civil and Eaddy.

Criminal indictments contain only charges; defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

“Contraband in prisons, specifically cell phones, poses a danger to correctional officers, prison staff, and the public,” said James F. Boyersmith, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General Miami Field Office. “Our agents will continue to investigate any Department of Justice employees, including correctional officers, who violate the law by smuggling contraband into federal prisons.”

The case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Justice Office of Inspector General, and prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorney Marcela C. Mateo.

SAVANNAH, Ga:  A Savannah man has received the maximum federal prison sentence after his conviction for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.

Hosea Scott, 39, was sentenced to 120 months in prison by U.S. District Court Judge R. Stan Baker, said Bobby L. Christine, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. Scott, who was convicted after a jury trial in June, also was sentenced to serve three years of supervised release after completion of his sentence. There is no parole in the federal system.

Scott’s arrest occurred in March 2018 after the police initially responded to a 911 call regarding a domestic dispute. Scott fled the scene before police arrived and was apprehended a short time later in possession of a loaded 9mm pistol equipped with a high-capacity magazine.

 “Convicted felons are prohibited from possessing firearms at any time - period,” said Southern District of Georgia U.S. Attorney Bobby L. Christine. “We are committed to prosecuting repeat criminals who fail to get this message, and will work to ensure that gun crimes will bring hard prison time.”

The value of this type of case can be measured in human lives,” said Beau Kolodka, Assistant Special Agent in Charge of the Atlanta Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). “This case involved illegally possessed firearm in the hands of a criminal. It demonstrates the cooperation that exists between the Savannah Police Department and ATF.”

The case was investigated by the Savannah Police Department and the ATF, and prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jennifer Kirkland and Frank Pennington. 

SAVANNAH, GA:  Another round of sentencings in the Operation Vanilla Gorilla drug trafficking investigation is sending more defendants to substantial terms in federal prison.

Cody Penfield, 28, of Savannah, Ga., was sentenced Thursday, Sept. 12, 2019, in U.S. District Court in Savannah by Judge R. Stan Baker to 162 months in prison for Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine, said Bobby L. Christine, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia.

According to court filings and evidence presented in Court, Cody Penfield conspired with his brother, Nick Penfield, and his father, Michael Penfield, and others as part of a major drug trafficking organization that included associates of the Ghost Face Gangsters criminal street gang to distribute kilograms of crystal methamphetamine in the Southern District of Georgia and beyond. Nick Penfield is serving a sentence of 210 months in federal prison, and Mike Penfield is serving 175 months in federal prison. There is no parole in the federal system.

“A father and his two sons have now each been sentenced to more than a decade in prison for distributing poison throughout Georgia and the Southern District,” said U.S. Attorney Christine. “Instead of responsibly guiding his children, Mike Penfield teamed up with his adult sons to earn dishonest profit from criminal drug trafficking. They’ve now earned stiff prison sentences as payment for their crimes.”

All 43 defendants indicted in November and December 2018 in the conspiracy have pled guilty, and most have been sentenced to prison. Members of the drug-trafficking organization also recently sentenced include:

• Baby Dwayne Garrison, 55, of Bloomingdale, Ga., sentenced to 145 months in prison for Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine;
• Mike Penfield, 54, Savannah, sentenced to 175 months in prison for Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine;
• Marcus Logan Greco, 29, of Rincon, Ga., sentenced to 170 months of imprisonment for Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine and Heroin, and to a consecutive 120 months in prison for Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person;
• Robert Fuller, 40, of Richmond Hill, Ga., sentenced to 100 months of imprisonment for Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine; and,
• David Rahn, 41, of Savannah, sentenced to 151 months in prison for Possession of Methamphetamine with Intent to Distribute.

Most of these defendants were on probation or parole when they committed the offenses, so the federal sentences will be run consecutive to the sentences for violating state probation or parole.  After serving their federal sentences, each of the defendants will then be on federal supervision for at least three years.

Operation Vanilla Gorilla was investigated under the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF), the premier U.S. Department of Justice program to dismantle multi-jurisdictional drug trafficking organizations.  The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Georgia Bureau of Investigations (GBI), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Chatham-Savannah Counter Narcotics Team (CNT), the Georgia Department of Corrections Intelligence Division, the Savannah Police Department, the Chatham County Sheriff’s Office, the Bryan County Sheriff’s Office, the Richmond Hill Police Department, the Pooler Police Department, the Effingham County Sheriff’s Office and the Bloomingdale Police Department, with assistance from the U.S. Marshals Service.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys E. Greg Gilluly Jr. and Frank Pennington. For any questions, please contact the United States Attorney’s Office at (912) 652-4422.

SAVANNAH, GA:  A North Carolina man has admitted taking part in a conspiracy to steal design information from aircraft companies to speed up approval of competing airplane technology.

Craig German, 59, of Kernersville, N.C., entered a guilty plea to Conspiracy to Steal Trade Secrets in U.S. District Court in Savannah, said Bobby L. Christine, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia.

German faces up to 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release upon completion of his sentence.  There is no parole in the federal system.

According to court documents and testimony, German agreed with his co-conspirators to steal trade secrets from aircraft companies in order to assist a competitor company in developing their own anti-ice aircraft technology. Without authorization, German copied anti-ice trade secret documents onto a storage device from the aircraft company for which he worked, and then emailed those documents to his co-conspirators. 

“German and his co-conspirators stole the secrets of U.S. companies rather than do the hard work necessary to succeed,” said Bobby L. Christine, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. “Our office takes the theft of intellectual property very seriously, and we will remain on the front lines of defending U.S. companies against this emerging economic threat.”

“Companies spend millions of dollars to develop trade secrets to compete in a free market system,” said Chris Hacker, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “We cannot allow anyone to circumvent the system by using illegal and deceptive practices to steal protected information. The FBI is committed to identifying and prosecuting anyone who does.”

The case is being investigated by the FBI, and prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jennifer G. Solari and Steven H. Lee. 

AUGUSTA, GA:  Four defendants have pled guilty to various roles in a wide-ranging drug conspiracy that included mass production of pills and distribution of powerful synthetic opioids.

The defendants are among six indicted in April on federal charges accusing them of participating in a drug conspiracy dating back to 2016 that imported large amounts of drugs purchased with cryptocurrency on the Dark Web, used industrial-grade machinery to manufacture pills, and sold the drugs on the Dark Web and throughout Georgia, said Bobby L. Christine, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. The cases of two of the defendants are not yet resolved.

Entering guilty pleas in U.S. District Court in Augusta are:

• Kolbie Hadden Watters, 22, of Augusta, Ga., pled guilty to Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and to Distribute Controlled Substances, and Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime. Watters faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 20 years and up to life in prison. He also is under indictment in Walton County, Ga., on state charges of felony murder and aggravated assault of a suspected co-conspirator.

• Jonathan Britt Lester, 22, of Loganville, Ga., pled guilty to Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and to Distribute Controlled Substances (Carfentanil, Alprazolam and Marijuana) and faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison. Along with Watters, Lester also is under indictment in Walton County, Ga., on state charges of felony murder and aggravated assault of a suspected co-conspirator.
• Armand Sananda Saedi, 27, of Atlanta, Ga., and Morgan McKenzie Slaton, 22, of Hoschton, Ga., have each pled guilty to Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and to Distribute Controlled Substances (Alprazolam). Each face sentences of up to five years in prison.

Each of the defendants also is subject to fines and penalties, along with supervised release after completion of any prison sentence. There is no parole in the federal system.

According to court documents and testimony, the four were indicted, along with Walker Christian Forrester, 24, of Loganville, Ga., after the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration in Sept. 2017 began an investigation after Forrester’s purchase of an industrial-grade pill press. Two months later, Forrester, Watters and a juvenile were arrested on state charges in Harlem, Ga., after a traffic stop in which Harlem police officers found more than 5,200 counterfeit Xanax pills, marijuana and a sawed-off shotgun in the vehicle.

The indictment in the case alleges that Forrester purchased equipment used to create counterfeit Xanax pills, Alprazolam as the main ingredient, and binding agents to manufacture tens of thousands of pills per month. The illicit ingredients were purchased on the Dark Web using cryptocurrency, with the counterfeit Xanax likewise sold on the Dark Web or through conventional illegal drug distribution channels. Forrester’s case is still pending.

The conspirators moved their pill presses to various locations in the Southern, Northern and Middle Districts of Georgia to avoid detection, and at one point began manufacturing and selling synthetic heroin using Fentanyl and the more-powerful Carfentanil. Another defendant, Larry Overton, 46, of Harlem, Ga., is charged with Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and to Distribute Controlled Substances, and Using or Maintaining a Drug Premises. His case is still pending.  

The case was investigated under the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF), the premier U.S. Department of Justice program to dismantle multi-jurisdictional drug trafficking organizations. Agencies involved in the investigation include the FBI, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s Office of Criminal Investigations (FDA-OCI), the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), the U.S. Army Criminal Investigative Division (CID), the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the U.S. Marshals Service, and the Harlem Department of Public Safety. The case is being prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorney Patricia Rhodes. 

SAVANNAH, GA:  The Savannah Police Department is receiving a federal grant to improve safety in the community under the Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhoods program.

The $61,828 grant will provide funding for surveillance cameras, fingerprint scanners and GPS tracking systems for the Savannah Police Department, said Bobby L. Christine, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia.

U.S. Attorney Christine announced the grant award Tuesday, Sept. 10, at the Savannah Police Department headquarters.

“The Savannah Police Department is a vital partner in our public safety network,” said U.S. Attorney Christine. “We owe it to the law enforcement and prosecutors we rely upon to ensure that they have the best equipment and cutting-edge technology. These federal grants are a step toward fulfilling that obligation. We would like to congratulate Chief Roy Minter Jr. for the department’s successful application, and thank the Project Safe Neighborhoods grant review committee for their service in reviewing the grant requests.”

Other Southern District recipients of this year’s grants include the Brunswick Police Department, Glynn County Police Department, Richmond County Sheriff’s Office, and the Augusta District Attorney’s Office.

”Savannah Police Department is extremely pleased to be one of the recipients in the Project Safe Neighborhoods grant,” said Chief Roy Minter Jr. “This will be extremely beneficial in furthering the department and the city’s goals of reducing crime in Savannah. Our command staff is currently working on a deployment strategy so that we can ensure that this technology will be used to its fullest capability to help us identify and target offenders in our area.”

The U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is a program that has been successful in bringing together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer. For example, it was under the umbrella of PSN that the U.S. Attorney’s Office and law enforcement agencies, including the Savannah Police Department, successfully conducted the sweep to reduce criminal gun violence in Savannah’s historic Cuyler-Brownsville neighborhood.

BRUNSWICK, GA:  Two Brunswick law enforcement agencies are receiving a federal grant to improve safety in their community under the Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhoods program.

The Glynn County Police Department and the Brunswick Police Department will share the $53,554 grant to the Glynn County Board of Commissioners, said Bobby L. Christine, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. The funds will be used to install a camera surveillance system for the Brunswick and Glynn County area.

U.S. Attorney Christine announced the grant awards Tuesday, Sept. 10, at the Glynn County Police Department.

“Local law enforcement partners are a vital part of the public safety network in our communities,” said U.S. Attorney Christine. “We owe it to the law enforcement and prosecutors we rely upon to ensure that they have the best equipment and cutting-edge technology. These federal grants are a step toward fulfilling that obligation. We would like to congratulate Glynn County Police Chief John Powell and Brunswick Police Chief Kevin Jones for their successful application for the Department of Justice grant, and thank the Project Safe Neighborhoods grant review committee for their service in reviewing the grant requests.”

Other Southern District recipients of this year’s grants include the Savannah Police Department, the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office, and the Augusta District Attorney’s Office.

“The Glynn County Police Department, and its public safety partners, consistently focus on developing and improving both security and environmental well-being for our residents,” said Glynn County Police Chief John Powell. “With technology advancing at an exponential rate, we are exceptionally grateful for the ability to keep up with that growth and to improve our ability to reduce or solve violent crime cases. We look forward to utilizing the new technologies afforded to us from this grant to help keep our community safe.”

“On behalf of the Brunswick Police Department we would like to thank the Department of Justice for awarding the Brunswick Police Department and the Glynn County Police Department with a federal grant to improve safety in our neighborhoods,” said Brunswick Police Chief Kevin Jones. “This grant will enhance the Brunswick Police Department’s technological abilities in an effort to continuously serve the communities here in Brunswick, Georgia.

“The Brunswick Police Department and Glynn County Police Department are always looking at ways to continue in our efforts of making Brunswick and Glynn County a safe place to live and visit,” Chief Jones said. “Whenever smaller police departments are awarded extra funding, it is a big help in making sure the citizens in the community get the best service available.”  

The U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is a program that has been successful in bringing together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer. For example, it was under the umbrella of PSN that federal, state and law enforcement agencies and the U.S. Attorney’s Office dismantled a major south Georgia drug trafficking organization whose leader recently was sentenced in U.S. District Court in Brunswick to nearly 11 years in federal prison.

AUGUSTA, GA:  Police and prosecutors in Richmond County are receiving federal grants to improve safety in the community under the Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhoods program.

The Richmond County Sheriff’s Office will receive $35,790 to purchase GPS trackers, surveillance cameras, provide video software upgrades, and purchase video cameras, while the Augusta Judicial Circuit District Attorney’s Office will receive $18,000 to purchase GreyKey software for unlocking and searching cell phones, said Bobby L. Christine, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia.

U.S. Attorney Christine announced the grant awards Thursday, Sept. 5, at the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office.

“Local law enforcement agencies and prosecutors are a vital part of the public safety network in our communities,” said U.S. Attorney Christine. “We owe it to the law enforcement and prosecutors we rely upon to ensure that they have the best equipment and cutting-edge technology. These federal grants are a step toward fulfilling that obligation. We would like to congratulate Sheriff Richard Roundtree and District Attorney Natalie Paine for their successful applications for the Department of Justice grants, and thank the Project Safe Neighborhoods grant review committee for their service in reviewing the grant requests.”

Other Southern District recipients of this year’s grants include the Savannah Police Department, the Glynn County Police Department, and the Brunswick Police Department.

“We are very fortunate to have a U.S. Attorney like Bobby Christine who is committed to bringing resources to our district,” said Natalie Paine, District Attorney for the Augusta Judicial Circuit. “The equipment we are receiving will not only aide us tremendously in solving crimes, but it also will be used by any law enforcement agency in the Augusta Judicial Circuit, saving these agencies thousands of dollars. We look forward to continuing our strong partnership with the Southern District of Georgia’s United States Attorney’s office.”

“The Richmond County Sheriff’s Office’s long partnership with the Southern District of Georgia’s United States Attorney’s Office has always benefited this community,” said Sheriff Richard Roundtree. “The Project Safe Neighborhood grants awarded to the Sheriff’s Office will go a long way in helping to reduce violent crime, which is my No. 1 goal for the Sheriff’s Office.”

The U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is a program that has been successful in bringing together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer. For example, it was under the umbrella of PSN that federal, state and law enforcement agencies and the U.S. Attorney’s Office performed Operation 30906 to round up criminals on firearms charges in south Augusta, and Operation Gunsmoke in Georgia and South Carolina for prosecution on drugs, firearms and gang charges.

Due to mandatory evacuation orders for the state of Georgia east of I-95 in advance of Hurricane Dorian, the Savannah Office of the United States Attorney will be closed Tuesday, Sept. 3, Wednesday, Sept. 4, and Thursday, Sept. 5. Further advisories will be issued as conditions necessitate.

The Augusta Office of the U.S. Attorney will remain in operation during this period.

SAVANNAH, GA:  A Savannah man has been ordered held without bond on federal charges related to the July 2 firebombing that badly burned a Savannah woman.

After a Friday morning, Aug. 30, detention hearing, Barry Wright, 52, of Savannah, was ordered to be detained pending trial by U.S. District Court Magistrate Judge Christopher L. Ray on federal charges of possession of an unregistered destructive device, and one count of the use of fire or explosive to commit a felony offense, said Bobby L. Christine, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. Each charge carries a possible sentence of up to 10 years in prison, and there is no parole in the federal system.

According to testimony during Wright’s detention hearing, he is alleged to have constructed and placed an incendiary device inside a woman’s vehicle. The device set the vehicle on fire, and the woman received severe burns.   

“We applaud the quick work of our federal and local law enforcement partners in bringing these charges,” said U.S. Attorney Christine. “Our office will vigorously prosecute those whose violent and destructive actions bring harm to others.”

“This arrest was made after countless hours of meticulous investigation,” said ATF Special Agent in Charge Arthur Peralta, with the Atlanta Bureau. “These types of crimes require an immediate response, intense investigation and collaboration at every level.”

Wright’s charges in the case are not a finding of guilt. Defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

The case is being investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Savannah Police Department, and is being prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Tania Groover and Joseph McCool.

AUGUSTA, Ga: A former active-duty U.S. Army colonel has been sentenced to five years in federal prison for accepting bribes to help steer military contracts to a business fraudulently claiming status as a small business.

Anthony R. Williams, 59, of Vienna, Va., was sentenced today [Aug. 30, 2019] to 60 months in prison by U.S. District Court Senior Judge Dudley H. Bowen after pleading guilty to Conspiracy to Commit Bribery and felony conflict of interest, said Bobby L. Christine, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia.

Williams previously agreed to forfeit more than $1.2 million in proceeds derived from the scheme. After completion of his sentence, he will serve three years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.  

According to information provided in court documents and proceedings, Williams, while serving as a colonel in the U.S. Army, accepted bribes to steer federal procurement contracts to the CREC Group, a company owned by Calvin Devear Lawyer, 60, a retired U.S. Army colonel. The CREC Group had received Small Business Administration (SBA) status as a small, disadvantaged business based on false representations from Lawyer and from Dwayne Oswald Fulton, 58, then an employee of a defense contractor.

Lawyer previously pled guilty in the case and is serving a 60-month prison sentence, while co-conspirator, Anthony Roper, 57, a former active duty U.S. Army colonel at Fort Gordon, also pled guilty and is serving a 60-month sentence.   

The cases were investigated by the United States Army Criminal Investigation Command (CID), the Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), the Small Business Administration’s (SBA) Office of Inspector General, and the United States Attorney’s Office.

“Williams’ sentence wraps up an investigation that shed light on a cynical and disheartening scheme to steal taxpayer funds intended for our nation’s military,” said Southern District of Georgia U.S. Attorney Bobby L. Christine. “These men disgraced their oaths to serve their country, and accordingly are being held accountable for their despicable thefts.”

“Today's sentencing is another clear example that no matter how hard one may try to get away with fraud, you will be caught,” said Frank Robey, director of the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command's Major Procurement Fraud Unit. “This defendant used the trust placed in him by the government to line his pockets. This sentence is well-deserved.” 

“SBA OIG is committed to bringing to justice those engaged in conspiracy to commit fraud against SBA and its programs,” said SBA OIG's Eastern Region Special Agent-in-Charge Kevin Kupperbusch. “Today’s sentencing sends a strong message 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.”

"DCIS is committed to fully investigate and bring to justice individuals who corrupt the DoD procurement system," said Special Agent in Charge Cynthia A. Bruce, DCIS Southeast Field Office.  "We are pleased with this significant sentence and the message it sends to those who defraud the DoD."

Assistant U.S. Attorney Tara Lyons prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.

SAVANNAH, GA:  A Savannah man has been charged in a federal complaint with charges related to a fire.

In a complaint unsealed in U.S. District Court in Savannah today, Aug. 28, Barry Wright, 52, of Savannah, was charged with one count of possession of an unregistered destructive device, and one count of the use of fire or explosive to commit a felony offense, said Bobby L. Christine, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. Each charge carries a possible sentence of up to 10 years in prison, and there is no parole in the federal system.

Criminal complaints contain only charges; defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

The case is being investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Savannah Police Department, and is being prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Tania Groover and Joseph McCool.

SAVANNAH, GA: Members of two criminal street gangs are among five additional defendants sentenced to substantial federal prison terms as prosecutions continue in Operation Vanilla Gorilla.

Andrew Campos, a/k/a “Chubs,” 29, of San Antonio, Texas, was sentenced to 235 months in prison by United States District Judge R. Stan Baker, said Bobby L. Christine, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. Campos was designated as a career criminal and has ties to the Tango Orejon gang, which operates largely in Texas prisons. He pled guilty to Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine and for being a Felon in Possession of a Firearm.

Campos conspired with others, including affiliates of the Ghost Face Gangsters, to distribute large quantities of methamphetamine in the Savannah area. Operation Vanilla Gorilla, which dismantled the drug distribution network, was an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation that included the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) and other state and local law enforcement agencies.

“Operation Vanilla Gorilla was an aggressive strike by law enforcement that continues to pay dividends. More prison sentences are removing more violent criminals from our midst,” said U.S. Attorney Bobby L. Christine. “By definition ‘career criminals’ plague law-abiding citizens, and we as prosecutors continue to work relentlessly to sweep them from our streets.”

The prosecution in Operation Vanilla Gorilla resulted in federal prison sentences for other members of this drug trafficking organization in recent days, including:

Brandon Chapman, 26, of Savannah, Ga., was sentenced to 130 months in prison for Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine, and 120 months in prison for being a Felon in Possession of a Firearm. 

Rodney Rose, 39, of Hamilton, Ohio, was sentenced to 120 months in prison for Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine;

Cody Eubanks, 27, of Pembroke, Ga., was sentenced to 90 months in prison for Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine; and,

Christopher Hendrix, 40, Savannah, Ga., was sentenced to 72 months in prison for Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine.  Hendrix was a leader of the Ghost Face Gangsters.

All of the defendants were on probation or parole when they committed the offenses, so the federal sentences begin after completion of their sentences for violating state probation or parole. There is no parole in the federal system.

As noted in court, these defendants had a combined total of more than 50 state criminal convictions, including at least 18 felony convictions, and more than 15 prior probation/parole violations. These five defendants were members of a major drug trafficking organization that distributed kilogram quantities of crystal methamphetamine (“ice”) in the Southern District of Georgia and elsewhere.

 “There are some who think joining a gang or gang life is cool; I can assure you it’s not,” said Chatham-Savannah Counter Narcotics Team Director Everett Ragan. “Hopefully these individuals will use their time in federal prison to reflect on their poor decisions.”  

The case was investigated under the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF), the premier U.S. Department of Justice program to dismantle multi-jurisdictional drug trafficking organizations. Agencies involved in the investigation included the ATF, the GBI, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Chatham-Savannah Counter Narcotics Team (CNT), the Georgia Department of Corrections Intelligence Division, the Savannah Police Department, the Chatham County Sheriff’s Office, the Bryan County Sheriff’s Office, the Richmond Hill Police Department, the Pooler Police Department, the Effingham County Sheriff’s Office and the Bloomingdale Police Department, with assistance from the U.S. Marshals Service.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys E. Greg Gilluly Jr. and Frank Pennington.

SAVANNAH, GA:  A convicted murderer serving a life sentence was convicted of leading a major drug trafficking conspiracy from inside a Georgia state prison.

Eugene Markeith Allen, a/k/a “Poncho,” 42, a former Savannah resident, was convicted of Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and to Distribute 500 Grams of More of Cocaine, and Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and to Distribute 50 Kilograms or More of Marijuana by a jury in U.S. District Court in Savannah, said Bobby L. Christine, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. The charges carry a possible sentence of up to 40 years in federal prison.

Also convicted in the trial was co-conspirator Karteau Omar Jenkins, a/k/a “Yay,” 42, of Atlanta, on two counts of  Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and to Distribute 500 Grams of More of Cocaine, and one count of Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and to Distribute 50 Kilograms or More of Marijuana.  Sentencing for both Allen and Jenkins will be held at a later date

Allen, while incarcerated at Autry State Prison for a 2006 murder conviction, used smuggled contraband phones to direct Jenkins and other members of the extensive drug trafficking conspiracy that imported marijuana and cocaine from California into Atlanta and throughout the Savannah area.

“This hard-fought conviction represents a major step in the continued prosecution of ruthless drug traffickers and gang members who reached from coast to coast in distributing their poison,” said U.S. Attorney Christine. “Thanks to the coordinated efforts of law enforcement agencies, however, these traffickers have hit a dead end in the Southern District of Georgia.”

Allen, a leader in the Gangster Disciples street gang, was one of 22 defendants indicted in August 2017 in Operation Five Hole, a multi-agency investigation targeting the drug trafficking organization that hid cash proceeds from drug sales in cotton candy machines for shipment by U.S. Mail and in vehicles with hidden compartments. The operation netted the seizure of pounds of marijuana and kilos of cocaine, along with nearly $400,000 in cash and multiple firearms.

“Not even prison bars could keep this defendant from continuing to commit crimes that threaten our citizens’ safety,” said Chris Hacker, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “Even while in prison Allen directed his fellow conspirators to prey upon the good people of our communities. The FBI is dedicated to ending their reign of terror no matter where they are.”

“Eugene ‘Poncho’ Allen poisoned and terrorized our community when he lived here and managed to continue to do the same from behind bars,” said Chatham-Savannah Counter Narcotics Team Director Everett Ragan. “Thankfully, his time has finally come to an end. This case should serve as a reminder that no one is above the law or too big to be stopped.” 

This investigation was conducted by the FBI, the Chatham County Narcotics Unit (CNT), the Savannah Police Department, the Chatham and Effingham County Sheriffs’ Offices, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the U.S. Marshals Service as part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF), the premier U.S. Department of Justice program to dismantle multi-jurisdictional drug trafficking organizations.

The cases were prosecuted for the United States by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney/Assistant District Attorney Noah Abrams and Assistant U.S. Attorney Frank Pennington, with assistance from Litigation Technologist Dean Athanasopoulos. 

BRUNSWICK, GA – The lead defendant in a major south Georgia drug trafficking conspiracy has been sentenced to nearly 11 years in federal prison, representing the final defendant to be sentenced from the now-dismantled drug trafficking ring.

John Eugene Overcash, a/k/a “Cowboy,” 53, of Brunswick, Ga., was sentenced to 128 months in federal prison by U.S. District Court Judge Lisa Godbey Wood, said Bobby L. Christine, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia.

Overcash pled guilty to Conspiracy with Intent to Distribute and to Distribute 5 Kilograms or More of Cocaine and an Amount of Marijuana, and Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person. He also was sentenced to 120 months to be served concurrently on the firearms charge, and after completion of his sentence will serve five years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.

The court also ordered Overcash to forfeit $60,207 in cash seized during the investigation, along with two vehicles and multiple firearms and ammunition. 

“Through vigorous investigation and relentless prosecution, Overcash and his criminal cohorts will no longer be pumping poison into our communities,” said Bobby L. Christine, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. “The same fate awaits any others who are tempted to follow in their footsteps: A prison cell is available for them, too.”

Overcash was the lead defendant among two dozen indicted on federal and state charges in spring of 2018 in the takedown of a large-scale drug-trafficking operation centered around Glynn and McIntosh counties. The investigation, which led to the seizure of kilograms of cocaine, more than 30 pounds of marijuana, crack cocaine, more than $60,000 in cash and dozens of firearms, was coordinated by the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, along with the Glynn County Sheriff’s Office and the McIntosh County Sheriff’s Office and the U.S. Marshals Service.

Other defendants convicted and sentenced in the operation include:

Edrin Temple, a/k/a “Pete McCiver,” 40, of Darien, Ga., sentenced to 130 months in prison for Possession of Cocaine with Intent to Distribute. Temple will begin serving his federal sentence after release from state prison for state charges and for violating probation. 

Kenneth Leon Bradley, 51, of Brunswick, Ga., sentenced to 112 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release for Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and to Distribute Controlled Substances, including 5 kilograms or more of cocaine, a quantity of crack cocaine and a quantity of marijuana;

Anthony Bernard Lewis, a/k/a “Amp,” 47, of Brunswick, Ga., sentenced to 42 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release for Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and to Distribute Cocaine;

Jeremy McIntyre, 38, of Brunswick, Ga., sentenced to 34 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release for Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and to Distribute Cocaine;

Richard Carter, 58, of Brunswick, Ga., sentenced to 36 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release for Possession with Intent to Distribute Marijuana;

Darrius Merrell, 39, of Brunswick, Ga., sentenced to 21 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release for Conspiracy with Intent to Distribute and to Distribute Cocaine;

Keneil King, 26, of Brunswick, Ga., sentenced to 37 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release for Possession with Intent to Distribute Cocaine. After completion of his sentence, King will be referred to Immigrations and Custom Enforcement for deportation.

Troy Crosby, 50, of Hortense, Ga., sentenced to 38 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release for Distribution of Cocaine;

Jessica Tabateau, 32, of Orlando, Fla., sentenced to three years of probation for Conspiracy to Possess with Intent and to Distribute Cocaine;

Amy Manson, 38, of Hortense, Ga., sentenced to time served for Unlawful Use of a Communications Facility to Facilitate a Drug Crime;

Joseph Simmons, a/k/a “Bug,” 49, of Brunswick, Ga., sentenced to 24 months in prison followed by one year of supervised release for Unlawful Use of a Communications Facility to Facilitate a Drug Crime;

Tommy Murray, 51, of Brunswick, Ga., sentenced to 12 months plus one day in prison followed by one year of supervised release for Unlawful Use of a Communications Facility to Facilitate a Drug Crime;

Clifton Foster, 65, of Brunswick, Ga., sentenced to 18 months in prison followed by one year of supervised release for Unlawful Use of a Communications Facility to Facilitate a Drug Crime; and, 

Marcus Mungin, 34, of Brunswick, Ga., sentenced to 10 months in prison followed by one year of supervised release for Unlawful Use of a Communications Facility to Facilitate a Drug Crime.

Additional defendants in the operation were prosecuted on state charges.

“This case is the product of a concerted collaborative effort on the part of ATF and its local partners to target, investigate, and eliminate the perpetrators of violent crime.” said Beau Kolodka, Assistant Special Agent in Charge of the Atlanta Field Division of the ATF. “These sentences will ensure the incarceration of dangerous criminals and contribute to the restoration of order and peace around Glynn and Mcintosh Counties.”

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew Josephson and E. Greg Gilluly Jr. prosecuted these cases for the United States.

SAVANNAH, GA:  The Sesolinc Group has agreed pay up to $2.4 million to settle allegations that they supplied defective products and submitted false claims to the Army, Department of Veterans Affairs and General Services Administration. 

Based on the allegations of the unsealed complaint, Sesolinc is alleged to have violated the False Claims Act when it sold products to the United States that were not in compliance with required electrical and structural standards, said Bobby L. Christine, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. After concerns were raised internally, Sesolinc, which manufactures its products in Statesboro, Ga., is alleged to have continued to deliver defective products to government customers. As part of the settlement, Sesolinc has agreed to repair goods previously supplied to the United States and pay an additional penalty.

“If a contractor represents to the United States that it will provide products consistent with basic requirements of the government customers, this office will hold them to those promises,” said U.S. Attorney Christine. “We will continue to vigorously pursue any contractors who try to cut corners at the taxpayers’ expense.” 

“This settlement sends a clear message that defective products sold to our military will not be tolerated,” said Special Agent in Charge Cynthia A. Bruce, Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), Southeast Field Office. “The tireless efforts by DCIS and our investigative partners ensures that contractors are held accountable for the work they perform and the members of our military receive the proper resources to safely and effectively complete their mission.”      

“This settlement serves as another reminder that attempting to defraud the government is a very bad idea,” said Frank Robey, director of the U.S. Army Criminal Investigative Command’s Major Procurement Fraud Unit. “Providing shoddy and unsafe conditions for our men and women in uniform to widen profit margins is a total disservice to our government.”

David Spilker, Special Agent in Charge of the Office of Inspector General for the Department of Veterans Affairs, stated, “The substituted, sub-standard, and defective products that veteran-owned Sesolinc Group provided to the VA put at risk critical infrastructure used to care for veterans during times of emergencies and natural disasters. The continued oversight of the companies who do business with VA, as shown in this investigation and subsequent settlement, safeguard the integrity of VA programs and funding.”

Special Agent in Charge Floyd Martinez of the Office of Inspector General of the General Services Administration (GSA OIG), said “Contractors cannot abuse the GSA contracting system to knowingly sell defective products to the federal government. GSA OIG will aggressively pursue those who abuse this process for their own gain. GSA OIG stands ready, with our federal law enforcement partners and the Department of Justice, to combat fraud, waste and abuse.”

The Defense Logistics Agency’s (DLA) Chief of Business Integrity and Procurement Fraud Prevention Program, B. Patrick Costello, Jr., said, “DLA, working in tandem with the Department of Justice, reached a settlement agreement in this matter with Sesolinc. This agreement resolves DLA’s claims against Sesolinc, which provided certain products that failed safety standards and put warfighters at risk. This agreement not only provides monetary relief to DLA, but more importantly will provide a mechanism to repair and make safe all deficient products that were delivered to DLA customers, including the U.S. Army. This agreement reflects DLA’s commitment to warfighters and the taxpayers, and reaffirms that DLA will hold contractors responsible for compliance with all applicable safety standards.”

This settlement resolves allegations that were originally part of a federal lawsuit filed under the whistleblower provisions of the False Claims Act, which allow private citizens with knowledge of false claims to file suit on behalf of the government and to share in the recovery. The government would like to sincerely thank Charles Jackson in this case for bringing the issue to the government’s attention and his assistance with the investigation of this matter.

This case was investigated by Special Agent Lam Hoang with DCIS; Special Agent James Parkinson with Army CID; Special Agent Priva Guillory with U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General; and Special Agent Steven Heckler with GSA-OIG. The United States was represented by Assistant United States Attorneys Shannon Heath Statkus and J. Thomas Clarkson.  

WAYCROSS, GA:  Two drug traffickers, including an illegal alien with ties to a Mexican drug cartel, will spend more than a decade in federal prison after sentencing in a methamphetamine conspiracy.

Ricardo Santana-Hernandez, a/k/a “Richard Hernandez,” a/k/a “Armond,” a/k/a “Armani,” 32, of C’daltimairano, Guerroro, Mexico, was sentenced to 135 months in prison, and Ryon Bland, 32, of Douglas, Ga., was sentenced to 110 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Lisa Godbey Wood, said Bobby L. Christine, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. Both were sentenced for conspiring to possess with intent to distribute large quantities of crystal methamphetamine. After completion of their sentences, Santana-Hernadez will be deported, and Bland will be placed on court-supervised release for three years. There is no parole in the federal system.

Santana-Herndandez, Bland and nine other conspirators pled guilty after their indictment by a federal grand jury in October 2018 for drug trafficking and firearms-related offenses.

According to court filings and testimony, in early 2018, the Telfair County Sheriff’s Office received information that Donna Bazemore, a/k/a “Dirty D,” 45, of McRae, Ga., was distributing large quantities of methamphetamine from her residence in Telfair County. Investigators searched the residence and seized 16 bags of methamphetamine, a bag of cocaine, two bags of MDMA (a/k/a Ecstasy), at least six firearms, a video security system, and other drug trafficking tools. Agents arrested Bland, who was at the location breaking down methamphetamine into smaller bags for distribution.

The investigation revealed that Santana-Hernandez was a source of supply for the drug trafficking organization that operated in Telfair County and elsewhere. Santana-Hernandez, who resided in the Atlanta area illegally, received kilograms of methamphetamine from the “La Familia” cartel in Mexico. In August 2018, Santana-Hernandez delivered two kilograms of methamphetamine to the Southern District of Georgia via a courier. Federal agents then arrested Santana-Hernadez when he came to a Dublin, Ga., restaurant to collect payment.

In addition to Santana-Hernandez, Bland and Bazemore, the following people also have been convicted for their roles in the conspiracy:

Enio Camacho-Pineda, a/k/a “Tony,” a/k/a “Tony Montana,” 31, of Atlanta;

Enrique Lopez, a/k/a “Ricky,” 44, of Douglas, Ga.;

Eugene Wright, a/k/a “Burt,” 52, of Millwood, Ga.;

Cristian Jesus Martinez, 19, of Mexico;

Angela Hurst, 38, of Douglas, Ga.;

Kristel Merritt, 43, of Douglas, Ga.;

Angie McCoy, a/k/a “Angie Woods,” 24, Douglas, Ga.; and,

Kenneth Woodrow Mancil, 53, Sylvania, Ga.

“These sentences demonstrate that our partnerships with federal, state, and local law enforcement are the key to targeting and dismantling organized crime,” said U.S. Attorney Bobby L. Christine. “With hard time for their crimes, two drug traffickers will pay the penalty for spreading poison in our communities.”

Robert J. Murphy, the Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Field Division stated, “This sentencing is a great example of what can be achieved when DEA works hand-in-hand with its law enforcement counterparts and the U.S. Attorney’s Office. This trafficker was clearly working under the direction of the La Familia drug cartel based in Mexico. Consequently, he will spend in excess of a decade in federal prison.”

“Narcotic traffickers have no regard for the well-being or safety of our Georgia communities,” said ATF Special Agent in Charge Art Peralta. “Narcotic trafficking and violence go hand in hand, and these sentences prove that our efforts to identify and arrest those individuals who promote violent crime through the distribution of narcotics is having a positive impact.”  

The case was investigated under the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF), the premier U.S. Department of Justice program to dismantle multi-jurisdictional drug trafficking organizations, and was conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI), the U.S. Marshals Service, Telfair County Sheriff’s Office, Jeff Davis County Sheriff’s Office, the Douglas-Coffee Drug Unit, and other local law enforcement agencies. The case also falls 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 is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys John Harper and E. Greg Gilluly, Jr.

DUBLIN, GA:  A correctional officer at a federal prison has been charged in a 14-count indictment with accepting bribes in return for smuggling cigarettes to an inmate.

Michael Kerr, 30, of Vidalia, Ga., is charged with 12 counts of Bribery, one count of Providing Contraband into a Prison, and one count of making a false statement to law enforcement, said Bobby L. Christine, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. The charges carry possible punishment of up to 15 years in prison.

The indictment alleges that on 12 occasions Kerr, a correctional officer at McRae Correctional Facility, a private prison operated under a federal contract in Telfair County, accepted payments ranging from $400 to $640 in return for smuggling cigarettes to the inmate. The indictment alleges Kerr then lied when confronted about the allegations by claiming the payoff occurred only once, for $100. The forfeiture allegation included in the indictment contends Kerr accepted bribes totaling of $5,790.  

“The corrections officers in our federal prison system perform outstanding work under difficult conditions,” said Bobby L. Christine, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. “Any guard who violates their oath makes the job for all the others more difficult, and as a consequence merits prosecution.” 

“Introducing contraband undermines the integrity of federal prisons and creates a danger for correctional officers, prison staff, and inmates,” said Special Agent in Charge James F. Boyersmith, Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General, Miami Field Office. “Bribery and smuggling contraband into federal prisons will not be tolerated, and our agents will continue to root out these schemes. I’d like to thank U.S. Attorney Christine for his partnership in this effort.”

An indictment contains only charges. Defendants are considered innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.

The case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Justice Office of Inspector General, and prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorney Marcela C. Mateo.

SAVANNAH, GA: Two heroin traffickers have been sentenced to federal prison after admitting to their roles in a major drug distribution conspiracy.

Gary Johnson, a/k/a “G,” 44, of Savannah, was sentenced to 90 months in federal prison, while Jamison Lanier, a/k/a “Monica Lewinsky,” 36, also of Savannah, was sentenced to 53 months in prison, said Bobby L. Christine, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. There is no parole in the federal system.

Johnson and Lanier pled guilty in U.S. District Court in February to Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and Conspiracy to Distribute Heroin.

According to court statements and filings, Johnson and Lanier were involved in a conspiracy to distribute significant quantities of heroin from at least February through December of 2018. During the investigation, investigators observed Lanier and Johnson distribute heroin at multiple parking lots in the Savannah area. On Nov. 8, 2018, federal agents executed search warrants at three locations associated with Johnson, resulting in the seizure of more than $97,000 cash and more than 170 grams of heroin, much of it laced with the deadly synthetic opioid Fentanyl. 

“The United States is in the midst of a drug epidemic, with nearly 30,000 overdose deaths last year attributed to drugs laced with fentanyl,” said Bobby L. Christine, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. “Our commitment to the community is that we will prosecute traffickers and send them to prison and prevent them from contributing to this deadly marketplace.”

Robert J. Murphy, the Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Atlanta Field Division stated, “Heroin and synthetic drugs have no boundaries. Once consumed, they destroy their victims like predators ravage their prey. Many thanks to the collaboration of law enforcement agencies and the subsequent prosecution by the U.S. Attorney’s Office, who all made this investigation a success.”

“The U.S. Postal Inspection service remains steadfast in our resolve to ensure that we seek justice to the end against criminals that pose a direct threat to the safety and stability of our communities,” said Antonio J. Gomez, Inspector in Charge of the Miami Division. “This goal is achieved through collaborative investigative efforts with other law enforcement agencies.”

This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the United States Postal Inspection Service. The case was prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua Bearden.

AUGUSTA, GA:  The owner of a Thomson, Ga., medical equipment company was sentenced to more than 10 years in federal prison Tuesday, July 30, for a wide-ranging Medicare fraud scheme.

Detra Wiley Pate, owner and CEO of Southern Respiratory LLC, of Thomson, Ga., was sentenced by U.S. District Court Chief Judge J. Randall Hall to 121 months in federal prison for multiple counts of health care fraud, conspiracy to commit health care fraud and aggravated identity theft, said Bobby L. Christine, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. She also was ordered to pay $950,000 in restitution, and must serve three years of supervised release after completion of her sentence. There is no parole in the federal system.

“Detra Wiley Pate had every opportunity to operate a successful, legitimate business serving the needs of the elderly and vulnerable in her community,” said U.S. Attorney Christine. “Instead, she got greedy and charged Medicare for expensive equipment patients neither needed nor received, using prescriptions doctors had not written. As an ironic result, she’ll grow old in prison while reflecting on her fraud.”

According to the information presented in court documents and testimony, from 2014-2016 Pate submitted thousands of false claims, fabricated patient files, and falsified prescriptions from doctors for items such as heavy-duty wheelchairs while providing much cheaper standard wheelchairs to patients – and pocketing the substantial difference in cost. Pate used the money she stole from Medicare through this fraud to pay for such things as jewelry, including a 1.5 carat diamond and a Rolex watch.

“The FBI and our federal law enforcement partners are determined to prosecute anyone who chooses to profit personally at the expense of those who count on federal healthcare programs for their deserved benefit and the taxpayers of this country,” said Chris Hacker, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “This sentencing is an example of that determination and our commitment to protect our citizens and uphold the Constitution.”

“Fraud schemes such as these divert taxpayer funds from vital federal healthcare programs to fraudsters – such as Detra Wiley Pate – who seek personal gain,” said Special Agent in Charge Derrick L. Jackson of the Office of Inspector General for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. “Our agents, working closely with our law enforcement partners, will continue to clamp down on such scams.”

The case was investigated by the FBI and by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Patricia Rhodes and Thomas Clarkson led the prosecution for the United States with assistance from Litigation Technologist Dean Athanasopoulos.

SAVANNAH, GA:  A Florida man who set up and operated a fake debt collection business has been sentenced to federal prison for fraud.

Vincent Plumb, 56, of Sarasota, Fla., was sentenced to 48 months in prison by U.S. District Court Judge Lisa G. Wood after pleading guilty to one count of Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud, said Bobby L. Christine, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. In addition, Plumb and other previously sentenced defendants are ordered to forfeit assets as part of $130,523.13 in restitution to more than 200 victims who were defrauded in the scheme, and to serve three years of supervised release after completion of his incarceration. There is no parole in the federal system.

According to court documents and testimony, Plumb – who originally is from London, England – set up and led Crown Oaks Media, a fraudulent debt-collection business in Douglas, Ga. Employees of the Coffee County business, using written scripts, would call victims demanding payment of fictitious payday loan and credit card debt, often threatening service with legal documents.

Individuals who worked at Crown Oaks Media reported the scheme to authorities, who initiated an investigation in January 2016. Plumb was indicted in 2018, and pled guilty in December 2018. Three co-conspirators, including Plumb’s son, Alex Plumb, previously were sentenced for their involvement in the scheme.

“Most junk telephone calls are merely annoying and inconvenient, but these scam calls cheated vulnerable people out of their hard-earned money to line the pockets of greedy crooks,” said Bobby L. Christine, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. “Vincent Plumb will find his telephone privileges are significantly limited from inside federal prison.” 

“This case was initiated by the U.S. Secret Service when one good citizen saw behavior that they deemed reprehensible by their fellow coworkers,” said Glen M. Kessler, Resident Agent in Charge of the Savannah Resident Office of the U.S. Secret Service. “When defendants like Vincent Plumb choose to victimize the elderly and veterans of our country, more citizens should step up and alert law enforcement to assist in closing these fraudulent telemarketing operations.”

“This sentencing further shows that IRS Criminal Investigation is committed to identifying and prosecuting those who try to take advantage of our most vulnerable citizens. People who create elaborate schemes that have no purpose other than to mislead others run the very high risk of prosecution,” said Thomas J. Holloman, III, Special Agent in Charge of the Atlanta Field office of the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation.

The case was investigated by the U.S. Secret Service, the IRS Criminal Investigation, the Coffee County Sheriff’s Office and the Georgia Southern University Armstrong Campus Cyber Forensics Department, and prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorney Marcela C. Mateo and the Asset Recovery Unit for the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

SAVANNAH, GA.:  Five drug-trafficking conspirators and affiliates of the violent Ghost Face Gangsters criminal street gang are being sent to federal prison just days after prosecutors notched the final convictions of all 43 defendants in Operation Vanilla Gorilla.

Those sentenced this week for drug trafficking conspiracy and firearms violations include a purported leader of the conspiracy and an enforcer of gang rules, said Bobby L. Christine, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia.

“Outstanding work from our law enforcement partners and prosecutors wrapped up these cases with convictions of every defendant just eight short months after their indictments,” U.S. Attorney Christine said. “The significant federal prison sentences for these criminals should make it clear that we will not tolerate street gangs who peddle poison in our neighborhoods and violate the safety of our citizens. We will find them, and we will shut them down.”

U.S. District Judge R. Stan Baker sentenced five more of the 43 defendants to substantial prison terms, and upon completion of their sentences each will serve an additional three to five years of supervised release. To date, 21 defendants have been sentenced for their roles in the criminal conspiracy. Those sentenced this week are:

David McCloskey, a/k/a “Larchmont,” 47, of Augusta, Ga., was sentenced to nearly 24 years in prison: 165 months for Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute 50 Grams or More of Methamphetamine, and 120 months for being a Prohibited Person in Possession of a Firearm. McCloskey was a leader in the drug conspiracy.  

Joshua McNelly, 26, Savannah, was sentenced to 210 months in prison for Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute 5 Grams or More of Methamphetamine;

Dillon Myrick, a/k/a “Country Crack,” 31, of Port Wentworth, Ga., was sentenced to 120 months in prison for Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute a Quantity of Methamphetamine. As a “violator” in the Ghost Face Gangsters, Myrick’s job was to collect drug debts, settle disputes, and assault those believed to be enemies of the street gang.

Crystal Wilson, 37, of Bloomingdale, Ga., was sentenced to 65 months in prison for Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute a Quantity of Methamphetamine; and,

Kari Neely, 27, of Statesboro, Ga., was sentenced to 24 months in prison for Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute a Quantity of Methamphetamine.

Some of these defendants were on probation or parole when they committed the offenses, so the federal sentences will run consecutive to the sentences for violating state probation or parole.  There is no parole in the federal system.

As noted in court, these five defendants had a combined total of at least 19 state convictions, including at least three felony convictions, and had previously violated state probation at least four times. 

These five defendants were members of a major drug trafficking organization that distributed kilogram quantities of crystal methamphetamine (“ice”) in the Southern District of Georgia and elsewhere. McCloskey received pounds of crystal methamphetamine and delivered it for others to distribute.  When Effingham County deputies arrested McCloskey on April 16, 2018, he had in his possession a kilogram of crystal methamphetamine, a firearm with two fully loaded magazines, $2,225 in cash, and drug trafficking scales.  McNelly transported and distributed kilograms of crystal methamphetamine and possessed firearms. Myrick served as a “violator” for the Ghost Face Gangsters, and both Wilson and Neely stored, transported, and distributed drugs for the organization. 

“These sentences will ensure the incarceration of dangerous criminals and contribute to the restoration of order and peace,” said Beau Kolodka, Assistant Special Agent in Charge of the Atlanta Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).

Operation Vanilla Gorilla was investigated under the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF), the premier U.S. Department of Justice program to dismantle multi-jurisdictional drug trafficking organizations. The case was investigated by the ATF, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Chatham-Savannah Counter Narcotics Team (CNT), the Georgia Department of Corrections Intelligence Division, the Savannah Police Department, the Chatham County Sheriff’s Office, the Bryan County Sheriff’s Office, the Richmond Hill Police Department, the Pooler Police Department, the Effingham County Sheriff’s Office and the Bloomingdale Police Department, with assistance from the U.S. Marshals Service.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys E. Greg Gilluly Jr. and Frank Pennington.

BRUNSWICK, GA:  Nine men snared in a child sex trafficking sting have been indicted on federal charges.

Operation Do You Know Your Neighbor, coordinated by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation’s Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force in late March, targeted adults who were seeking children for indecent purposes, said Bobby L. Christine, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia.

“It’s always troubling that there are adults who seek to prey on underage children for their own gratification,” Christine said. “Anyone with such disturbing proclivities should be reminded that our law enforcement agencies are diligent in their efforts to find them and prevent the exploitation of innocent children.”

Those indicted on federal charges in the sting include:

Daven Jones, 29, of Jacksonville, is charged with Attempted Coercion and Enticement; Travel with Intent to Engage in Illicit Sexual Activity; and Attempted Transfer of Obscene Matter to a Minor;

John Torrance, 35, of Naples, Fla., is charged with Attempted Coercion and Enticement; Travel with Intent to Engage in Illicit Sexual Activity; and Attempted Transfer of Obscene Matter to a Minor;

Joshua Weaver, 34, of St. Marys, Ga., is charged with Attempted Coercion and Enticement, and Attempted Transfer of Obscene Matter to a Minor;

Dylan Wescott, 27, of Orange Park, Fla., is charged with Attempted Coercion and Enticement, and Travel with Intent to Engage in Illicit Sexual Activity;

Charles Barreras, 48, of Kingsland, Ga., charged with Attempted Coercion and Enticement;

Matthew Coffey, 37, of Brunswick, Ga., is charged with Attempted Coercion and Enticement;

Alvaro Hernandez, 35, of Bristol, Ga., is charged with Attempted Coercion and Enticement;

Marquise Little, 22, of Kingsland, Ga., is charged with Attempted Coercion and Enticement; and,

Trevor Rountree, 28, of Orange Park, Fla., is charged with Attempted Coercion and Enticement.

Charges in the indictments carry possible penalties of 10 years to life in prison.

“The success of this operation comes from the strong partnership NCIS shares with the Georgia Bureau of Investigation and the Camden County Sheriff’s Office,” said NCIS Southeast Field Office Special Agent in Charge Matt Lascell. “We are dedicated to combating child sexual crimes that endanger Department of the Navy families and the citizens of Georgia.”

Camden County Sheriff Jim Proctor said, “The investigation conducted by federal, state and local agencies is an example of how a cooperative effort by law enforcement protects the youth from those who attempt to prey upon the children of our communities.“     

Indictments contain only charges. All defendants are considered innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.

The sting was set up by the Naval Criminal Investigative Service and the GBI’s Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force for the purpose of identifying adults who were seeking out children for indecent purposes. Other agencies participating in the investigation included the Camden County Sheriff’s Office, the Kingsland Police Department, the Effingham County Sheriff’s Office and the Savannah Police Department.

The cases are being prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorney Marcela Mateo and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Katelyn Semales.

SAVANNAH, GA: In the eight months since Operation Vanilla Gorilla became the largest-ever takedown of associates of the Ghostface Gangsters criminal street gang, all 43 defendants indicted in the firearms and drug trafficking investigation have now been convicted of their crimes.

Kenneth L. Jenks, a/k/a “Juno,” 40, of Savannah, is the final defendant in the 93-page, 83-count indictment to enter a guilty plea in the operation, which was conducted by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) from 2015 through 2018, said Bobby L. Christine, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. On Wednesday, July 17, Jenks pled guilty in U.S. District Court to Possession of Methamphetamine and will be sentenced at a later date.

A day earlier, U.S. District Judge R. Stan Baker sentenced Nick Penfield, a/k/a “Picnic,” 22, of Savannah, to 210 months in federal prison to be followed by five years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system. Penfield pled guilty to Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute 5 Grams or more of Methamphetamine. Evidence presented in court filings and testimony demonstrated that Penfield; his brother Cody Penfield, 28, of Savannah; and their father Mike Penfield, 54, of Pooler, Ga., were associates of the Ghost Face Gangsters and distributed kilogram quantities of crystal methamphetamine. Nick Penfield was the first of the three to be sentenced.

The same day, Judge Baker sentenced Devon Aines, a/k/a “Devon Johnson,” 33, of Savannah, to 171 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release. Aines and his brother, Trevor Aines, a/k/a “Sticks,” 29, of Garden City, Ga., were convicted of Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine. According to court records, Devon Aines associated with Ghost Face Gangsters, distributed methamphetamine, and used threats of violence to collect drug debts. Trevor Aines awaits sentencing.

“Operation Vanilla Gorilla is a stellar example of federal, state and local law enforcement professionals and prosecutors working together to target and dismantle a violent, drug-trafficking criminal street gang,” said U.S. Attorney Christine. “The swift convictions and significant sentences of every defendant indicted in this operation demonstrates the value of cooperation between and amongst the agencies involved. It takes a network to dismantle a network.”

Beau Kolodka, Assistant Special Agent in Charge of the Atlanta Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Firearms, Tobacco and Explosives (ATF) said, “ATF will continue to dedicate federal resources in conjunction with those crucial law enforcement contributions of local agencies to the pursuit of eradicating and forestalling criminal gang activity.”

Operation Vanilla Gorilla was investigated under the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF), the premier U.S. Department of Justice program to dismantle multi-jurisdictional drug trafficking organizations. The case was investigated by the ATF, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Chatham County Narcotics Team (CNT), the Georgia Department of Corrections Intelligence Division, the Savannah Police Department, the Chatham County Sheriff’s Office, the Bryan County Sheriff’s Office, the Richmond Hill Police Department, the Pooler Police Department, the Effingham County Sheriff’s Office and the Bloomingdale Police Department, with assistance from the U.S. Marshals Service.

This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys E. Greg Gilluly Jr. and Frank Pennington.

AUGUSTA, GA:  A Honduran national who has repeatedly entered the United States illegally has been convicted in federal court after his fifth return.

A jury on July 15 found Celso de Jesus Urbina-Aleman, 43, of Honduras, guilty of Re-entry After Removal/Deportation in U.S. District Court in Augusta, said Bobby L. Christine, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. The conviction carries a possible sentence of up to two years in federal prison, followed by deportation.

“Urbina-Aleman’s case demonstrates the challenge our federal immigration partners face in enforcing our nation’s laws,” said U.S. Attorney Christine. “For a decade and a half the defendant has broken our laws over and over again, been caught and deported. This jury verdict has changed the script and will permit justice to be served at the time of sentencing.”

Urbina-Aleman was arrested Dec. 2, 2018 after a traffic stop in Taliaferro County, Ga., and was charged with driving without a valid license. A check on his immigration status determined he was illegally present in the United States and previously had been deported four times.

According to court records and proceedings, Urbina-Aleman was initially removed from Texas in 2006, was deported in 2010 after being caught in Pennsylvania, then was caught again near the border in Texas in 2011 and deported. Less than three months later, he was caught again in Texas, convicted in federal court of Illegal Entry and again deported.

“The woman and men of ICE perform the vital role of arresting and removing immigration law violators, particularly those who demonstrate a constant and wanton disregard of our laws,” said ICE Atlanta Field Office Director Sean Gallagher. “ICE officers, in concert with our law enforcement partners, will continue to perform their duties as intended by Congress with veracity, courage and professionalism.”

The case was investigated by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorney Alejandro V. Pascual IV.

SAVANNAH, GA: Two Georgia pharmacists have been charged after separate federal investigations involving fraud and diversion of drugs to non-patients.

Ray Ashley Dixon, 41, of Baxley, Ga., is charged with Conspiracy with Objects of Healthcare Fraud and Unlawful Distribution of Controlled Substances, and Janice Colter, 62, of Darien, Ga., is charged with False Statements Related to Healthcare, said Bobby L. Christine, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia.

Both defendants are charged via criminal informations. If convicted, each face up to five years in federal prison, and there is no parole in the federal system.

According to court documents, Dixon owned and operated Fulghum Discount Drugs in Baxley, Ga. An investigation by the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) and Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) uncovered that, beginning as early as January 2015 and continuing until at least October 2018, Dixon created fake prescriptions purportedly prescribing drugs to Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries and billed those programs for the drugs.  In addition, Dixon distributed controlled substances to individuals without a prescription from a physician.

Also charged is Colter, who was pharmacist-in-charge of a pharmacy in Darien, Ga. From 2015 through 2017, Colter filled a large number of prescriptions for controlled substances from high-volume prescribers.  In response to a review of her dispensing history, which included a focus on select high-prescribing physicians, Colter drafted documents that contained false and fraudulent statements, which the Drug Enforcement Administration would review as part of any regulatory compliance audit. 

“We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to identify and hold accountable medical professionals who disregard their duties to the people of this district and to taxpayer-funded health programs,” said Bobby L. Christine, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. “These coordinated multi-agency investigations show the results we can deliver in response to this continued opioid epidemic.”

Robert J. Murphy, the Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Field Division commented, “Healthcare professionals, such pharmacists who commit fraudulent crimes, sometimes prey on patients who are addicted to prescription opioids. Some of these licensed practitioners dispense addictive substances under the guise of a ‘professional practice,’ when in actuality, they act like a common drug dealer. This successful investigation was a direct result of the collaboration between all law enforcement agencies involved and the U.S. Attorney’s Office.”

 “Together with our federal, state and local partners, we are dedicated to fighting the war against the opioid epidemic,” said Derrick L. Jackson, Special Agent in Charge for the Office of Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.  “We will hold all unscrupulous and self-serving health care providers accountable.”

“The citizens of our community expect our law enforcement agencies to take an active role in helping to fight the drug epidemic, particularly the abuse of prescription opioids,” said Mark Melton, Sheriff of Appling County. “Our office will work with all partner agencies in defeating the illegal narcotics trade.” 

Criminal informations contain only charges; defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

The cases were investigated under the Health Care Fraud and Opioid Abuse Task Force by the DEA’s Tactical Diversion Squad, DEA Diversion, the Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General, and the Appling County Sherriff’s Office. The cases are being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys J. Thomas Clarkson and Jonathan A. Porter.

SAVANNAH, GA:  A Savannah man is facing a substantial prison sentence after a federal jury returned a guilty verdict on all five counts against him.

Amari Jermaine Sams, a/k/a/ “Face”, 37, of Savannah, was convicted of Conspiracy to Possess With Intent Distribute 50 grams or more of Methamphetamine and a quantity of Cocaine and Marijuana; Possession With Intent to Distribute 50 grams or more of Methamphetamine and a quantity of Cocaine and Marijuana; Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person; Possession of a Stolen Firearm; and Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime, in U.S. District Court, said Bobby L. Christine, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia.

Sams now faces a sentence of 15 years to life in prison, and there is no parole in the federal system.

According to evidence presented at the three-day trial, on the morning of April 22, 2018, Sams and his co-conspirators, Jovonn Brisbon and Hakeem Campbell, led Georgia State Patrol officers on a chase at speeds up to 120 mph in a Ford F-150 stolen from the Savannah Airport. During the pursuit, a stolen Glock. 40 firearm was thrown from the vehicle and later recovered. State troopers forced the vehicle to a stop and apprehended Brisbon and Campbell, and Savannah Police Department officers captured Sams hiding in a creek parallel to I-516. A search of the stolen vehicle yielded approximately 75 grams of methamphetamine, and inside a book bag found next to the vehicle officers found a stolen Springfield XD .45 caliber pistol, approximately 1 pound of marijuana, 29 grams of cocaine, scales and baggies. The occupants had more than $4,000 cash combined.

Brisbon and Campbell previously entered guilty pleas in the case and are awaiting sentencing.

“The game of hide and seek for this defendant is over, and his next stop will be federal prison,” said Bobby L. Christine, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. “I commend the brave law enforcement officers and investigators who safely brought an end to this dangerous crime spree, and the prosecutors who successfully brought this dangerous felon to justice.”

“ATF will continue to dedicate federal resources in conjunction with crucial local law enforcement partners to the pursuit of eradicating and forestalling criminal activity in communities we serve,” said Beau Kolodka, Assistant Special Agent in Charge of the Atlanta Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).

Said Chatham County Counter Narcotics Team (CNT) Director Everett Ragan, “Living the fast life caught up to them. I have no doubt a long prison sentence will slow them down.”

This case was investigated by ATF and CNT, along with the Savannah Police Department and the Georgia State Patrol. The case was prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joshua Bearden and Frank Pennington.

AUGUSTA, GA:  A Blythe man has been indicted on federal charges that he shot a helicopter being used in support of a law enforcement operation.

Terry Kielisch, 55, was indicted by a federal grand jury on charges of Assaulting a Person Assisting an Officer of the United States, Damaging an Aircraft, Use of a Firearm During and in Relation to a Crime of Violence, and Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person, said Bobby L. Christine, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia.

The charges in the five-count indictment carry sentences of 10 years to life in prison, along with substantial fines.

According to court documents in the case, Kielisch is accused of firing at and striking a Georgia State Patrol helicopter piloted by a GSP trooper and with a Richmond County Sheriff’s Office investigator as a passenger on March 12. The aircraft was providing support for Operation Gunsmoke, a sweep of defendants accused of drug trafficking and illegal firearms possession in Georgia and South Carolina, coordinated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). Kielisch was not a target in the operation, and while the helicopter was damaged, neither the pilot nor the passenger were injured.

“This assault had potentially deadly consequences for the officers conducting their law enforcement duties,” said U.S. Attorney Bobby L. Christine. “Our office will vigorously prosecute anyone who would harm or attempt to harm the professionals who protect our communities.”

The case was investigated by the ATF, the Georgia State Patrol and the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office, and is being prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorney Hank Syms Jr. and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Marchman. 

A criminal indictment contain only charges; defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

SAVANNAH, GA: Two men have been charged in a four-count federal indictment for the June 2019 shipment of more than 45 pounds of cocaine through the Port of Savannah.

Jimmy Alexander Pujols, a/k/a “El Gallo,” 35, and Fausto Mendez Ramos, a/k/a “Rudy Reyes Polanco,” 40, are charged with Conspiracy to Import a Controlled Substance, Conspiracy with Intent to Distribute and to Distribute a Controlled Substance, Importation of a Controlled Substance, and Possession with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance, said Bobby L. Christine, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia.

Conviction on the charges carries a sentence of 10 years to life in prison. There is no parole in the federal system.

In June, Agents from the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), in conjunction with Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office, with assistance from the Augusta Fire Department, seized packages containing 21.3 kilos of cocaine while serving a federal search warrant at an Augusta warehouse holding a shipping container that had been transported from the Port of Savannah. Pujols and Ramos were taken into custody.

An indictment contains only charges. Defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys E. Greg Gilluly Jr. and Marcela Mateo.

AUGUSTA, GA:  A Hephzibah man has admitted owning a stash of drugs and a handgun that led to his arrest on federal charges.

In U.S. District Court on Wednesday, July 10, Eric Bernard Ferguson, 37, of Hephzibah, pled guilty to one count of Possession with Intent to Distribute Cocaine, Methamphetamine and Marijuana, said Bobby L. Christine, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. Ferguson faces a sentence of five to 40 years in federal prison.

As described in court documents and testimony, Richmond County Sheriff’s Office investigators, including a member of a Drug Enforcement Administration task force, served a search warrant in August 2018 at Ferguson’s home. The search discovered packages containing more than 180 grams of cocaine, more than 5 grams of methamphetamine and quantities of marijuana, along with cash and a loaded handgun hidden under a mattress. As noted in court, Ferguson has three prior convictions in state court for possession with intent to distribute controlled substances.

“This case represents excellent work from our federal and local law enforcement partners to target and remove drug distributors from our community,” said U.S. Attorney Christine. “The prospect of real, significant time in federal prison, with no parole, should help deter those who likewise would push poison in our neighborhoods.”

Robert J. Murphy, the Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Field Division said of the guilty plea, "Cocaine, methamphetamine and marijuana are dangerous drugs that pose a clear and present danger to the community. Because of the collective efforts of our local, state and federal law enforcement counterparts, this defendant was brought to justice. This case is a shining example of what can be achieved when law enforcement agencies at all levels and the U.S. Attorney's Office work collaboratively."

The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office, and prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorney Alejandro V. Pascual IV.

AUGUSTA, GA:  A couple who admitted producing and sharing child pornography during a plot to sexually exploit an 8-year-old girl pled guilty to federal charges.

Charles Brandon Powell, 33, of Hephzibah, and Carrie Marie Minton, 25, of Cordoba, S.C., pled guilty Monday, July 8, to one count of Production of Child Pornography in U.S. District Court before Chief Judge J. Randall Hall, said Bobby L. Christine, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. The charge carries a minimum sentence of 15 years in prison and a maximum of 30 years, followed by supervised release of five years to life. There is no parole in the federal system.

“The facts of this case are sickening and disturbing, revealing a cesspool of cooperative depravity,” said Christine. “Quick action from our federal and state law enforcement partners halted this scheme in the early stages, thankfully sparing further exploitation of two innocent children.”

As described in court documents and testimony, Powell and Minton, identified as a couple, held online discussions to plan a sexual encounter with an 8-year-old girl whom Minton planned to bring to Powell’s Hephzibah home from Neeses, S.C. After Minton sent an explicit photo of another juvenile, a 5-month-old girl, to Powell, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children alerted authorities, who intervened as the plot was in motion. Powell and Minton were taken into custody without either of the children subjected to further harm.  

“This case is an excellent example of how partnerships between the FBI and our state and local law enforcement agencies are essential in protecting our citizens and in particular, children, our most vulnerable citizens,” said Chris Hacker, Special Agent in Charge of the Atlanta FBI. “Keeping our children safe is a top priority for this office and I thank law enforcement for their quick work on this matter.”

After accepting please from Powell and Minton, Judge Hall remanded them to federal custody until a sentencing hearing is held. Both are in custody in the Jefferson County Jail.

The case is being investigated by the FBI, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) and the South Carolina Office of the Attorney General. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tara Lyons is prosecuting the case for the United States.

AUGUSTA, GA:  An Appling man has pled guilty to a federal charge of possession of child pornography.

Ricardo Dale Alva, 64, entered a guilty plea Monday, July 8, in U.S. District Court in Augusta to one count of Possession of Child Pornography, said Bobby L. Christine, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia.

The charge is punishable by up to 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000, followed by no less than five years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system. A sentencing hearing will be held at a later date.

Alva was arrested March 7 after Richmond County Sheriff’s Office deputies were alerted by an online tip that led to a search of Alva’s Appling home by the FBI. The search discovered a cell phone containing images of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct.

“Children exploited by pornography are victimized when their images are recorded, and again and again when those images are shared,” said Bobby L. Christine, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. “The successful resolution of this case leaves many other victimizers to pursue, and our office and investigative partners will never rest until we end this repulsive victimization of children.”

“Individuals who possess pornographic images of children for their own self-gratification support the further exploitation of the most innocent victims,” said Chris Hacker, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “The FBI will always make it a top priority to protect the most vulnerable in our society, our children,”

The case is being investigated by the FBI and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Tara Lyons. 

SAVANNAH, GA:  A Savannah man charged with killing the wife of a deployed U.S. Army soldier on post at Fort Stewart has been ordered held without bond.

Stafon Jamar Davis, 27, of Savannah, was arraigned in U.S. District Court in Savannah where he entered a plea of not guilty to a charge of Premeditated Murder in the July 9, 2018 shooting death of Abree Boykin, 24, a resident of post housing at Fort Stewart Army Reservation, said Bobby L. Christine, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. Davis also is charged with Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon.

Magistrate Christopher L. Ray granted the prosecution’s motion and ordered Davis held without bond and remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service. He is being held at the Liberty County Jail.  

The indictment alleges that Davis, while on Fort Stewart, “willfully, deliberately, maliciously, and with premeditation and malice aforethought, did unlawfully kill Abree Boykin, by shooting Abree Boykin with a 9mm firearm.” The body of Boykin, whose husband was a then-deployed soldier, was discovered by Military Police in her residence.

Davis was arrested West Palm Beach, Fla., and transported to the Southern District of Georgia for court proceedings.

FBI and CID continue to offer a reward of up to $20,000 for information leading to the recovery of Abree Boykin’s black 2018 Honda Accord, Georgia license plate RLQ1762.  Those with information are encouraged to call the FBI Atlanta Field Office at (770) 216-3000, email army.cid.crime.tips@mail.mil, or call 1-844-ARMY-CID. Individuals wishing to remain anonymous will be protected to the degree allowable under the law.

A criminal indictment contains only charges; defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

The case is being investigated by the FBI and the Army Criminal Investigation Command, with assistance from the Savannah Police Department and the U.S. Marshals Service, and prosecuted for the United States by Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer G. Solari.