Southern District of Georgia

SAVANNAH, GA: At least 20 defendants have been sentenced to federal prison or await further proceedings after pleading guilty to federal charges including illegal possession of firearms. 

The cases were investigated as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods in collaboration with federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies, including the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the FBI, to reduce violent crime with measures that include targeting convicted felons who illegally carry guns.

“In collaboration with our law enforcement partners, we are committed to the safety and security of our communities,” said Jill E. Steinberg, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. “Removing guns from the hands of violent criminals and convicted felons makes all of us safer.”  

In the past four years, more than 830 defendants have been federally prosecuted in the Southern District of Georgia for illegal firearms offenses – most often for possessing a firearm after conviction for a previous felony. That charge carries a statutory penalty of up to 15 years in prison, and there is no parole in the federal system.

Defendants recently adjudicated on federal firearms charges include:

• Deon Brown, 31, of Augusta, was sentenced to 130 months in prison and fined $1,500 after pleading guilty to Possession with Intent to Distribute Heroin, Cocaine, Crack Cocaine, and Methamphetamine, and Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Agents from the Georgia Bureau of Investigation and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration arrested Brown in August 2021 at his residence and found drugs and multiple handguns in his vehicle. Brown has prior convictions for drug and gun possession.
• Christopher Fitzgerald Jones, 35, of Augusta, was sentenced to 120 months in prison and fined $1,500 after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Richmond County Sheriff’s deputies arrested Jones in October 2021 on a felony warrant resulting from a series of domestic altercations. Jones, who was carrying a pistol at the time of his arrest, has a substantial criminal history that includes violence and illegal gun possession.
• Jamar Lavelle Alexander, 35, of Crawfordville, Ga., was sentenced to 63 months in prison and fined $1,500 after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Taliaferro County Sheriff’s deputies arrested Alexander in November 2020 after finding him passed out behind the wheel of a car parked in the middle of a county highway with a loaded pistol in his lap. Alexander previously was convicted on state charges of weapons possession.
• Windsor Hodge, 64, of Martinez, Ga., was sentenced to 60 months in prison after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Columbia County Sheriff’s deputies searched Hodge’s residence on a warrant in January 2022 and found 13 firearms. Hodge previously was convicted of Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime, a felony.
• Dontrell Kydreek Mathis, 30, of Augusta, was sentenced to 60 months in prison and fined $1,000 after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Richmond County Sheriff’s deputies found two pistols in Mathis’ vehicle after an attempted traffic stop and subsequent vehicle and foot chase in August 2022.
• Christopher Donnell Crumbley, 34, of Waynesboro, was sentenced to 84 months in prison and fined $1,500 after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Burke County sheriff’s deputies arrested Crumbley on outstanding criminal warrants and found three pistols in his possession. 
• David Alexander Harris, 43, of Augusta, was sentenced to 51 months in prison and fined $1,500 after pleading guilty to Possession with Intent to Distribute Eutylone and Cocaine, and Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Richmond County Sheriff’s deputies arrested Harris in March 2020 after finding him asleep at the wheel of his vehicle at a traffic light. A pistol was lying in Harris’ lap.
• Diemond Dajion Wimberly, 25, of Augusta, was sentenced to 46 months in prison and fined $1,500 after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Richmond County Sheriff’s deputies arrested Wimberly during an April 2022 traffic stop after finding a pistol with a high-capacity magazine in the vehicle.
• Ra’ann Michell Coleman, 49, of Eastman, Ga., was sentenced to 33 months in prison after pleading guilty to two counts of False Statement During the Purchase of a Firearm. In her plea agreement, Coleman admitted that when she purchased two firearms in October and December 2020, she lied about being the actual purchaser of the guns when she in fact was buying the firearms on behalf of someone else.
• Ephelius Artavis Brinson Jr., 28, of Hephzibah, Ga., was sentenced to 30 months in prison after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Richmond County Sheriff’s deputies arrested Brinson in June 2022 after he fled from a traffic stop, leaving behind a backpack containing a loaded pistol and drugs.
• Deontre Hubert, 28, of Augusta, was sentenced to 24 months in prison after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Hubert had a pistol in his waistband in June 2022 when pulled over by Richmond County Sheriff’s deputies for a traffic violation. He previously was convicted in state court of Involuntary Manslaughter, a felony.
• Ryan Nickolus Smiley, a/k/a “Nick Smiley,” 39, of Clyo, Ga., was sentenced to 10 months in prison after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition by a Convicted Felon. Smiley was on supervised release from a prior federal firearms conviction when the U.S. Marshal’s Service served an arrest warrant for a violation of supervised release and found ammunition and photos of Smiley in possession of firearms.
• Derrick Drurell Long, 32, of Augusta, awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Georgia Department of Community Supervision officers arrested Long in June 2020 after finding a pistol in his apartment during a search.
• Carl Williams, 52, of Savannah, awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Investigators from the Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division conducted a warrant search of Williams’ residence as part of an investigation into stolen military equipment and found three semiautomatic pistols in Williams’ possession. Williams previously pled guilty and was sentenced in U.S. District Court in Connecticut on a felony charge of Conspiracy to Traffic in Stolen Government Property for receiving and reselling gun sights and night-vision equipment stolen from the U.S. Navy.
• Shannan Barnwell, 24, of Savannah, awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon; Interference with Interstate Commerce by Robbery; and Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Crime of Violence. Barnwell’s plea is in connection with an armed robbery of a vendor restocking a South State Bank automatic teller machine.
• Jonathan Bennett Capece II, 53, of Dublin, Ga., awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Dublin Police officers arrested Capece in April 2020 after finding drugs and two pistols in his vehicle during a traffic stop.
• Horatio Trimane Bynes, 65, of Augusta, awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime. Richmond County Sheriff’s deputies arrested Bynes at a DUI checkpoint after a deputy smelled marijuana and a drug-sniffing dog alerted to the presence of drugs in his vehicle. Deputies searched the car and found drugs, cash, and a .357 caliber revolver.
• Dequan Dante Payne, 31, of Augusta, awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Richmond County Sheriff’s investigators arrested Payne in March 2022 after finding drugs and guns during a search of his residence as part of a drug investigation. Payne previously served nearly 10 years in state prison for armed robbery.
• Donald D. Walker, 28, of Hinesville, Ga., awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to False Statement During Attempted Purchase of a Firearm. Walker made a false statement about being under indictment when he signed forms required for buying a gun at a Hinesville gun store. Walker’s criminal history includes convictions for assault and family violence.
• Tyrique Marquez Mills, 25, of Waycross, Ga., awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Mills was wanted on felony warrants related to a shooting when he was arrested by Waycross Police officers who found a loaded pistol in his pocket.
• James Travon Walker, 22, of Savannah, awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to Possession of a Stolen Firearm. Chatham County Police officers arrested Walker while responding to a report of a vehicle break-in and found a backpack belonging to Walker containing two pistols stolen from the vehicle.
• Lear A. Williams, 33, of Savannah, awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition by a Convicted Felon. Savannah Police officers in September 2022 were investigating reports of a man selling drugs when they found a pistol and ammunition in Williams’ possession.
• Olajuwon Raheem Williams, 25, of Augusta, awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Richmond County Sheriff’s deputies arrested Williams after he threatened to shoot up his ex-girlfriend’s home and fled from police while firing at the pursuing officer with an AR-style pistol. Williams previously served a state prison sentence for armed robbery.
• Tony Lavardo Blount Jr., 32, of Augusta, awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Columbia County Sheriff’s deputies were called to a Grovetown, Ga., home to investigate a report of domestic violence and arrested Blount after a brief foot chase when he pulled a pistol from his pocket.

Agencies investigating these cases include the ATF, the FBI, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, the Savannah Police Department, the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office, and the Georgia State Patrol.

The cases are being prosecuted for the United States by the Southern District of Georgia U.S. Attorney’s Office.

Under federal law, it is illegal for an individual to possess a firearm if he or she falls into one of nine prohibited categories including being a felon; illegal alien; or unlawful user of a controlled substance. Further, it is unlawful to possess a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense or violent crime. It is also illegal to purchase – or even to attempt to purchase – firearms if the buyer is a prohibited person or illegally purchasing a firearm on behalf of others. Lying on ATF Form 4473, which is used to lawfully purchase a firearm, also is a federal offense. 

For more information from the ATF on the lawful purchasing of firearms, please see: https://www.atf.gov/qa-category/atfw-form-4473

SAVANNAH, GA:  A man who pled guilty to a 2022 bank robbery in Savannah has been sentenced to more than 13 years federal prison.

Shawn Kelley, 45, from Baton Rouge, La., was sentenced to 163 months in prison after pleading guilty to Robbery, said Jill E. Steinberg, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. U.S. District Court Judge R. Stan Baker ordered Kelley’s sentence to run consecutively with time remaining for his state probation violation, ordered Kelley to serve three years of supervised release upon completion of his prison term, and there is no parole in the federal system.

“For most of his adult life, Shawn Kelley has committed robberies, served time in prison, and re-offended,” said U.S. Attorney Steinberg. “A lengthy term of incarceration will keep the community safe from this serial criminal and hopefully deter others from making the same choices.”

As described in court documents and testimony, Kelley walked into the Wells Fargo Bank at 136 Bull St., Savannah, on Sept. 15, 2022, and demanded cash from the teller. After leaving with a substantial amount of money, Kelley walked to the bus station where Savannah Police officers found him in the bathroom changing out of the clothes he’d worn during the robbery, still in possession of the cash.

Kelley, who was on probation after being paroled from a 2015 conviction for a Gwinnett County, Ga., credit union robbery, has a total of six prior convictions for robberies dating back to a mugging conviction in 2000 in Baton Rouge, La., with subsequent bank and credit union robberies during the following two decades in Louisiana and Georgia.

“This sentence makes it very clear that criminals who repeatedly break the law will be held accountable with lengthy prison terms, without the opportunity for parole,” said Keri Farley, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “Our partnerships with federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies make these sentencings possible, ultimately making our communities safer.”

The case was investigated by the FBI and the Savannah Police Department, and prosecuted for the United States by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Makeia R. Jonese, and by Assistant U.S. Attorney and Criminal Division Deputy Chief E. Gregory Gilluly Jr.

SAVANNAH, GA:  A Georgia woman has been sentenced to prison and ordered to repay more than $1 million in fraudulently obtained funds from a COVID-19 small business relief program.

Salmat Deyji, 26, of Stockbridge, Ga., was sentenced to 26 months in prison after pleading guilty to Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud and Money Laundering, said Jill E. Steinberg, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. U.S. District Court Judge Lisa Godbey Wood also ordered Deyji to pay $1,073,307 in restitution to the government, and to serve three years of supervised release upon completion of her prison term.

There is no parole in the federal system.

“Congress provided substantial funding to assist struggling small businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic, and unfortunately scam artists found myriad ways to enrich themselves through those funds,” said U.S. Attorney Steinberg. “Salmat Deyji not only helped herself to undeserved assistance, but also profited by conducting fraudulent activity on behalf of others. She’s now being held accountable for this substantial theft.”

The 2020 Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act provided more than $650 billion in funding for qualifying small businesses facing financial challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic, including grants available through the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP).

In her plea agreement, Deyji admitted to filling out and submitting fraudulent PPP loan applications for herself and other individuals, in the Southern District of Georgia and elsewhere, who otherwise did not meet the qualifications for the program. She assisted in filing these applications using fabricated IRS forms and tax records which she created. Her scheme included soliciting information from U.S. Army service members as well as friends and family who she recruited to receive PPP funding in exchange for kickbacks. 

In total, the scheme caused the disbursement of more than $1 million in fraudulent CARES Act grants to more than three dozen applicants. At least six others who participated in the scheme pled guilty to related charges, with sentences ranging from probation to 22 months in prison along with substantial orders of restitution.

“Today’s sentencing should serve as a stark reminder that our agents, and those of our partner law enforcement agencies, are relentless in their pursuit of those who choose to defraud the government,” said Special Agent in Charge Scott Moreland of the Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division, Major Procurement Fraud Field Office.

“Those who illegally utilize government assistance for their own advantage undermine the efficacy and integrity of programs designed to support those who are in need of government aid,” stated Special Agent in Charge Darrin K. Jones, Department of Defense Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), Southeast Field Office. “DCIS and our investigative partners are committed to bringing those who exploit these programs for selfish gain to justice.”

“During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Paycheck Protection Program was enacted by Congress in response to helping businesses who were experiencing economic uncertainty,” said James E. Dorsey, Special Agent in Charge, IRS Criminal Investigation, Atlanta Field Office. “Unfortunately, people like Deyji and her co-conspirators fraudulently applied for and obtained those funds for their personal benefit.  IRS-Criminal Investigation and our law enforcement partners will continue pursuing those who defrauded the government and stole from others in need of economic relief.” 

“The U.S. Secret Service’s investigative collaboration with our law enforcement and prosecutorial partners again demonstrates our commitment to bringing to justice those who choose to exploit the systems created to help those affected by COVID-19 pandemic,” said Craig Reno, Resident Agent in Charge of the Savannah Resident Office of the U.S. Secret Service. “The results of these cases should serve as a deterrent to fraudsters that you will be held accountable to fullest extent of the law.”

Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.

The case was investigated by the Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division, the Defense Criminal Investigative Service, Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigations, and the U.S. Secret Service, and prosecuted for the United States of America by Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew A. Josephson.

DUBLIN, GA:  A Laurens County man who was involved in a now-dismantled drug-trafficking conspiracy has been sentenced to prison, joining the other seven defendants identified in the investigation.

Quaveris Leshaun Mims, a/k/a “Strong,” 51, of Dublin, Ga., was sentenced to 108 months in prison after previously pleading guilty to Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine and Cocaine, said Jill E. Steinberg, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. U.S. District Court Judge Dudley H. Bowen also fined Mims $2,000 and ordered him to serve three years of supervised release upon completion of his prison term.  There is no parole in the federal system.

“A collaborative effort from multiple law enforcement agencies identified and shut down this prolific drug-trafficking network in middle Georgia,” U.S. Attorney Steinberg said. “These eight guilty pleas reflect the continued hard work and dedication of our law enforcement partners to make their communities safer.”

Operation “The Hole” was an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation coordinated by agents of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, along with the Laurens County Sheriff’s Office and the Ocmulgee Drug Task Force. The investigation targeted a drug-trafficking ring moving large quantities of methamphetamine, cocaine, crack cocaine and marijuana into the Laurens County area starting as early as 2017.

The investigation identified a small, secluded cinder-block building called “The Hole” that was being used as the “trap house,” or central distribution site, complete with a retail-like service counter for drug transactions.

During the execution of multiple federal search warrants, agents seized pounds of methamphetamine, cocaine and marijuana, along with two dozen firearms, nearly $37,000 in cash, silver bars with an estimated value of $73,000, devices for pressing bricks of cocaine, pill presses, a stolen vehicle, and two stolen generators with lights. Additional drugs, firearms and cash also were discovered during individual arrests of the eight defendants.

In addition to Mims, the seven co-defendants all are serving federal prison sentences after pleading guilty in the case:

• Rodney Jarrod Denson, a/k/a “RD,” 46, of Dublin, Ga., was sentenced to 262 months in prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy charges. Denson was a drug supplier for other defendants.
• Anthony Michael Denson, 51, of Dublin, Ga., was sentenced to 92 months in prison after pleading guilty to a conspiracy charge. He is the brother of Rodney Denson.
• Nicholas Turner, 27, of East Dublin, Ga., was sentenced to 112 months in prison after pleading guilty to a conspiracy charge.
• Brandon Payne, a/k/a “Tre,” 28, of Dublin, Ga., was sentenced to 121 months in prison after pleading guilty to a conspiracy charge. Payne is a stepson of Rodney Denson.
• Constance Victoria Moore, 36, of McRae-Helena, Ga., was sentenced to 24 months in prison after pleading guilty to a conspiracy charge.
• Zandera Finney, 36, of Warner Robins, Ga., was sentenced to 120 months in prison after pleading guilty to a conspiracy charge.
• Desergio Kates, a/k/a “Serg,” 26, of Dublin, Ga., was sentenced to 14 months in prison after pleading guilty to Possession with Intent to Distribute Marijuana. Kates is a stepson of Rodney Denson.

“The leader of this once-thriving drug trafficking organization has owned up to his crimes and now will pay the price,” said Robert J. Murphy, Special Agent in Charge of the Atlanta Field Division of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration.

Operation The Hole 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 DEA; the Bureau of Alcohol, Firearms, Tobacco and Explosives (ATF); the FBI; the U.S. Postal Inspection Service; the Laurens County Sheriff’s Office; Ocmulgee Drug Task Force; the Twiggs County Sheriff’s Office; the Wilkinson County Sheriff’s Office; the Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office; the Washington County Sheriff’s Office; the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office; and the Warner Robins Police Department, and is being prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Patricia Rhodes, Henry W. Syms Jr. and Jeremiah L. Johnson.

SAVANNAH, GA:  A newly unsealed federal indictment names 15 defendants as part of a major drug trafficking network operating in the greater Savannah area.

The indictment in USA v. Smiley et al., dubbed “Operation Be Real Every Second,” charges all defendants with a drug trafficking conspiracy that carries a statutory maximum penalty of life in prison, said Jill E. Steinberg, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. The indictment was unsealed Wednesday, April 26, in U.S. District Court.

“Working with our law enforcement partners, we are committed to identifying and eradicating the conduits of illegal drugs into our communities,” said U.S. Attorney Steinberg. “This indictment sends a clear message that we will hold accountable those who would profit from distributing deadly and addictive drugs in in the Southern District.”

Initiated as an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces investigation, the indictment in Operation “Be Real Every Second” alleges that from about January 2017 through March 2023, the defendants conspired to distribute large amounts of cocaine, crack cocaine, fentanyl, methamphetamine, and marijuana throughout Chatham County.

Along with drug possession and distribution charges against multiple defendants, all 15 defendants are charged with Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute, and to Distribute, Five Kilograms or More of Cocaine, 28 Grams or More of Crack Cocaine, and a Quantity of Fentanyl, Methamphetamine, and Marijuana. The charge carries a maximum statutory penalty of life in prison.  They include:

• Gregory Smiley, 45, of Savannah, the lead defendant in the case;
• Lena Smiley, 42, of Savannah, Gregory Smiley’s wife;
• James Burton, a/k/a “Muffin,” 48, of Savannah;
• Jason Burton, a/k/a “JB,” 45, of Savannah;
• Charles Tolbert, a/k/a “Charlie Boy,” 42, of Savannah;
• Wilbert Gordon, a/k/a “Slap,” 47, of Savannah;
• Anthony Williams, 49, of Savannah;
• Ebony Coleman, 44, of Savannah;
• Richard Wood, 38, of Savannah;
• Armond Smith, 42, of Savannah;
• Jerome Jenkins, 46, of Pooler, Ga.;
• Robert Jones, 36, of Savannah;
• Leon Brown, 57, of Savannah;
• Shadar Wright, 40, of Garden City, Ga.; and,
• Tywanna Lewis, 46, of Savannah.

Thirteen of the defendants are in custody and are having initial appearance hearings. Armond Smith and Shadar Wright are being sought.

In addition to the conspiracy charge, the 40-count indictment alleges Gregory Smiley, conspiring with Lena Smiley and Tywanna Lewis, used gambling casinos in Nevada and Maryland to illegally launder and conceal profits derived from the conspiracy.  

The indictment also includes a notice of the government’s intent to seek the forfeiture of nearly $200,000 in cash seized during the investigation; three bank accounts registered to the lead defendant; four Savannah residences; and high-end jewelry valued at more than $138,000, including a Rolex watch.

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

The case was investigated under the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF). OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach.

The case is being investigated by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration’s Savanah Resident Office; the Chatham Savannah Counter Narcotics Team; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the Savannah Police Department; the Chatham County Police Department; and the Chatham County Sheriff’s Office, and prosecuted for the United States by Southern District of Georgia Assistant U.S. Attorneys Darron J. Hubbard and OCDETF Coordinator Marcela C. Mateo.

WAYCROSS, GA:  A Lowndes County man who sold cocaine from a Waycross, Ga., residence has been sentenced to more than 10 years in federal prison.

Benjamin Godwin, 36, of Remerton, Ga, was sentenced to 151 months in prison after previously pleading guilty to Distribution of Cocaine, said Jill E. Steinberg, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. The sentence for Godwin is consecutive to a 41-month drug-trafficking sentence in state court in Florida for which Godwin had failed to report to custody, and to any additional time he could be ordered to serve for violating state parole in Georgia. After completion of his prison terms, Godwin must serve three years of federal supervised release, and there is no parole in the federal system.

“Benjamin Godwin’s extensive criminal record makes it clear that a substantial period of incarceration is warranted,” said U.S. Attorney Steinberg. “We hope that the sentence in this case will finally deter him from future criminal conduct and ensure the safety of the community.”

As described in court, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation initiated an investigation in 2021 after identifying Godwin as a drug trafficker in Ware County. The investigation led to his federal indictment in September 2022, and he pled guilty in December 2022 to Distribution of Cocaine.

Godwin, who has multiple prior convictions for drug trafficking, faced an outstanding state warrant after failing to report for incarceration after a methamphetamine trafficking conviction in Hillsborough, Fla., in January 2021. After sentencing in the federal case, U.S. District Court Judge Lisa Godbey Wood ordered Godwin remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.

“Removing this repeat offender from the Waycross, Ga., community will effectively disrupt one of the primary supply chains for cocaine in south Georgia,” said Robert J. Murphy, the Special Agent in Charge of the Atlanta Field Division of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. “This defendant will now spend well-deserved time in prison instead of selling poison in our community.”

“This repeat offender has chosen a life of crime and now must pay the consequences by serving this lengthy sentence,” said Mike Register, Director of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation. “We will continue to work with our federal partners to investigate drug trafficking and make our communities safer.”

 The case was investigated by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, and prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorney Marcela C. Mateo.

STATESBORO, GA:  A South Carolina man who referred to himself and his girlfriend as the “modern-day Bonnie and Clyde” was sentenced to prison after pleading guilty to a scheme in which he used information from stolen mail to steal or attempt to steal more than a million dollars from multiple victims.

Michael H. Boatwright, 33, of Chesterfield, S.C., was sentenced to 150 months in prison after previously pleading guilty to Conspiracy to Commit Mail, Wire, and Bank Fraud, said Jill E. Steinberg, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. U.S. District Court Chief Judge J. Randall Hall also ordered Boatwright to pay $427,131.37 in restitution for actual losses to the victims, and to serve five years of supervised release after completion of his prison term.

Boatwright’s co-defendant, Stephanie Michelle Lea Napier, 29, also of Chesterfield, is serving a 28-month prison term for Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud and must serve three years of supervised release after completion of her prison term.

There is no parole in the federal system.

“These thieves didn’t just steal their victims’ mail; they stole their money, their privacy, and their sense of security,” said U.S. Attorney Steinberg. “They are now being held accountable for their insidious acts.”

As described in court documents and proceedings, Boatwright and Napier called themselves the “Modern Day Bonnie and Clyde” when, in a period from about November 2020 to June 2021, they drove around Georgia, South Carolina, and Florida to steal mail from mailboxes, capturing personal identifying information from the stolen mail, and then using that information to gain access and control of their victims’ bank accounts.

Using that information, the two stole, or attempted to steal, hundreds of thousands of dollars from victims, including those residing in the Statesboro area, with actual and attempted financial losses of more than $1.5 million.

“The sentencing should serve as a warning to those who intend to steal and misuse the U.S. Mail for criminal activity,” said Tommy D. Coke, Inspector in Charge of the Atlanta Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. “This is a great example of how law enforcement partnerships work together across state lines to vigorously investigate and deliver justice to mail thieves.” 

“As evidenced by the length of the prison sentence in this case, fraud is a pernicious crime, especially when it involves identity theft,” said Craig Reno, Resident Agent in Charge of the U.S. Secret Service’s Savannah Resident Office. “The result of this case should serve as a deterrent to those who seek to steal from others and attempt to escape the long arm of the law. The Secret Service, along with its law enforcement partners, is committed to holding these criminals accountable for their fraudulent activities.”

The case is being investigated by the Jacksonville, Fla. and Savannah, Ga. offices of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the U.S. Secret Service, with assistance from the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, the Bulloch County Sheriff’s Office, and the Statesboro Police Department, and prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan C. Grover.

BRUNSWICK, GA:  A former Georgia state prison guard awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to her role in a widespread drug trafficking conspiracy linked to a white supremacist street gang.

Desiree M. Briley, 26, of McRae-Helena, Ga., faces up to 20 years in prison after pleading guilty to Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute, and to Distribute, Methamphetamine, said Jill E. Steinberg, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. Briley was a Georgia state corrections officer with the rank of sergeant when arrested as part of Operation Ghost Busted in January 2023.

“Desiree Briley played a key role in enabling members of the Ghost Face Gangsters to operate a massive drug trafficking operation inside and outside Georgia’s prison system,” said U.S. Attorney Steinberg. “Her actions compromised the security of the facility she was sworn to protect, and threatened the safety of every person in the community where this conspiracy distributed illegal drugs.”

Operation Ghost Busted, announced with the January unsealing of the indictment in USA v. Alvarez, et al., is an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces investigation, led by the FBI Coastal Georgia Violent Gang Task Force, the Glynn County Police Department, the Brunswick Police Department, the Glynn County Sheriff’s Office, and the Camden County Sheriff's Office.

Over a more than two-year period, the investigation identified a sprawling drug trafficking network operating in south Georgia counties including Glynn, Pierce, Camden, Wayne, Treutlen, McIntosh, Toombs, Telfair, Dodge, and Ware. The conspiracy operated inside and outside state prison facilities with assistance from Briley, who worked with an inmate indicted as part of the conspiracy: James D. NeSmith, 25, who currently is serving a life sentence for murder at Telfair State Prison. Including Briley and NeSmith, 76 defendants were indicted on federal charges as part of Operation Ghost Busted.

As noted during her plea hearing before U.S. District Court Judge Lisa Godbey Wood, at the time of her arrest, Briley was attending training to become a canine handler and then would have been in a position to further allow contraband in prisons.

Sentencing for Briley will be scheduled before Judge Wood after completion of a pre-sentence investigation by U.S. Probation Services.

“Briley betrayed the trust placed in her by the Georgia state prison system through her illegal and potentially dangerous activity,” said Keri Farley, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “This extensive investigation proves that the FBI will not tolerate public corruption, especially by fellow law enforcement officials who choose their own personal gains over protecting the people they were sworn to protect.”

“This operation has dismantled a serious criminal enterprise which funneled guns and drugs into our communities,” said ATF Assistant Special Agent in Charge Beau Kolodka “ATF and its law enforcement partners acted quickly and judiciously on information developed during this long investigation. The safety of the public is at the core of ATF’s mission and we stand at the front line eradicating violent crime from our streets.”

“Illegal activity being carried out by prison staff will not be tolerated,” said Georgia Bureau of Investigation Director Michael Register. “This guard is being held accountable for her role in facilitating drug trafficking behind the wire. We are committed to working with our local, state, and federal partners to investigate drug trafficking and smuggling and bring these offenders to justice.”

“We maintain a zero-tolerance policy for individuals who choose to bring discredit to the Georgia Department of Corrections and pose a threat to the safety of the public and the operations of our facilities,” said Tyrone Oliver, Commissioner of the Georgia Department of Corrections. “We appreciate the support of our federal partners in ensuring that justice will be served, and we are proud of our agents who were diligent in working this case to help stop the introduction of dangerous contraband into one of our facilities.”  

The case was investigated under the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF). OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach.

Agencies involved in the investigation include the FBI Coastal Georgia Violent Gang Task Force; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the U.S. Marshals Service; the Georgia Bureau of Investigation; the Georgia Department of Corrections; the Georgia Department of Community Supervision; the Glynn County Police Department; the Brunswick Police Department; and sheriff’s offices from Glynn, Pierce, Camden, Wayne, Treutlen, McIntosh, Toombs, Telfair, Dodge, and Ware counties. The case is being prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jennifer J. Kirkland and Criminal Division Deputy Chief E. Greg Gilluly Jr. 

SAVANNAH, GA: Recent civil actions in federal court have rescued more than 100 dogs from animal fighting operations in multiple locations in the Southern District of Georgia.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Georgia filed three civil forfeiture complaints between September and December 2022 seeking possession of 110 dogs allegedly involved in illegal dog fighting ventures, said Jill E. Steinberg, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. The U.S. Marshals Service (USMS) worked with local law enforcement and the U.S. Department of Agriculture Office of Inspector General (USDA-OIG) to seize the dogs, resulting in a final order of default in each of the complaints. 

“Dog fighting is unacceptable and has no place in this District,” said U.S. Attorney Steinberg. “In addition, animal fighting ventures often entail other forms of illegal activity; this office will continue to work with its law enforcement partners at all levels to investigate and prosecute those who seek to profit off the abuse of helpless animals.”

The complaints include:

Civil Action No.: 5:22-CV-056

In March 2021, the USMS seized 23 dogs from the Ware County Animal Shelter after local animal control officers removed them from 3310 North Street in Waycross, Ga. The dogs were suspected of being involved in dog fighting activities.

Local animal control officers observed that the dogs’ conditions were inconsistent with those of pets, with housing and equipment indicative of a facility for fight training. After USMS took custody of the dogs, an evaluation by a veterinary contractor showed scarring on their faces and bodies, bite marks, and pressure sores, and some tested positive for hookworm. The 23 dogs were forfeited via court order on March 6, 2023.  

Civil Action No.: 2:22-CV-00115

In June 2021, USMS seized 13 dogs from the Long County Animal Shelter after local law enforcement officers removed them from 362 Narcy Stafford Road in Glennville, Ga. These dogs were suspected of being involved in dog fighting activities. 

Local law enforcement officers observed the dogs were kept in housing conditions consistent with an animal-fighting operation, including access to veterinary medicines and training equipment. An evaluation confirmed the condition of the animals was consistent with dog fighting, with fractured teeth, scarring and torn ears. Many of the dogs also were diagnosed with heartworm, hookworm, and/or giardia. These 13 dogs were forfeited via court order on Jan. 23, 2023. 

Civil Action No.: 3:22-CV-177

In May 2022, USMS seized 74 dogs that were suspected of being involved in dog fighting activities, with 47 of the dogs seized from 138 Tucker School Road in Wrightsville, Ga., and 27 of the dogs seized from 236 James Grove Church Road in Wrightsville, Ga. 

Federal agents observed that the dogs were housed in a manner consistent with fighting dogs, with training equipment, veterinary medicines, and pedigrees on site. The dogs had missing teeth and extensive scarring. These 74 dogs were forfeited via court order on April 6, 2023.

After taking the 110 dogs into custody, the USMS contracted with various veterinary service providers for care and rehabilitation of the dogs in preparation for sending the adoptable dogs to local animal shelters for adoption. Where relevant, the U.S. Attorney’s Office may pursue criminal action related to the seizures.   

“The United States Department of Agriculture, Office of Inspector General, Investigations, actively investigates allegations of animal abuse,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Salina Walker for USDA-OIG. “This agency has made animal fighting a high priority in order to demonstrate that these blatant acts of cruelty to animals will not be tolerated. We would like to acknowledge the agents and supporting law enforcement agencies for their relentless efforts in pursing individuals engaged in these activities. We would also like to thank the United States Attorney’s Office for aggressively prosecuting perpetrators of animal fighting.”

Under the federal Animal Welfare Act, it is a felony to fight dogs or to possess, train, sell, buy, deliver, receive, or transport them for that purpose, and violation of the law carries a statutory penalty of up to five years in prison. The statute further authorizes the seizure and forfeiture of animals involved in dog fighting and empowers the government to recover the costs for care of the animals from the dogs’ owners.

The cases were investigated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture Office of Inspector General and Special Agent Doug Bridges, with assistance from the U.S. Marshals Service and local law enforcement agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Shannon Heath Statkus, U.S. Department of Justice Environmental and Natural Resources Division Senior Trial Attorney Mary Hollingsworth and Attorney Lucy Chiu pursued the forfeiture of the dogs on behalf of the United States, with assistance from Southern District of Georgia Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica K. Rock, Animal Crimes Prosecutor for the Prosecuting Attorneys Council of Georgia.  

AUGUSTA, GA:  A Columbia County man has been sentenced to nearly eight years in prison after pleading guilty to possession of child pornography.

Robert James Thompson, 35, of Grovetown, was sentenced to 90 months in prison after previously pleading guilty to Possession of Child Pornography, said Jill E. Steinberg, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. U.S. District Court Chief Judge J. Randal Hall also ordered Thompson to pay $8,000 in restitution to victims, to register as a sex offender, and to serve 15 years of supervised release upon completion of his prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.

“The safety of our community demands that predators like Thompson be identified and taken off the streets,” said U.S. Attorney Steinberg. “With our law enforcement partners, we will be diligent in protecting our most vulnerable citizens.”

As described in court documents and testimony, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children shared a cybertip with the FBI indicating the online presence of multiple electronic images depicting sexual exploitation of children.

FBI agents conducted a search of Thompson’s electronic devices in July 2022 and found dozens of images of child pornography. Thompson was on felony probation for a state burglary conviction at the time of his arrest.

“Child pornography is abuse of society’s most vulnerable population. It is also a second victimization for a child who has already been traumatized,” said Keri Farley, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “The FBI remains committed to protecting our children and is thankful for the law enforcement partnerships that make it possible to stop people like Thompson from victimizing anyone else.”

The case was investigated by the FBI, and prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeremiah L. Johnson.

Anyone with information on suspected child sexual exploitation can contact the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children at 800-843-5678, or https://report.cybertip.org/.

SAVANNAH, GA:  The last of five defendants in a two-state drug trafficking organization awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to felony charges in federal Court.

Jaqueline Somesso, 55, of Savannah, faces a statutory sentence of up to 30 years in prison after pleading guilty to an Information charging her with Misprision of a Felony and one count of Bank Fraud, said Jill E. Steinberg, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. The guilty plea acknowledges Somesso is responsible for using fake bank statements to illegally receive COVID-19 relief funding of nearly $600,000. After completion of any prison term, Somesso will be required to serve up to three years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.

“The exceptional work of our law enforcement partners identified and dismantled this operation that poured illegal drugs into our communities while also ripping off the American taxpayer,” said U.S. Attorney Steinberg. “The five guilty pleas in this case stand testament to the strength of the prosecution painstakingly built through collaboration with our office.”

The guilty pleas in USA v. Kinchen, et al., are the result of “Operation All Eyes On Me,” an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces investigation that identified traffickers distributing cocaine, crack cocaine, methamphetamine, heroin and marijuana in middle and south Georgia and in Florida. The 15-count indictment, unsealed in August 2022, named five defendants identified through a series of controlled purchases, phone surveillance and searches of multiple properties conducted by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and agents from the Savannah-Chatham Counter Narcotics Team.

In addition to Somesso, the defendants include:

• Dennis Rodriguez Kinchen, 44, of Dublin, Ga., awaiting sentencing after pleading guilty in December 2022 to Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute, and to Distribute, 500 Grams or More of Cocaine, and an Amount of Methamphetamine, Heroin, and Marijuana; and Conspiracy to Commit Money Laundering. Kinchen, identified as a source of the drugs distributed through the conspiracy, faces a statutory sentence of up to 40 years in prison. As part of his guilty plea, he agreed to forfeit an Atlanta condominium purchased with proceeds received through the conspiracy, which also included wire fraud in misuse of more than $300,000 in Small Business Administration COVID Economic Injury Disaster Fund loans comingled with illicit proceeds of drug trafficking. Kinchen was identified as the boyfriend of Somesso, who admitted she knew that he kept illegal firearms and drugs at her residence.
• Sherman Levon Scott, 54, of Pooler Ga., awaits sentencing after pleading guilty in March 2023 to Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute, and to Distribute, Cocaine, Crack Cocaine, and Marijuana. The investigation identified Scott as a distributor in the drug trafficking conspiracy, and a Jan. 29, 2022 law enforcement search of his residence yielded a kilo of cocaine, 3 pounds of marijuana, crack cocaine, and cash. Scott’s plea subjects him to a statutory penalty of up to 20 years in prison.
• Angel Amaral, 56, of Hollywood, Fla., awaits sentencing after pleading guilty in January 2023 to Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute, and to Distribute, Cocaine. Identified during the investigation as a source of cocaine for the drug trafficking conspiracy in Florida, Amaral faces a statutory penalty of up to 20 years in prison.
• Tony Heldore, 52, of Richmond Hill, Ga., awaits sentencing after pleading guilty in March 2023 to Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute, and to Distribute, Cocaine and Marijuana. Identified as a marijuana supplier to the conspiracy, Heldore faces a statutory penalty of up to 20 years in prison. Heldore was an employee of Somesso, working at Karma Entertainment and Lux Gentlemen’s Club in Hardeeville, S.C.

The government is seeking forfeiture of nearly $900,000 in funds from the conspiracy. Sentencings for Scott and Heldore are scheduled for Aug. 10, 2023, in U.S. District Court in Savannah before U.S. District Court Judge R. Stan Baker. Sentencings for the other defendants will be scheduled after completion of pre-sentence investigations by U.S. Probation Services.

“Operation ‘All Eyes On Me’ was a tremendous success as it brought down a once-thriving drug trafficking organization,” said Robert J. Murphy, the Special Agent in Charge of the Atlanta Field Division of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. “This criminal organization has reached its final chapter, and its members face well-deserved time in prison.”

The case was investigated under the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF). OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach.

Operation All Eyes On Me was investigated by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration’s Savannah District Office and the Savannah-Chatham Counter Narcotics Team, with assistance from the DEA Miami Field Division, the Internal Revenue Service and U.S. Secret Service, and prosecuted for the United States of America by Southern District of Georgia Assistant U.S. Attorney and OCDETF Coordinator Marcela C. Mateo.

BRUNSWICK, GA.: An illegal alien who participated a multi-million-dollar scheme to fraudulently employ undocumented workers, then murdered a whistleblower who attempted to expose the scheme, has been sentenced to life in prison.

Juan Rangel-Rubio, 46, of Rincon, a citizen of Mexico, was sentenced to life in prison for his role in the 2017 execution-style murder of Eliud Montoya, a United States citizen who reported Rangel-Rubio’s illegal activities to the federal government, said Jill E. Steinberg, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. U.S. District Court Judge Lisa Godbey Wood also ordered Rangel-Rubio to pay $1,351,217.05 in restitution. 

“Eliud Montoya was murdered for doing the right thing and revealing Juan Rangel-Rubio’s scheme to profit off his use of undocumented workers,” said U.S. Attorney Steinberg. “As a result of the diligent efforts of our law enforcement partners, Juan Rangel-Rubio will be held accountable for his despicable crimes.”

In October 2022, Rangel-Rubio was found guilty after a five-day trial in U.S. District Court of Conspiracy to Retaliate Against a Witness; Conspiracy to Kill a Witness; Conspiracy to Conceal, Harbor and Shield Illegal Aliens; and Money Laundering Conspiracy.

Two co-defendants are serving prison terms for their roles in the conspiracy. Rangel-Rubio’s brother, Pablo Rangel-Rubio, 53, of Rincon, was sentenced to 584 months in prison after pleading guilty to Conspiracy to Conceal, Harbor and Shield Illegal Aliens; Money Laundering Conspiracy; three counts of Money Laundering Transactions Over $10,000; and Aiding and Abetting Retaliation Against a Witness.   Higinio Perez-Bravo, 52, of Savannah, was sentenced to 240 months in prison after pleading guilty to Conspiracy to Commit Murder for Hire. Both men are citizens of Mexico illegally present in the United States and will be subject to deportation after completing their prison terms. There is no parole in the federal system.

Four other defendants were sentenced to prison terms of up to 24 months for charges related to the investigation, including conspiracy and illegal firearms possession.

As reflected in court records and evidence presented at trial, Pablo Rangel-Rubio worked as a supervisor at Wolf Tree, a contract company that performed tree-cutting services on utility rights-of-way. He and his brother hired illegal aliens to work for the company, then routed the workers paychecks to their own bank accounts where they skimmed a portion of the pay for themselves. They also created fake employee accounts and directed that pay to themselves. As a result of this scheme, the conspirators netted more than $3.5 million. 

Montoya saw his colleagues being mistreated and complained to the company and to the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. After Montoya blew the whistle on the scheme, Pablo Rangel-Rubio arranged for Montoya’s murder by paying Perez-Bravo for the use of his vehicles and to act as the getaway driver when Juan Rangel-Rubio shot Montoya to death outside Montoya’s home. 

“This sentence means that the consequences of Rangel-Rubio’s actions have caught up with him and he will no longer be able to hurt anyone,” said Special Agent in Charge Katrina W. Berger, who oversees Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) operations in Georgia and Alabama. “I am proud of the work that our great law enforcement partners did to successfully close this case and the great work that they do to protect our communities.”

The investigation was led by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the FBI, the U.S. Marshals Service, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI), the Garden City Police Department, the Effingham County Sheriff’s Office, and the Chatham County Sheriff’s Office, and prosecuted for the United States by Southern District of Georgia Assistant U.S. Attorneys, including Tania D. Groover.

SAVANNAH, GA: Five defendants are among those facing federal charges including illegal possession of firearms after separate indictments by a grand jury in the Southern District of Georgia, while recent actions in U.S. District Court include guilty pleas and criminal sentences related to illegal gun possession. 

The indicted cases are being investigated as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods in collaboration with federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, including the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the FBI, to reduce violent crime with measures that include targeting convicted felons who illegally carry guns.

“Individuals who are convicted of felonies are prohibited from possessing guns,” said Jill E. Steinberg, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. “With our law enforcement partners, we will continue to protect the safety of our communities by identifying and removing these repeat offenders.”   

In the past four years, more than 820 defendants have been federally charged in the Southern District of Georgia for illegal firearms offenses – most often for possessing a firearm after conviction for a previous felony. That charge carries a statutory penalty of up to 15 years in prison, and there is no parole in the federal system.

Defendants named in federal indictments from the April 2023 term of the U.S. District Court grand jury include:

• Wesley Rosenberg, 24, of Ludowici, Ga., charged with Engaging in the Firearms Business Without a License, and two counts of Transfer of a Firearm in Violation of the National Firearms Act. The indictments allege Rosenberg unlawfully imported and sold firearm silencers.
• Tyrell Smith, 32, of Savannah, charged with Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon;
• Herman Lamont Dessasure, 30, of Statesboro, Ga., charged with Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon;
• Dustin Shane Webster, 30, of Augusta, charged with Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon; and,
• Joquan K. Clark, 25, of Waynesboro, Ga., charged with Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon.

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

Additional defendants recently have been adjudicated on federal charges that include illegal firearms possession:

• Maurice Brown, 21, of Savannah, was sentenced to 21 months in prison after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. In July 2022, Brown sped away from an attempted traffic stop in Savannah by a Georgia State Patrol trooper and later ran from the vehicle. Savannah Police officers found him hiding in a nearby home, and found a pistol under the driver’s seat of the vehicle Brown was driving. Brown was on probation for state charges at the time of his arrest.
• Jeffrey J. Haynes, 30, of Savannah, awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Savannah Police officers arrested Haynes during a June 2021 traffic stop after finding a pistol in his waistband.

Agencies investigating these cases include the ATF, the FBI, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, the Savannah Police Department, the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office, and the Georgia State Patrol.

The cases are being prosecuted for the United States by the Southern District of Georgia U.S. Attorney’s Office.

Under federal law, it is illegal for an individual to possess a firearm if he or she falls into one of nine prohibited categories including being a felon; illegal alien; or unlawful user of a controlled substance. Further, it is unlawful to possess a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense or violent crime. It is also illegal to purchase – or even to attempt to purchase – firearms if the buyer is a prohibited person or illegally purchasing a firearm on behalf of others. Lying on ATF Form 4473, which is used to lawfully purchase a firearm, also is a federal offense. 

For more information from the ATF on the lawful purchasing of firearms, please see: https://www.atf.gov/qa-category/atfw-form-4473

SAVANNAH, GA:  Southern District of Georgia U.S. Attorney Jill E. Steinberg has announced the appointment of Tara M. Lyons as First Assistant U.S. Attorney, effective April 9.

First Assistant U.S. Attorney Lyons currently is the Deputy Criminal Chief and an Assistant U.S. Attorney serving in the Southern District’s Augusta Office and a 20-year veteran prosecutor for the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ).

“Tara’s ability, drive, and passion to advance the DOJ mission makes her a clear choice for an executive role in this District,” U.S. Attorney Steinberg said. “The office will benefit enormously from her exceptional insight, leadership acumen, and depth and breadth of experience.”

A native of New York, Lyons is a graduate of South Carolina State University and the University of South Carolina School of Law. She started her professional career as a law clerk for the Honorable Henry F. Floyd during his service as a South Carolina Circuit Court Judge with the 13th Judicial Circuit of South Carolina, followed by more than three years as a public defender in Richland County, S.C. Lyons joined DOJ in 2003, serving as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the District of South Carolina before transferring to the Southern District of Georgia as a criminal prosecutor.

“I am deeply honored to be chosen to serve in a greater leadership role with the exceptional team in the Southern District U.S. Attorney’s Office,” Lyons said. “It is a humbling experience to fight for justice on behalf of victims in the courtroom, and I am excited to take on a role that allows higher-level advocacy on behalf of all victims served in our judicial circuit.”

In the Southern District of Georgia, Lyons has served as Deputy Chief of the Criminal Division, Project Safe Childhood Coordinator, and Criminal Civil Rights Coordinator. She served as lead counsel in the first federal hate crimes prosecution in the Southern District of Georgia, United States v. McMichael et al., securing a conviction for the murder of Ahmaud Arbery in Brunswick, Ga.

As First Assistant U.S. Attorney, Lyons joins Criminal Division Chief Patricia M. Rhodes and Civil Division Chief Shannon H. Statkus as senior leadership in the Southern District U.S. Attorney’s Office.

U.S. Attorney Steinberg also announced Karl Knoche will remain in the front office of the U.S. Attorney’s Office as Senior Counsel to the U.S. Attorney. Knoche previously served as First Assistant U.S. Attorney, Senior Counsel to the U.S. Attorney, and Criminal Division Chief during his 34-year career at the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Southern District.

BRUNSWICK, GA:  A federal jury deliberated less than an hour before finding a Georgia man guilty on multiple charges for leading a conspiracy to fraudulently obtain more than $1 million in federal COVID-19 pandemic relief funding.

Bernard Okojie, 41, of McDonough, Ga., was found guilty after a three-day trial of Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud, Wire Fraud, and Money Laundering Conspiracy, said Jill E. Steinberg, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. The guilty verdict subjects Okojie to statutory penalties of up to 30 years in prison, along with up to $1 million in financial penalties and up to five years of supervised release after completion of any prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.

“Before the ink was dry on legislation creating the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act, Bernard Okojie was scheming to steal these vital small business safety net funds,” said U.S. Attorney Steinberg. “The guilty verdict slams the door on this fraud, and signals to others stealing from pandemic relief funds that they, too, will be held accountable.”

As described in trial and in court documents, Okojie used information for non-existent companies to file at least 24 fraudulent applications for Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL) and Paycheck Protection Program loans for himself and others from April 2020 through May of 2021, seeking millions of dollars in COVID-19 relief funds for himself and others. Okojie received the funding directly, or was paid by other recipients of the fraudulently obtained funding for his work in submitting the EIDL applications. Okojie then conspired to launder the fraudulent proceeds to hide the source of the funds.

Funds from the more than $1.4 million Okojie and others received through the schemes were used to purchase a home, vehicles, shopping trips to Versace, for personal investments, and a toy poodle. Okojie also was intercepted as he attempted to carry nearly $40,000 in undeclared cash on a plane from Atlanta to Nigeria.

Sentencing before U.S. District Court Judge Lisa Godbey Wood will be scheduled upon completion of a pre-sentence investigation by U.S. Probation Services.

“This verdict should serve notice that the FBI and our federal partners will investigate anyone who misdirects federal emergency assistance earmarked for businesses who need it to stay afloat,” said Keri Farley, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “We won’t tolerate anyone driven by personal greed to pocket American tax payer money that should be going to those in need.”

“Manufacturing false information to wrongfully obtain funds from SBA programs intended for the nation’s small businesses is a theft from taxpayers,” said SBA OIG’s Eastern Region Special Agent in Charge Amaleka McCall-Brathwaite. “OIG and its law enforcement partners will relentlessly pursue fraudsters and bring them to justice. I want to thank the U.S. Attorney’s Office and our law enforcement partners for their dedication and commitment to seeing justice served.”

The case was investigated by the FBI and the Small Business Administration Office of Inspector General, and prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew A. Josephson and Jennifer A. Stanley.

Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.

SAVANNAH, GA:  The former owner of a Savannah pizza franchise has been sentenced to federal prison and ordered to pay restitution for failing to remit more than $400,000 in payroll taxes.

Melissa Metts Johnson, 48, of Statesboro, Ga., was sentenced to 18 months in prison after pleading guilty to Failure to Account for and Pay Over Employment Taxes, said Jill E. Steinberg, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. U.S. District Court Judge R. Stan Baker ordered Johnson to pay restitution of $428,203.48 and to serve one year of supervised release upon completion of her prison term.

There is no parole in the federal system.

“For several years, Melissa Johnson withheld taxes from her employees’ paychecks and kept that money for her own enrichment rather than remit it to the IRS,” said U.S. Attorney Steinberg. “She’s now being held accountable for stealing from the U.S. Treasury at the expense of other law-abiding taxpayers.” 

As described in court documents and testimony, Johnson was the sole owner of LHMS Inc., which operated a franchise of the Mellow Mushroom pizza restaurant in Savannah. In her guilty plea, Johnson acknowledged that her company withheld payments for federal income taxes, Medicare, and Social Security from employees’ paychecks from 2015 through 2019, but then failed to pay all of those taxes to the IRS.

“Altogether,” the plea agreement says, the “LHMS, Inc. to failed to account for and pay over $428,203.48 in payroll taxes.”

“Melissa Johnson’s employees were dedicated over the years, keeping her business running, and she repaid them by stealing their employment taxes,” said James E. Dorsey, Special Agent in Charge, IRS Criminal Investigation, Atlanta Field Office. “Employers have a responsibility to their employees to pay over federal income taxes withheld from their payroll checks to the IRS. IRS Criminal Investigation will continue to investigate dishonest employers who evade their responsibilities and abuse their employees’ trust.”

The case is being investigated by IRS-Criminal Investigation, and prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer J. Kirkland.

SAVANNAH, GA:  A former U.S. Army soldier has been sentenced to 20 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to his role in a plot that led to the stabbing death of a fellow soldier in his Fort Stewart barracks.

Jordan Brown, 23, of St. Marys, Ga., was sentenced to 240 months in prison after previously pleading guilty to Assault Upon a U.S. Servicemember Involving Bodily Injury or a Deadly Weapon, and Retaliation Against a Witness Involving Bodily Injury, said Jill E. Steinberg, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. U.S. District Court Judge R. Stan Baker also ordered Brown to serve three years of supervised release upon completion of his prison term.

There is no parole in the federal system.

Brown’s co-defendant, Byron Booker, 29, of Ludowici, Ga., was sentenced on Feb. 2 to life in prison after previously pleading guilty to Premeditated Murder of a Member of the United States Uniformed Services.

“Both of these defendants are responsible for the brutal murder of a U.S. Army soldier who honorably performed his duties as a service member,” said U.S. Attorney Steinberg. “The final sentence in this case hopefully provides justice for Specialist Austin Hawk, and holds his killers accountable.”

As described in court testimony and in the plea agreements for the defendants, Brown, a former U.S. Army Private First Class, admitted that he and Booker, a former U.S. Army sergeant, discussed “silencing” Specialist Austin J. Hawk, 21, at Fort Stewart Military Reservation in retaliation for Hawk reporting Brown to U.S. Army leadership for marijuana use. After gaining entry to Hawk’s barracks room shortly after midnight on June 17, 2020, Booker “slashed and stabbed Hawk repeatedly with a sharp-edged weapon.” A medical examiner noted that Hawk received 40 separate stab or slash wounds, many of them that individually would have been fatal, and cut his own hand during the assault.

Hawk’s body was found in his Fort Stewart barracks room the next day. Brown was in his own barracks room on the floor below Hawk’s room during the assault.

“This sentence holds Brown accountable for his actions and brings closure to the victim’s family,” said Rusty Higgason, Assistant Special Agent-in-Charge of the Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division’s Southeast Field Office. “This complex investigation is a great example of the close teamwork among Army CID, the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Laboratory, FBI, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Southern District of Georgia.”

“Brown’s sentence is a direct result of the hard work and persistence put in by the FBI Savannah Resident Agency and our partners at the U.S. Army and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Georgia,” said Keri Farley, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “Hawk’s family and friends will never be rid of the pain this senseless murder has caused them, but hopefully it gives them some sense of resolve to know that justice will be served.”

U.S. Attorney Steinberg commended the work of CID Forensic Science Technicians from Fort Stewart, Fort Bragg, Fort Gordon, and Fort Jackson, and from the analysts with the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Laboratory and the FBI Crime Lab.  

The Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division and the FBI investigated the case, which was prosecuted for the United States by Southern District of Georgia Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jennifer G. Solari and Darron J. Hubbard.

SAVANNAH, GA: Twelve defendants are among those facing federal charges including illegal possession of firearms and drug charges after separate indictments by a grand jury in the Southern District of Georgia, while recent actions in U.S. District Court include guilty pleas and criminal sentences related to illegal gun possession. 

The indicted cases are being investigated as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods in collaboration with federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, including the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the FBI, to reduce violent crime with measures that include targeting convicted felons who illegally carry guns.

“Getting guns out of the hands of criminals is an essential element of the fight against violent crime and the disruption of our neighborhoods,” said Jill E. Steinberg, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. “We commend the hard work of our law enforcement officers as they continue to identify and apprehend those who illegally possess firearms.”   

In the past four years, more than 800 defendants have been federally charged in the Southern District of Georgia for illegal firearms offenses – most often for possessing a firearm after conviction for a previous felony. Federal law increased the maximum penalty for illegal possession of a firearm by a convicted felon to 15 years, up from 10, for those found in possession after June 25, 2022.

Defendants named in federal indictments from the March 2023 term of the U.S. District Court grand jury include:

• Jovonn Courtney Stokes, 26, of Springfield, Ga., charged with three counts of Interference with Commerce by Robbery and three counts of Possession of a Firearm During a Crime of Violence for a string of armed robberies of Chatham County convenience stores in November and December 2022.
• Stacey Vincent, 45, and Felicia Sherrod, 54, both of Douglas, Ga., each charged with Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute, and to Distribute, 50 Grams or More of Methamphetamine, and Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine. Vincent also is charged with Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon.
• Tavarres L. Freeman Jr., 22, of Augusta, charged with Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon.
• Todd Joseph Harbuck, 47, of Augusta, charged with Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon, and Possession of a Stolen Firearm.
• Daquan Minor, 32, of Savannah, charged with Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon.
• Calvin Polite, 35, of Savannah, charged with Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon.
• Arthur Singleton, 46, of Savannah, charged with Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon, and Possession of Ammunition by a Convicted Felon.
• Desirae Heinsler, 37, of Eastman, Ga., charged with six counts of making false statements during the purchase of firearms.
• Stephan DeWaine Jackson, 27, of Brunswick, Ga., charged with Possession with Intent to Distribute Crack; Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime; and Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon.
• Alvin York, 47, of Swainsboro, Ga., charged with Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon.
• Kenneth Oliver Riley, 60, of Savannah, charged with Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon.

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

Additional defendants recently have been adjudicated on federal charges that include illegal firearms possession:

• Seth Patrick Anderson, a/k/a “Shane Anderson,” a/k/a “AB,” 37, of Hinesville, Ga., was sentenced to 63 months in prison after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Long County sheriff’s deputies arrested Anderson in October 2021 at a license checkpoint after finding a pistol in the vehicle he was driving. Anderson is a member of the Aryan Brotherhood white supremacist street gang.
• Reginald DeMarco Smith, a/k/a “Gunslinger,” 49, of Augusta, was sentenced to 60 months in prison and fined $2,500 after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime. Smith sped away from an attempted traffic stop in February 2021 by a Richmond County Sheriff’s deputy, then abandoned his vehicle and ran into the woods. Investigators found a loaded pistol, a significant amount of drugs, and more than $18,000 in cash at the scene, and Smith was located and arrested nine months later. Smith has multiple prior felony convictions for drug trafficking offenses and was on federal supervised release at the time of his arrest.
• Diallow Akpan Johnson, a/k/a “Kevin Williams,” 50, of Savannah, was sentenced to 60 months in prison after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime. Savannah Police officers were called to Johnson’s apartment in January 2021 to investigate a report of domestic violence and found a pistol and drugs in the residence.
• Tareem Burgess, 39, of Hephzibah, Ga., was sentenced to 60 months in prison and fined $1,500 after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Richmond County Sheriff’s deputies arrested Burgess after a traffic stop in August 2020 when they found a pistol in his vehicle. Burgess has prior convictions for robbery and family violence.
• Dwight Eady, 40, of Milan, Ga., was sentenced to 54 months in prison after pleading guilty to Possession of Ammunition by a Convicted Felon. Eady was arrested in September 2020 after running from a Georgia State Patrol traffic stop in Telfair County. Telfair County Sheriff’s deputies and a Georgia Department of Natural Resources warden later found Eady in a wooded area, along with drugs, ammunition and a semi-automatic pistol. Eady has prior federal and state felony convictions for drug trafficking.
• Rondell Smith, a/k/a “Rondal Smith,” 27, of Hephzibah, was sentenced to 42 months in prison and fined $1,500 after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Richmond County Sheriff’s deputies arrested Smith in February 2022 after finding a pistol in his vehicle during a traffic stop. At the time of his arrest, Smith was on supervised release from a 2017 federal conviction for Possession of a Stolen Firearm.
• Joshua Jerome Russell, 27, of Swainsboro, Ga., was sentenced to 13 months in prison after pleading guilty to Discharging a Firearm in a School Zone. A Johnson County Sheriff’s office investigator arrested Russell in August 2022 after seeing Russell exit his vehicle at a Johnson County High School football game, point a pistol in the air and fire multiple times, causing a panic at the stadium. 
• Amir Dontell Foreman, 27, of Augusta, awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Richmond County Sheriff’s deputies arrested Foreman in August 2022 after finding a pistol in his vehicle during a traffic stop as part of Operation Grace.
• Kevon Quantae Davis, 23, of Augusta, awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Richmond County Sheriff’s deputies arrested Davis in January 2022 as part of Operation Grace, a gang-focused investigation in coordination with the FBI. A member of the Bolt Alley Drive Boyz street gang, Davis dropped a pistol while running on foot from deputies.
• Reco Casey, a/k/a “Rico,” 33, of Augusta, awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. In September 2021, Richmond County Sheriff’s deputies found a pistol in the vehicle where Casey was a passenger. Casey was on state felony probation at the time of his arrest.
• Nicholas Robinson, 22, of Savannah, awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Savannah Police officers arrested Robinson in March 2022 after finding two pistols in Robinson’s pockets while investigating a domestic disturbance at a motel.
• Ricky Maurice Johnson, 35, of Swainsboro, Ga., awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Johnson was arrested in June 2022 after a car and foot chase by Georgia State Patrol troopers and Savannah Police officers.
• Kenneth Sallen, 42, of Savannah, awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Sallen was arrested in July 2022 when Pooler Police officers found a pistol in Sallen’s waistband during a traffic stop. Sallen previously was convicted of armed robbery and was on probation for a firearms charge at the time of his arrest.

• Taipai La’Don Brewer, 43, of Augusta, awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Richmond County Sheriff’s deputies arrested Brewer in July 2022 after finding a pistol and drugs in his car during a traffic stop as part of the Operation Grace investigation of gang-related crimes in the Augusta area.

• Terrance Webster Dunn, 32, of Augusta, awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. A previously convicted felon, Dunn was arrested in October 2022 when Richmond County Sheriff’s deputies found him riding a bike in a shopping center parking lot, taking photos of himself with a pistol in his waistband.  

Agencies investigating these cases include the ATF, the FBI, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, the Savannah Police Department, the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office, and the Georgia State Patrol.

The cases are being prosecuted for the United States by the Southern District of Georgia U.S. Attorney’s Office.

Under federal law, it is illegal for an individual to possess a firearm if he or she falls into one of nine prohibited categories including being a felon; illegal alien; or unlawful user of a controlled substance. Further, it is unlawful to possess a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense or violent crime. It is also illegal to purchase – or even to attempt to purchase – firearms if the buyer is a prohibited person or illegally purchasing a firearm on behalf of others. Lying on ATF Form 4473, which is used to lawfully purchase a firearm, also is a federal offense. 

For more information from the ATF on the lawful purchasing of firearms, please see: https://www.atf.gov/qa-category/atfw-form-4473

SAVANNAH, GA:  A Bryan County man could face decades in federal prison for trafficking fentanyl.

Javarus McKinney, a/k/a “Jody,” 34, of Richmond Hill, Ga., was convicted after a four-day trial on charges of Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute, and to Distribute, Fentanyl; Possession with Intent to Distribute and Distribution of Fentanyl; and Possession with Intent to Distribute and Distribution of Fentanyl in or Near Schools, said Jill E. Steinberg, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. The charges carry a statutory penalty of up to 60 years in prison, followed by a substantial period of supervised release.

There is no parole in the federal system.

The jury acquitted McKinney on enhanced charges related to the death of an overdose victim.

“Fentanyl is addictive, pervasive, and deadly, and drug traffickers like McKinney help fuel this national crisis,” said U.S. Attorney Steinberg. “Now convicted, he will be held accountable.”  

As described in court documents and testimony, Richmond Hill Police officers initiated an investigation Aug. 12, 2020, after a male victim was found dead in a residential pool. An autopsy indicated the man had a fatal dose of fentanyl in his system at the time of death. Additional investigation identified McKinney as a Richmond Hill-area distributor of counterfeit pills containing fentanyl, in addition to marijuana and THC products.

U.S. District Court Judge R. Stan Baker will schedule sentencing following the completion of a pre-sentence investigation by U.S. Probation Services.

“The poisonous fentanyl continues to flow into communities at the expense of too many lives,” said Robert J. Murphy, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Division.  “This trafficker must now face the consequences of his actions.”

The case was investigated by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, the Chatham-Savannah Counter Narcotics Team, and the Richmond Hill Police Department, and prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Darron J. Hubbard and Frank M. Pennington II.

WAYCROSS, GA:  The leader of a south Georgia fentanyl- and heroin-trafficking operation linked to drug overdose deaths has been sentenced to more than 20 years in federal prison.

Eric Lashawn Hayes, a/k/a “Pee Wee,” 39, of Blackshear, Ga., was sentenced to 262 months in prison after previously pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime, and Possession of Fentanyl with Intent to Distribute, said Jill E. Steinberg, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. U.S. District Court Judge Lisa Godbey Wood also ordered Hayes to serve eight years of supervised release upon completion of his prison term.

There is no parole in the federal system.

“The investigation of Eric Hayes and his co-conspirators – including his three brothers – exposes the horrors of the growing fentanyl menace in the United States,” said U.S. Attorney Steinberg “An alarming number of overdoses and deaths drew attention to these drug dealers, and they are being held accountable for distributing poison throughout the Waycross area.”

Hayes was one of six defendants named in February 2021 in U.S.A. v. Hayes, et. al, an indictment targeting a drug distribution network in the greater Waycross area. The Pierce and Ware County Sheriff’s Offices initiated the investigation in July 2020 after multiple drug overdoses attributed to heroin and fentanyl, including three deaths. The Savannah Office of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration joined the investigation, which identified Hayes as a source of supply for the illegal drugs.

The investigation culminated in the indictments of the six defendants, all of whom have been sentenced after pleading guilty to felony charges. They include:

• Cyrlus LaShawn Hayes, a/k/a “Dubo,” 45, of Waycross, Ga., a brother of Eric Hayes, serving 120 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute, and to Distribute, Fentanyl and Heroin;
• Davey Green, a/k/a “Little Dave,” 35, of Waycross, Ga., half-brother of Eric Hayes, sentenced to 58 months in prison after pleading guilty to Distribution of Fentanyl;
• Renalba Jamar Green, a/k/a “Reno,” 35, of Waycross, Ga., another half-brother, sentenced to 24 months in prison for using a cell phone to conduct illegal drug trafficking activity;
• Crystal Champagne, 34, of Waycross, Ga., serving 30 months in prison after pleading guilty to Distribution of Fentanyl; and,
• Preston Connor Luke, 27, of Blackshear, Ga., sentenced to three years’ probation for Distribution of Fentanyl.

“Fentanyl is 50 to 100 times more potent than morphine and 30 to 50 times more potent than heroin – the combination of these deadly substances has claimed many lives,” said Robert J. Murphy, the Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Field Division. “Because of the efforts of federal, state and local law enforcement, these defendants can no longer distribute these dangerous and potentially deadly substances.”

The case was investigated by the Savannah Office of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, the Ware County Sheriff’s Office, the Pierce County Sheriff’s Office, and the Blackshear Police Department, with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the U.S. Marshals Service, and prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorney Frank M. Pennington II.

21-23

DUBLIN, GA:  The final defendant from a Laurens County methamphetamine trafficking ring has been sentenced to prison, wrapping up an operation that dismantled a major middle Georgia drug conspiracy and took more than 75 illegally possessed firearms off the streets.

Robert Anthony Justice, 40, of Chester, Ga., was sentenced to 21 months in prison after previously pleading guilty to using a cell phone to conduct illegal drug trafficking activity, said Jill E. Steinberg, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. With Justice’s plea, 25 of 30 indicted defendants in Operation Monroe Doctrine have been sentenced after pleading guilty to felony charges related to the conspiracy, and four defendants entered Pre-Trial Diversion. One defendant passed away during the pendency of the case.

“Whether it’s in big cities or small towns, methamphetamine and other dangerous drugs fuel an addiction crisis that generates crime and misery,” said U.S. Attorney Steinberg. “Operation Monroe Doctrine demonstrates the success of law enforcement agencies working together to protect these communities.”

The July 2021 indictment of 30 defendants in USA v. Monroe et. al, dubbed Operation Monroe Doctrine, was the culmination of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation that identified a methamphetamine trafficking conspiracy throughout Laurens and Telfair counties and beyond, operating from at least January 2020 through January 2021.

As described in court documents and testimony, the defendants coordinated to import and distribute illegal drugs throughout the greater Dublin and Laurens County community. Key sentences in the operation include:

• David Alex Monroe, 34, of Dexter, Ga., the leader of the conspiracy, is serving 84 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and to Distribute Methamphetamine. As part of his plea agreement, Monroe forfeited a machine gun, an illegal short-barrel rifle, and two silencers, and abandoned his interest in 54 additional firearms.
• Jorge Hernandez-Pena, 48, of Atlanta, Ga., the conspiracy’s source of supply, is serving 240 months in prison, followed by deportation, after pleading guilty to Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and to Distribute Methamphetamine.
• Fredi Ramirez-Garcia, 44, of Decatur, Ga., another of the conspiracy’s drug distributors, is serving 120 months in prison, followed by deportation, after pleading guilty to Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine and Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime.
• David Kates, 48, a Jamaican citizen, is serving 108 months in prison, followed by deportation, after pleading guilty to Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and to Distribute Methamphetamine.
• Christopher Forbes, 33, of Dublin, Ga., is serving 97 months in prison after pleading guilty to Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and to Distribute Methamphetamine. As part of his plea agreement, Forbes forfeited his interest in 21 firearms and two silencers.
• Carl Davis, 50, of Jacksonville, Fla., is serving 88 months in prison after pleading guilty to Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and to Distribute Methamphetamine.

“Prior to the people of Laurens County electing me as sheriff, I promised I would work hard to eliminate the dangerous drug dealers from our community,” said Laurens County Sheriff Larry Dean. “I have and will continue to do so. My deputies will continue to work with other agencies on the local, state and federal level to ensure strong, swift convictions to the ones who choose to peddle dope here. My hat goes off to everyone who had a role in this case, from my staff all the way to the DEA and the U.S. Attorney's Office. I thank you all.”

“The insidious drug methamphetamine destroys families and communities,” said Robert J. Murphy, the Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Field Division. “DEA and its law enforcement partners are committed to protect and serve those communities. This investigation was a success because of the collective effort between DEA, and its local, state and federal law enforcement counterparts.”

“There is no initiative more critical to ATF than increasing the safety of our communities. Cases which result in the arrests and prosecution of criminals are fundamental to continuing this initiative while simultaneously shows criminals that ATF and its law enforcement partners will not falter in this mission.” said Beau Kolodka, Assistant Special Agent in Charge of the Atlanta Field Office of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. “We will pursue criminals such as these wherever they may operate, and they will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”

The case was investigated under the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF). OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States, using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach.

The case was investigated by the Laurens County Sheriff’s Office and the Ocmulgee Drug Task Force, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorneys John P. Harper III, Frank M. Pennington II, and Southern District of Georgia OCDETF Coordinator Marcela C. Mateo.

AUGUSTA, GA:  Two Richmond County men have been sentenced to federal prison for a December 2021 shootout that narrowly missed a U.S. Postal Service driver while damaging her vehicle.

Corii Arkeem Bussey, 32, and Darnell Dwight Brown, 30, both of Augusta, were sentenced to federal prison after pleading guilty to felony charges following the gunfight outside an Augusta convenience store, said Jill E. Steinberg, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. U.S. District Court Judge Dudley H. Bowen sentenced Bussey to 48 months in prison for Assaulting, Resisting, or Impeding a Federal Employee, and sentenced Brown to 48 months in prison for Possession of a Firearm by a User of Illegal Drugs. Judge Bowen also fined each defendant $1,500, and ordered them to serve three years of supervised release after completion of their prison terms. There is no parole in the federal system.

“It’s exceptionally fortunate that no one was wounded by this inexcusably reckless exchange of gunfire in broad daylight,” said U.S. Attorney Steinberg. “The community will be safer with these gun-carrying criminals off the streets.”

As described in court documents and testimony, Bussey and Brown encountered each other while shopping at an Augusta discount store on Dec. 9, 2021 and had what a witness described as a “nonverbal disagreement” that ended with Bussey brandishing a firearm.

A short time later, the two again encountered each other at an Augusta convenience store where they parked on either side of a U.S. Postal Service delivery truck. Each man produced a semiautomatic pistol and began firing, with bullets striking the Postal Service vehicle as the postal employee lay on the floorboard for safety. Bullets also struck Brown’s vehicle and a nearby tire store while missing each shooter, the postal carrier, and other customers at the convenience store. Investigators later recovered 18 shell casings at the site.

Both men left the scene. Richmond County Sheriff’s Office investigators later arrested Brown at the residence of a relative, while Bussey surrendered to U.S. Marshals in August 2022.

“We are grateful for the collaborative investigative work performed by our law enforcement partners and the U.S. Attorney’s Office,” said Tommy D. Coke, Inspector in Charge of the Atlanta Division. “One of the top priorities of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service is to protect postal employees while they are in the performance of their federal duties. The reckless behavior and poor judgement exercised by these two individuals have resulted in their sentence to serve time behind bars and they will be unable to endanger or harm any other people.”

The case was investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office with assistance from the U.S. Marshals Service, and prosecuted for the United States by Southern District of Georgia Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer A. Stanley.

AUGUSTA, GA:  A Columbia County man has been sentenced to federal prison for creating and possessing images depicting the sexual exploitation of a child.

Michael Benjamin Buckner, 39, of Grovetown, Ga., was sentenced to 15 years in prison after previously pleading guilty to Attempted Production of Child Pornography, said Jill E. Steinberg, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. U.S. District Court Judge Dudley H. Bowen also fined Buckner $3,500, ordered him to register as a sex offender and to serve 15 years of supervised release upon completion of his prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.

“Investigations and prosecutions of predators continue to be a priority in our efforts to protect the most vulnerable among us,” said U.S. Attorney Steinberg. “We commend our law enforcement partners for their vigilance in following the evidence to hold Michael Buckner accountable.”

As described in court documents and testimony, investigators from the Grovetown Department of Public Safety arrested Buckner and his wife, Amber Buckner, 37, in October 2021 on a state charge of cruelty to children after they were alerted by officers from the Columbia County Board of Education Police. In a subsequent search of the contents of Michael Buckner’s cell phone, investigators and FBI agents discovered photos depicting sexually explicit images of children.

In addition to his federal sentence, Michael Buckner also faces state prosecution for cruelty to children. Amber Buckner is serving a 10-year prison sentence after pleading guilty in December 2022 to a state charge of cruelty to children.

“Our community and its children are much safer with this lengthy prison sentence handed down to Buckner,” said Keri Farley, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “We strive every day to protect our children and will continue to use every law enforcement resource available to identify and prosecute individuals who exploit children in such a manner.”

The case was investigated by the FBI, the Grovetown Department of Public Safety, and the Columbia County Board of Education Police Department, and prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorney and Project Safe Childhood Coordinator Tara M. Lyons, Deputy Chief of the Criminal Division of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Georgia.

Anyone with information on suspected child sexual exploitation can contact the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children at 800-843-5678, or https://report.cybertip.org/.

U.S. District Court Chief Judge J. Randal Hall administers the oath of office to Southern District of Georgia U.S. Attorney Jill E. Steinberg on Wednesday, Feb. 22, 2023, in the Federal Courthouse in Augusta, Ga., observed by U.S. District Court Judge Dudley H. Bowen.

SAVANNAH, GA:  Jill E. Steinberg has been sworn in as the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. U.S. District Court Chief Judge J. Randal Hall administered the oath on February 22, 2023. President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. nominated Steinberg to be U.S. Attorney on October 19, 2022, and the U.S. Senate confirmed her nomination on February 16, 2023.

“I am incredibly honored to serve as the United States Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia,” said U.S. Attorney Steinberg. “I look forward to working with the outstanding attorneys and staff in the U.S. Attorney’s Office, our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners, and members of the community to serve the citizens of the district.”

Steinberg has been a partner at Ballard Spahr LLP in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, since 2021. From 2008 to 2014, and from 2016 to 2021, she served the citizens of Georgia as an Assistant U.S. Attorney and Deputy Criminal Chief in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia. From 2014 to 2016, Steinberg worked at the Department of Justice in Washington, D.C. where she served as an Attorney Advisor in the National Security Division and then as Associate Deputy Attorney General in the Office of the Deputy Attorney General. From 2001 to 2008, she was an associate at Rogers & Hardin LLP in Atlanta, Georgia.

Steinberg began her legal career as an Assistant District Attorney for the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office from 1998 to 2001. She received her Juris Doctor from Duke University Law School in 1998 and her Bachelor’s degree, summa cum laude, from the University of Georgia in 1995.

As U.S. Attorney, Steinberg is the chief federal law enforcement officer for the Southern District of Georgia, which covers 43 of Georgia’s 159 counties with a population of more than 1.6 million people and includes the cities of Savannah, Augusta, and Brunswick. She leads a team of approximately 70 attorneys and staff in prosecuting federal crimes in the district and defending the United States in civil cases brought in U.S. District Court. Learn more about the district at www.justice.gov/usao-sdga/about-district.

DUBLIN, GA:  A former guard at a private federal corrections facility was sentenced to prison after she admitted to accepting bribes to allow smuggled material into a prison.

Tiffany Fletcher, 36, of McRae, Ga., a former corrections officer and counselor at the privately operated McRae Correctional Facility, was sentenced to 12 months in prison after previously pleading guilty to Bribery, said David H. Estes, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. U.S. District Court Judge Dudley H. Bowen Jr. also fined Fletcher $1,500 and ordered her to serve three years of supervised release upon completion of her prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.

“The illegal smuggling of contraband materials, particularly cell phones, represents a continuing threat to the safety and security of our nation’s correctional facilities,” said U.S. Attorney Estes. “We continue to partner with investigative agencies to combat the flow of contraband material into prisons.”

McRae Correctional Facility, in Telfair County, is operated by the private corrections company CoreCivic and houses male inmates under contract with the federal Bureau of Prisons. From June to December 2019, Fletcher admitted accepting bribes totaling $4,390 in return for “turning a blind eye” to smuggling and possession of contraband in the facility.

“We trust Correctional Officers to keep federal prisons safe and secure.  By accepting bribes and allowing contraband to enter the prison, Fletcher violated that trust and diminished the safety and security of the entire institution,” said James F. Boyersmith, Special Agent in Charge of the Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General Miami Field Office.

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

BRUNSWICK, GA:  A Brantley County man faces up to 20 years in prison after admitting he distributed images of child sexual exploitation.

Gary Kreitzman, 35, of Nahunta, Ga., awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to Distribution of Child Pornography, said David H. Estes. U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. Kreitzman’s guilty plea subjects him to a statutory minimum sentence of five years in prison, up to 20; substantial financial penalties and restitution to victims; a requirement to register as a sex offender; and, at least five years of supervised release, up to life, after completion of his prison sentence.

There is no parole in the federal system.

“Protection of our most vulnerable citizens is vitally important,” said U.S. Attorney Estes. “The vigilance of our law enforcement partners helps ensure our communities are protected from predators like Kreitzman.”

As described in court documents and testimony, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children alerted the Georgia Bureau of Investigation in June 2020 after detecting images of child sexual exploitation uploaded through an online chat application. With assistance from the Brantley County Sheriff’s Office, agents determined the images had been uploaded through an account operated by Kreitzman, and in September 2020 conducted a search of his residence.

During that search, the agents found multiple electronic devices containing images of child sexual activity, and Kreitzman admitted sharing them through the Internet. Pursuant to a federal indictment out of the Southern District of Georgia, the McIntosh County Sheriff’s Office and FBI Brunswick Resident Agency executed the arrest warrant for Kreitzman in September 2022.

Sentencing before U.S. District Court Judge Lisa Godbey Wood will be scheduled upon completion of a pre-sentence investigation by U.S. Probation Services.

“The GBI will continue to work tirelessly to protect innocent victims of online exploitation,” said Michael Register, Director of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation. “We are grateful for the partnerships we maintain with our state and federal agencies to bring these predators to justice.”

“The internet is a very important and useful resource, but unfortunately can also be used for illegal activity as criminals like Kreitzman seek to prey on the most vulnerable of our population,” said FBI Atlanta Special Agent in Charge Keri Farley. “The FBI will continue to aggressively pursue those who seek to victimize children and prosecute those predators to the fullest extent of the law.”

Anyone with information on suspected child sexual exploitation can contact the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children at 800-843-5678, or https://report.cybertip.org/.

The case was investigated by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, the FBI, the Brantley County Sheriff’s Office, and the McIntosh County Sheriff’s Office, and prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorney and Project Safe Childhood Coordinator Tara M. Lyons.

SAVANNAH, GA:  The third defendant in a conspiracy to steal valuable proprietary information from aircraft manufacturers has been found guilty after a three-day trial.

Joseph Pascua, 60, of Escondido, Calif., awaits sentencing after a U.S. District Court jury found him guilty of Conspiracy to Steal Trade Secrets, said David H. Estes, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. Pascua faces a statutory sentence of up to 10 years in prison, along with substantial financial penalties, followed by up to three years of supervised release upon completion of any prison term.

There is no parole in the federal system.

“Manufacturers spend millions of dollars and countless hours of employee work time to research, design and develop unique products,” said U.S. Attorney Estes. “Joseph Pascua and his co-conspirators attempted to shortcut this process by stealing valuable proprietary information to benefit a competitor – and they’re being held accountable for this theft.”

As described at trial, Pascua was one of three defendants who schemed to speed the process for developing and testing an aircraft de-icing design by stealing proprietary information from an aircraft manufacturer. They planned to profit by using stolen information to expedite Federal Aviation Administration certification, and then selling the design to a competing aircraft company.

The three originally were indicted by a federal grand jury in May 2019; Pascua’s case initially was dismissed and he was indicted separately in November 2021. He was found guilty by a jury after a three-day trial in Savannah before U.S. District Court Judge R. Stan Baker, and now awaits sentencing upon completion of a pre-sentencing investigation by U.S. Probation Services.

Co-defendant Gilbert Basuldua, 63, of Hilton Head, S.C., is serving an 80-month sentence after pleading guilty to Conspiracy to Steal Trade Secrets and Interstate Transportation of Stolen Property, while Craig German, 60, of Kernersville, N.C., is serving a total of 90 months in prison after pleading guilty to Conspiracy to Steal Trade Secrets, and later being found guilty by a jury on charges of Perjury and False Statements to a Government Agency for lying during his initial sentencing hearing.

“The FBI is committed to identifying and prosecuting those who engage in illegal and deceptive practices to steal trade secrets and protected information from companies who spend millions of dollars to develop it,” said Keri Farley, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “As this extensive investigation comes to a close, let these convictions be a reminder that the FBI will not tolerate criminals that violate laws that protect companies and are in place to keep Americans safe.”

The case was investigated by the FBI and prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jennifer G. Solari and Darron J. Hubbard.

AUGUSTA, GA.: The lead defendant in a major methamphetamine-trafficking organization has been sentenced to two decades in federal prison after admitting his participation in a conspiracy related to at least one overdose death.

Jayson Dwayne Wheatley, 42, of Augusta, was sentenced to 240 months in prison after previously pleading guilty to Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute, and to Distribute, 50 Grams or More of Methamphetamine, and an Amount of Heroin, said David H. Estes, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. U.S. District Court Chief Judge J. Randal Hall also fined Wheatley $2,500 and ordered him to serve five years of supervised release upon completion of his prison term.

There is no parole in the federal system.

“The epidemic of drug overdoses and deaths continues to ravage our nation, and traffickers like Jayson Wheatley pour gasoline on this raging fire while enabling violent crime from the illicit drug trade,” said U.S. Attorney Estes. “Thanks to the hard work of our law enforcement partners and prosecutors, he and his co-conspirators are being held accountable for their crimes.”

As described in court documents and testimony, Wheatley and his co-defendants were indicted in April 2022 in USA v. Wheatley et. al, based on evidence gathered during the investigation in Operation Wheat Fields. The Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces investigation began in early 2018 and identified a pipeline of illegal drugs from Mexico routed through Atlanta and into the Augusta area. The investigation led to multiple searches of residences and hotel rooms, and linked at least one overdose death in the Augusta area to drugs distributed by the conspiracy.

In addition to Wheatley, six other defendants were named in the federal indictment. Two have been sentenced to federal prison; three defendants await sentencing after pleading guilty to related charges. One defendant awaits further court proceedings.

A related indictment in Operation Wheat Fields, USA v. Fields et. al, named 10 additional defendants in October 2022. One of those defendants has entered a guilty plea; the remaining defendants await further court proceedings and are considered innocent unless and until proven guilty.

“ATF will continue to work alongside our federal, state and local partners in furtherance of reducing violent crime,” said Beau Kolodka, Assistant Special Agent in Charge of the Atlanta Field Office of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

“These criminal drug organizations deliver misery and death to communities everywhere,” said Robert J. Murphy, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Division. “This defendant will no longer be able to distribute the poison that destroys our communities.”

The case was investigated under the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF). OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach.

Operation Wheat Fields was investigated by the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration; the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office; and the Swainsboro Police Department, and prosecuted for the United States by Southern District of Georgia Assistant U.S. Attorney and Criminal Division Chief Patricia G. Rhodes.

SAVANNAH, GA: Seven defendants are among those facing federal charges including illegal possession of firearms after separate indictments by a grand jury in the Southern District of Georgia, while recent actions in U.S. District Court include guilty pleas and criminal sentences related to illegal gun possession. 

The indicted cases are being investigated as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods in collaboration with federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, including the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the FBI, to reduce violent crime with measures that include targeting convicted felons who illegally carry guns.

“An essential component in the fight against violent crime is our effort to keep guns out of the hands of criminals,” said David H. Estes, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. “With our law enforcement partners, we will continue to remove from our communities those who threaten the safety of our streets.”   

In the past four years, more than 800 defendants have been federally charged in the Southern District of Georgia for illegal firearms offenses – most often for possessing a firearm after conviction for a previous felony. Recent federal legislation increases the maximum penalty for illegal possession of a firearm by a convicted felon to 15 years, up from 10, for those found in possession after June 25, 2022.

Defendants named in federal indictments from the February 2023 term of the U.S. District Court grand jury include:

• Javonte Deshawn Washington, 30, of Savannah, and Nygeria Tasheema Brown, 32, of Savannah, charged with False Statement during the Purchase of a Firearm. Washington also is charged with Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon, while Brown also is charged with Straw Purchase and with Transfer of a Firearm to a Prohibited Person;
• Melvin Brinson, 29, of Savannah, charged with Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime, and Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine;
• Darrell Lamar Williams, 24, of Claxton, Ga., charged with Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon;
• Calvin Lomont Powell Jr., 21, of Waynesboro, Ga., charged with Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon;
• Lear A. Williams, 33, of Savannah, charged with Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition by a Convicted Felon; and,
• Tekayo Spencer, 39, of Savannah, charged with Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon.

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

Additional defendants recently have been adjudicated on federal charges that include illegal firearms possession:

• Gregory Mitchell, 58, of Savannah, was sentenced to 30 months in prison after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Savannah Police officers investigating a report of gunshots arrested Mitchell in November 2020 after finding a pistol in his waistband.
• James Deon Green, 51, of Savannah, was sentenced to 33 months in prison after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Savannah Police officers arrested Green in December 2020 after a traffic stop and foot pursuit when they found a pistol in Green’s waistband.
• Melvin Jamarcus Lanier, 42, of Statesboro, awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Statesboro Police officers arrested Lanier in January 2022 during a traffic stop after finding a pistol in his vehicle.

• Devonte Malik Jorame, 25, of Aiken, S.C., awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Richmond County Sheriff’s deputies arrested Jorame in June 2022 after finding a pistol in his vehicle during a traffic stop. Jorame has prior state criminal convictions for domestic violence and gun possession.

Agencies investigating these cases include the ATF, the FBI, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, the Savannah Police Department, the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office, and the Georgia State Patrol.

The cases are being prosecuted for the United States by the Southern District of Georgia U.S. Attorney’s Office.

Under federal law, it is illegal for an individual to possess a firearm if he or she falls into one of nine prohibited categories including being a felon; illegal alien; or unlawful user of a controlled substance. Further, it is unlawful to possess a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense or violent crime. It is also illegal to purchase – or even to attempt to purchase – firearms if the buyer is a prohibited person or illegally purchasing a firearm on behalf of others. Lying on ATF Form 4473, which is used to lawfully purchase a firearm, also is a federal offense. 

For more information from the ATF on the lawful purchasing of firearms, please see: https://www.atf.gov/qa-category/atfw-form-4473

AUGUSTA, GA:  A Laurens County man admitted working several years as a truck driver while claiming federal disability benefits.

Douglas Adam West, 41, of Dexter, Ga., faces a statutory sentence of up to 10 years in prison after pleading guilty to Theft of Government Property, said David H. Estes, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. The guilty plea requires West to pay $49,863 in restitution, and to serve a period of supervised release following any prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.

“Disability fraud is a plague on the system designed to provide a safety net for those truly unable to hold down employment,” said U.S. Attorney Estes. “Those who abuse that system for their own selfish purposes only make it more difficult for deserving recipients.”

As described in court documents and testimony, West began receiving Social Security Disability Insurance Benefits in September 2004. The Social Security Administration’s Fraud Unit initiated an investigation in August 2018, determining that West had been employed since at least 2015 as a truck driver while continuing to receive disability benefits.

“I am proud of the coordination between our two agencies that led to this guilty plea,” said Georgia Insurance and Safety Fire Commissioner John F. King. “We are committed to ensuring that public benefits go to those truly in need and will continue to crack down on those who abuse the system.”

West faces sentencing before U.S. District Court Judge Dudley H. Bowen after completion of a pre-sentencing investigation by U.S. Probation Services.

The case was investigated by the Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General and the Office of the Georgia Commissioner of Insurance and Fire Safety, and prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer A. Stanley.

SAVANNAH, GA:  A former U.S. Army sergeant who admitted he stabbed to death a former fellow soldier in his Fort Stewart barracks room has been sentenced to life in federal prison.

Byron Booker, 29, of Ludowici, Ga., was sentenced to life in prison after previously pleading guilty to Premeditated Murder of a Member of the United States Uniformed Services, said David H. Estes, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. U.S. District Court Judge R. Stan Baker also ordered Booker to pay a fine of $2,500 and to serve five years of supervised release upon completion of his prison sentence.

There is no parole in the federal system.

“Byron Booker squandered his own military career by illegally using drugs, and then murdered a former fellow soldier in cold blood in retaliation for that soldier honorably performing his duties,” said U.S. Attorney Estes, a retired U.S. Army Colonel. “The sentence of life in prison with no parole will serve a measure of justice for Austin Hawk’s family, while affirming the outstanding investigative work that led to Booker’s conviction.”

Booker’s co-defendant, Jordan Brown, 21, of St. Marys, Ga., awaits sentencing after entering a plea of guilty in December 2022 to Assault Upon a U.S. Servicemember Involving Bodily Injury or a Deadly Weapon, and Retaliation Against a Witness Involving Bodily Injury.

As described in court testimony and in the plea agreements for the defendants, Booker, a former U.S. Army sergeant, admitted he and Brown discussed “silencing” Specialist Austin J. Hawk, 21, at Fort Stewart Military Reservation in retaliation for Hawk reporting Brown to U.S. Army leadership for marijuana use. After gaining entry to Hawk’s barracks room shortly after midnight on June 17, 2020, Booker “slashed and stabbed Hawk repeatedly with a sharp-edged weapon.” A medical examiner noted that Hawk received 40 separate stab or slash wounds, many of them that individually would have been fatal, and cut his own hand during the assault.

Hawk’s body was found in his Fort Stewart barracks room the next day.

“This sentence holds Booker accountable for his actions and hopefully brings some closure to the victim’s family,” said Rusty Higgason, assistant special agent-in-charge of the Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division’s Southeast Field Office. “This complex investigation is a great example of the close teamwork among Army CID, the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Laboratory, FBI, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Southern District of Georgia.”

“This sentence represents a measure of justice for Austin Hawk, a man who was murdered for simply following the rules,” said Keri Farley, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “Hawk’s family and friends will never be rid of the pain this senseless murder has caused them, but hopefully it gives them some sense of resolve to know that Booker will spend the rest of his life in prison.”

U.S. Attorney Estes also commended the work of CID Forensic Science Technicians from Fort Stewart, Fort Bragg, Fort Gordon, and Fort Jackson, and from the analysts with the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Laboratory and the FBI Crime Lab.  

The Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division and the FBI are investigating the case, which is being prosecuted for the United States by Southern District of Georgia Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jennifer G. Solari and Darron J. Hubbard.

SAVANNAH, GA:  A Chatham County man faces up to 20 years in federal prison after admitting that he robbed a Savannah bank, just seven years after he was sent to state prison for a prior bank robbery.

Shawn Kelly, 45, of Savannah, awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to one count of Bank Robbery, said David H. Estes, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. The guilty plea subjects Kelly to a statutory penalty of up to 20 years in prison and substantial financial penalties, followed by up to three years of supervised release after completion of any prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.

“Shawn Kelly is a repeat offender whose actions terrorized bank employees – exactly the type of criminal the city of Savannah sought the help of our office in removing from their streets,” said U.S. Attorney Estes. “Our partnership in bringing on board a Special Assistant U.S. Attorney dedicated to reducing violent crime in Savannah will continue to pay such dividends.”

As described in the plea agreement, Kelly admitted that on Sept. 15, 2022, he entered the Wells Fargo Bank at 136 Bull Street and demanded money from a teller. After receiving $2,200 in cash, he left the bank on foot. Responding officers from the Savannah Police Department located Kelly and found him inside a restroom at the Chatham Area Transit station changing clothes, with the cash from the robbery in his pocket.

Kelly previously was convicted on a state charge of robbery in Gwinnett County and sentenced to prison in 2015. He was on parole from that conviction at the time of the Wells Fargo robbery.

“State prison was apparently not enough of a teaching moment for Kelly because he returned to his bank-robbing ways while he was still on parole for the last bank robbery he committed,’ said Keri Farley, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “Thanks to the assistance of our partners with the Savannah Police Department, he’ll have up to 20 years in federal prison to think about what he’ll do the next time he is released from prison.”

This investigation took place under the umbrella of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program that has been successful in bringing together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer.

The FBI and the Savannah Police Department investigated the case, which is being prosecuted for the United States by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Makeia Jonese and Assistant U.S. Attorney E. Gregory Gilluly Jr.

AUGUSTA, GA:  A South Carolina man with a substantial history of drug-trafficking convictions has been sentenced to more than a decade in federal prison.

Maurice Antwain Diggs, 43, of North Augusta, S.C., was sentenced to 151 months in prison after previously pleading guilty to Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine, Heroin, and Marijuana, and Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine and Heroin, said David H. Estes, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. U.S. District Court Chief Judge J. Randal Hall also ordered Diggs to pay a $2,000 fine and to serve three years of supervised release after completion of his prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.

“Maurice Diggs’ long history of illegal activity is encapsulated in this case in which he was arrested on drug and gun charges while awaiting trial from a previous arrest for guns and drugs,” said U.S. Attorney Estes. “It is abundantly clear that he isn’t interested in obeying the law, so the community is safer with him behind bars.”

As described in court documents and proceedings, Richmond County Sheriff’s deputies searched an Augusta apartment occupied by Diggs in October 2019 and found large amounts of drugs and drug-use paraphernalia, along with several thousand dollars in cash and multiple firearms. Diggs was awaiting trial on state charges from that search when a subsequent search in October 2020 of his Augusta motel room found more drugs, guns and cash. Diggs later was indicted on federal charges related to both searches, and subsequently entered a guilty plea on two of the felony charges. 

“The Richmond County Sheriff’s Office is committed to working with our federal partners in the prosecution of cases where subjects do not take advantage of opportunities of rehabilitation that are afforded to them when they make the choice to break the law,” said Sheriff Richard Roundtree. “We hope these prosecutions will be a deterrent to any subjects who are in Richmond County or travel to our county for the purpose of distributing illegal drugs. If you are discovered, you will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”

“This case exemplifies our commitment to prevent drug violence and criminal activity from poisoning our communities,” said Beau Kolodka, Assistant Special Agent in Charge of the Atlanta Field Office of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. “It also sends a clear message that we will relentlessly pursue and prosecute the leaders and members of these violent drug enterprises.”

The case was investigated by the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office and the Federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and prosecuted for the United States by Assistant District Attorneys Jennifer A. Stanley and Tara M. Lyons.

STATESBORO, GA:  A Richmond County man has admitted conducting a scheme to submit fraudulent applications for COVID-19 small business relief funding that netted more than $4 million in payments.

Kamario Thomas, 42, of Augusta, is charged by a criminal Information with Conspiracy, said David H. Estes, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. The guilty plea to the felony charge subjects Thomas to a statutory penalty of up to five years in federal prison followed by up to three years of supervised release, along with substantial financial penalties and restitution to the U.S. government. There is no parole in the federal system.

“This conviction represents the continuing, vigorous pursuit of those who undeservedly accessed government funding for struggling small businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic,” said U.S. Attorney Estes. “In collaboration with our law enforcement partners, we will hold responsible those who attempt to illegally profit from these programs.”

The 2020 Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act provided more than $650 billion in funding for qualifying small businesses facing financial challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic, with grants and forgivable loans available through the Paycheck Protection Plan (PPP) or Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL).

In his plea agreement, Thomas admits that he completed false and fraudulent EIDL applications for himself, and that he received hundreds of thousands of dollars in kickbacks in return for completing and submitting fraudulent PPP and EIDL applications on behalf of his co-conspirators. To create those applications, Thomas fabricated IRS forms and tax records.

In total, the scheme caused the disbursement of more than $4 million in fraudulent CARES Act loans and grants.

“Using the Small Business Administration’s programs fraudulently undermines the spirit and true intent of bolstering the backbone of the nation’s economy: small businesses,” said SBA Office of Inspector General’s Eastern Region Special Agent in Charge Amaleka McCall-Braithwaite. “OIG is committed to rooting out bad actors and protecting the integrity of SBA programs. I want to thank the U.S. Attorney’s Office and our law enforcement partners for their dedication and pursuit of justice.”

“In far too many cases, greedy opportunists took advantage of the PPP, diverting much-needed funds away from those businesses that desperately needed it,” said James E. Dorsey, Special Agent in Charge, IRS Criminal Investigation, Atlanta Field Office. “This plea signals the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force will continue pursuing and holding accountable those who chose greed over compassion for their fellow Americans who faced economic distress during the COVID pandemic.”

“CARES Act funds were intended to help people and businesses harmed by the pandemic, not to line the pockets of overly greedy professionals,” said Keri Farley, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “The FBI is continuing to work with our partners to do everything in our power to make sure stolen funds are returned to the public, and individuals who were involved in this type of criminal behavior are prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.” 

“The defendant used deceit and fraud to obtain loans that he was not entitled to receive for his own financial gain,” said Tommy D. Coke, Inspector in Charge of the Atlanta Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. “This guilty plea is a reminder that the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, along with our law enforcement partners, remain committed to investigating individuals for these types of crimes and holding the offenders accountable.”

“An important mission of the U.S. Department of Labor Office of Inspector General is to investigate fraud related to COVID-19 benefit programs. Through collaboration and leveraging of resources the federal law enforcement community has continued to make great strides in holding COVID-19 fraudsters accountable,” said Mathew Broadhurst, Special Agent-in-Charge, Southeast Region, U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General. “We will continue to work closely with the U.S. Attorney’s Office and our law enforcement partners to safeguard COVID-19 benefit programs, including unemployment compensation benefit programs, for those who need them the most.”

The case is being investigated by the Small Business Administration Office of Inspector General, IRS Criminal Investigation, the FBI, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and the Department of Labor Office of Inspector General, and prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jenifer A. Stanley.

Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.

SAVANNAH, GA: Nine defendants are among those facing federal charges including illegal possession of firearms after separate indictments by a grand jury in the Southern District of Georgia, while recent actions in U.S. District Court include guilty pleas and criminal sentences related to illegal gun possession. 

The indicted cases are being investigated as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods in collaboration with federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, including the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the FBI, to reduce violent crime with measures that include targeting convicted felons who illegally carry guns.

“Convicted felons illegally carrying firearms are significantly involved in violent crime plaguing our communities,” said David H. Estes, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. “With our law enforcement partners, we will continue to make our streets safer by putting such people behind bars.”   

In the past four years, more than 800 defendants have been federally charged in the Southern District of Georgia for illegal firearms offenses – most often for possessing a firearm after conviction for a previous felony. Recent federal legislation increases the maximum penalty for illegal possession of a firearm by a convicted felon to 15 years, up from 10, for those found in possession after June 25, 2022.

Defendants named in federal indictments from the January 2023 term of the U.S. District Court grand jury include:

• Akeem Ajmia Lanier, 34, of Metter, Ga., charged with Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon; Possession with Intent to Distribute Marijuana; and Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime;
• Dexcadrick Graddy, 25, of Dublin, Ga., charged with Distribution of Fentanyl; Distribution of Methamphetamine and Fentanyl; Possession with Intent to Distribute Metonitazine (a fentanyl analog), and Eutylone (bath salts); Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine; Possession with Intent to Distribute Fentanyl and Metonitazine; and Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime;
• Milton Parker III, 36, of Savannah, charged with Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon;
• Michael Floyd, 30, of Savannah, charged with Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon;
• Reginald General Jackson, 36, of Savannah, charged with Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon;
• Tyrique Marquez Mills, 25, of Waycross, Ga., charged with Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon;
• Robert Sanders, 65, of Augusta, charged with Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon;
• Tony Lavardo Blount Jr., 32, of Augusta, charged with Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon; and,
• Terrance Webster Dunn, 32, of Augusta, charged with Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. 

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

Additional defendants recently have been adjudicated on federal charges that include illegal firearms possession:

• Raheem DaSheen Jackson, 31, of Savannah, was sentenced to 116 months in prison after his conviction at trial of Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. A jury convicted Jackson of the charge Aug. 17, 2022, where court testimony from Savannah Police officers described Jackson running from a January 2021 traffic stop and dropping a pistol as he fled. Jackson, who was adjudicated to be an Armed Career Criminal because of multiple prior felony convictions including illegal gun possession, faced a minimum sentence of 15 years in prison.
• Daquan Dwayne Young, 27, of Savannah, was sentenced to 100 months in prison after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Savannah Police officers arrested Young after a March 2022 traffic stop when they found a pistol in his waistband.
• James Wayne Cooper Jr., 37, of Waynesboro, Ga., was sentenced to 44 months in prison and fined $2,000 after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Burke County Sheriff’s deputies arrested Cooper in October 2020 after Cooper drove into a field and attempted to run away from a traffic stop. Deputies found a loaded pistol in Cooper’s vehicle.
• Cody Truitt Devore, 24, of Sylvania, Ga., was sentenced to 32 months in prison and fined $1,500 after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Devore was on federally supervised release from a prior firearms conviction in January 2022 when Columbia County Sheriff’s deputies conducted a traffic stop and found two rifles in his vehicle.
• Maurice Brown, 21, of Savannah, awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. In July 2022, Brown sped away from an attempted traffic stop in Savannah by a Georgia State Patrol trooper and later ran from the vehicle. Savannah Police officers found him hiding in a nearby home, and found a pistol under the driver’s seat of the vehicle Brown was driving.
• Christopher Donnell Crumbley, 34, of Waynesboro, awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Burke County sheriff’s deputies arrested Crumbley on outstanding criminal warrants in Dec. 2021 and found three pistols in his possession.  
• Dontrell Kydreek Mathis, 30, of Augusta, awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Richmond County Sheriff’s deputies found two pistols in Mathis’ vehicle after a traffic stop in Aug. 2022.
• Trevor Elijah Walker, 24, of Augusta, awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Richmond County Sheriff’s deputies were attempting to serve arrest warrants on Walker in November 2019 when he ran away, dropping a pistol as he fled.
• Windsor Hodge, 64, of Martinez, Ga., awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Columbia County Sheriff’s deputies searched Hodge’s residence on a warrant in January 2022 and found 13 firearms. Hodge previously was convicted of Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime, a felony.  
• Deontre Hubert, 28, of Augusta, awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Hubert had a pistol in his waistband in June 2022 when pulled over by Richmond County Sheriff’s deputies for a traffic violation. He previously was convicted in state court of Involuntary Manslaughter, a felony.
• Marshall Lee Cushman, 39, of Augusta, awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. A Georgia Bureau of Investigation agent retrieved a rifle from an Avera, Ga., residence in September 2021, and Cushman admitted leaving the gun there. Cushman has multiple prior felony convictions.
• Titus Nathaniel Travis, 23, of Augusta, awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Travis was on probation from a prior felony conviction in June 2022 when Richmond County Sheriff’s deputies, FBI agents and officers from the Georgia Department of Community Supervision searched Titus’ residence and found two pistols and a rifle. Travis is a member of a Bloods-affiliated criminal street gang.   
• David Alexander Harris, 42, of Augusta, awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to Possession with Intent to Distribute Eutylone and Cocaine, and Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Richmond County Sheriff’s deputies arrested Harris in March 2020 after finding him asleep at the wheel of his vehicle at a traffic light. A pistol was lying in Harris’ lap.

Agencies investigating these cases include the ATF, the FBI, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, the Savannah Police Department, the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office, and the Georgia State Patrol.

The cases are being prosecuted for the United States by the Southern District of Georgia U.S. Attorney’s Office.

Under federal law, it is illegal for an individual to possess a firearm if he or she falls into one of nine prohibited categories including being a felon; illegal alien; or unlawful user of a controlled substance. Further, it is unlawful to possess a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense or violent crime. It is also illegal to purchase – or even to attempt to purchase – firearms if the buyer is a prohibited person or illegally purchasing a firearm on behalf of others. Lying on ATF Form 4473, which is used to lawfully purchase a firearm, also is a federal offense. 

For more information from the ATF on the lawful purchasing of firearms, please see: https://www.atf.gov/qa-category/atfw-form-4473

AUGUSTA, GA:  A Georgia prison inmate who led an Augusta-area methamphetamine-trafficking ring has been sentenced to more than two decades in federal prison.

Magnum Jelani Neely, 38, of Millen, Ga., an inmate at Dooly State Prison, was sentenced to 278 months in federal prison after previously pleading guilty to Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute, and to Distribute, 50 Grams or More of Methamphetamine, said David H. Estes, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. U.S. District Court Chief Judge J. Randal Hall also ordered Neely to pay a $2,500 fine and to serve five years of supervised release upon completion of his prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.

“Magnum Neely orchestrated a large-scale meth distribution operation from behind bars while serving a 10-year state sentence for violent crime,” said U.S. Attorney Estes. “This investigation dismantled that drug-trafficking operation, and substantial federal sentences hold these drug dealers accountable.”

As described in court documents and testimony, agents from the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration in November 2021 joined investigators from the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office and the Burke County Sheriff’s Office in identifying Neely as coordinating a methamphetamine trafficking operation from inside prison. Neely used contraband cell phones to contact couriers outside prison to deliver drugs to buyers both inside and outside Georgia prisons. The Georgia Department of Corrections assisted in the investigation, and Neely and three co-conspirators were indicted in April 2022. All four defendants admitted guilt.

The three co-conspirators include:

• Patricia Gregory, 45, of Augusta, was sentenced to 87 months in prison and fined $2,000 after pleading guilty to Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute, and to Distribute, 50 Grams or More of Methamphetamine;
• Fanesia Smith, 39, of Augusta, was sentenced to 48 months in prison after pleading guilty to Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute, and to Distribute, 50 Grams or More of Methamphetamine; and,
• Yvonne Smith, 58, of Augusta – mother of Fanesia Smith – awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to Misprision of a Felony for knowing of, and helping to conceal, the criminal activity of the conspiracy.

“DEA is fully committed to tirelessly pursuing criminals who sell drugs, whether they’re selling them on the streets or from inside a prison,” said the Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Field Division Robert J. Murphy.

“We appreciate the support of our local and federal partners in ensuring that justice will be served on this individual for his role in jeopardizing the safe operations of our facilities, and most importantly, the safety of the public,” said Georgia Department of Corrections Commissioner Tyrone Oliver.

The case was investigated by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office, the Burke County Sheriff’s Office, and the Georgia Department of Corrections, and prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeremiah L. Johnson

“Today, the Justice Department has taken several significant enforcement actions to disrupt large-scale illegal gun and drug trafficking operations,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “I am grateful to all of the Department’s agents, prosecutors, and staff involved in these actions, as well as to our state and local partners, for their tireless work. The actions taken today represent the work that is being done by this Department every single day to disrupt violent crime, combat gun violence, and get deadly fentanyl out of our communities.”

Earlier today, at the federal courthouse in Brooklyn, a seven-count indictment was unsealed charging David Mccann, Tajhai Jones, Raymond Minaya, and Calvin Tabron with allegedly conspiring to illegally traffic more than 50 firearms. Mccann and Minaya are also charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute cocaine base; Mccann is additionally charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl. Mccann, Jones, Minaya, and Tabron were arrested this morning. Mccann and Minaya are scheduled to be arraigned this afternoon before United States Magistrate Judge Taryn A. Merkl. Jones and Tabron will be arraigned in Virginia.

This prosecution is the first in New York, and among the first in the country, to charge the gun trafficking provisions of the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, which Congress and the President enacted in June 2022. The Act is the first federal statute specifically designed to target gun trafficking. Among other provisions, it creates a standalone firearm trafficking conspiracy offense, which the government has charged in this case to hold accountable those who conspire to illegally sell firearms. The Act provides for sentences of up to 15 years’ imprisonment.

Read more about the case here.

In the Northern District of West Virginia today, two Baltimore-based drug trafficking organizations that supplied large amounts of fentanyl to West Virginia and caused at least two deaths have been dismantled by separate federal indictments that were unsealed today.

Thirty-four people from Maryland, Virginia, and West Virginia were indicted on charges related to the sale of fentanyl, heroin, and other drugs in Hampshire County and Mineral County. The drugs distributed led to a spike in overdoses in the region, both fatal and non-fatal. Much of the fentanyl had high levels of purity and had a purple tint to distinguish it from drugs sold by competitors.

In the first indictment, Kentrel Anthony Rollins, aka T-Rock, 30, of Baltimore, Maryland, is alleged to be the leader of a fentanyl distribution operation in Hampshire County and elsewhere from January 2020 to October 2021. Court documents show that in addition to the sale of drugs, there was firearms trafficking and the trading of guns for drugs. Many of the firearms were acquired by a straw purchaser on behalf of the organization. 12 people are charged in this matter, which also includes the alleged trafficking of heroin, methamphetamine and cocaine.

In the second indictment, Sean Jarred Davis, 31, also of Baltimore, is alleged to be the leader of a conspiracy to distribute more than 40 grams of fentanyl, as well as heroin, in Hampshire County and elsewhere from February 2021 to January 2023. A total of 22 individuals are charged in the case.

Read more about the case here.

And in the Southern District of Georgia today, 76 defendants are named in a newly unsealed federal indictment describing a massive drug trafficking investigation tied to the Ghost Face Gangsters criminal street gang that includes allegations of multiple deaths from illegal drug overdoses.

As announced today at a multi-agency news conference held at Glynn County Police Department Headquarters in Brunswick, Georgia, the indictment in USA v. Alvarez et. al, dubbed Operation Ghost Busted, charges 76 defendants with involvement in a drug trafficking conspiracy that distributed large amounts of methamphetamine, fentanyl, heroin, and alprazolam in the greater Glynn County area. The primary conspiracy charge in the indictment carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison, up to life, along with substantial financial penalties and a period of supervised release following any prison term.

Read more about the case here.

An indictment is merely an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty

SAVANNAH, GA:  A U.S. Army soldier stationed at Fort Stewart has been sentenced to federal prison for leading a prolific fraud scheme in which she and others illegally raked in millions of dollars from COVID-19 relief programs and federal student loan forgiveness.

Dara Buck, a/k/a Dara Butler, 39, of Ladson, S.C., a U.S. Army Chief Warrant Officer 2 stationed at Fort Stewart, was sentenced to 42 months in prison after previously pleading guilty to Conspiracy to Commit an Offense Against the United States, said David H. Estes, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. U.S. District Court Judge R. Stan Baker also ordered Buck to pay restitution of $3,680,247 and to serve three years of supervised release at the completion of her prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.

“While serving in the U.S. Army, Dara Buck engaged in a massive scheme to defraud the taxpayers of the nation she was sworn to serve,” said U.S. Attorney Estes. “With our law enforcement partners, we are committed to identifying and holding accountable those who defraud COVID-19 relief programs to feed their self-serving greed.”

As described in court documents, from August 2017 through May 2021, Buck led a conspiracy to fraudulently obtain funding from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act’s Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), and to secure the fraudulent discharge of federal student loans using falsified disability claims.

Buck admitted submitting more than 150 fraudulent PPP loan applications to the Small Business Administrating for herself and others in the conspiracy, resulting in more than $3 million in fraudulent disbursements from banks to members of the conspiracy. Buck directly received fraudulently obtained PPP funding, or was paid by conspirators for submitting their fraudulent applications.

In addition, conspirators paid Buck to submit falsified U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs certifications for total and permanent disability to the U.S. Department of Education in order to fraudulently secure the discharge of more than a dozen student loans totaling more than $1 million.

“Individuals that conspire to defraud Small Business Administration programs will be brought to justice and face the consequences of their illicit activity,” said SBA Office of Inspector General’s Eastern Region Special Agent in Charge Amaleka McCall-Brathwaite. “I want to thank the U.S. Department of Justice and our law enforcement partners for their dedication and pursuit of justice.”

"This sentencing sends a clear message to those who defraud the U.S. Government and squander valuable taxpayer dollars,” stated Special Agent in Charge Darrin K. Jones, Department of Defense Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), Southeast Field Office.  “I applaud the work of the U.S. Attorney’s Office and our investigative partners on this case.”

“This sentence holds the defendant accountable for her large scale fraud scheme that impacted multiple federal agencies and robbed the taxpayers of millions of dollars,” said Special Agent in Charge David Spilker with the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General’s Southeast Field Office. “The VA OIG is committed to investigating anyone who would exploit VA’s programs and services to fraudulently enrich themselves. We will continue to work closely with our law enforcement partners to hold wrongdoers accountable.”

“We will continue to aggressively pursue those who defrauded the Paycheck Protection Program which was funded by taxpayers and designed to assist businesses during the pandemic,” said J. Russell George, Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration.  “We appreciate the efforts by our federal partners and the U.S. Attorney’s Office to hold these individuals to account.”

“Federal student aid exists so that individuals can make their dream of a higher education a reality. Ensuring that those who steal student aid through fraud or other means are stopped and held accountable for their criminal actions is a big part of our mission. Dara Buck willfully defrauded America’s taxpayers and students in a deliberate and methodical way, and her sentence should serve as a warning to anyone who intentionally steals or misappropriates Federal student aid dollars: you will be caught and held accountable for your unlawful actions,” said Reginald J. France, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Education Office of Inspector General’s Southeastern Regional Office. “I’m proud of the work of the Office of Inspector General and our law enforcement partners for their work in this case.”

The case was investigated by the Small Business Administration Office of Inspector General; the Defense Criminal Investigative Service; U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Division, the U.S. Department of Education Office of Inspector General; the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General; and the U.S. Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration; and prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan C. Grover.

Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.

SAVANNAH, GA:  The final sentence in a major methamphetamine trafficking operation signals the end of a prosecution that saw nearly three dozen defendants sent to prison after pleading guilty.

Kristin Sheppard, a/k/a “Kristin Shine,” a/k/a “K Shine,” 32, of Savannah, was sentenced 111 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release after pleading guilty to Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and to Distribute 5 Grams or More of Methamphetamine, said David H. Estes, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia.

Prior to Sheppard’s sentencing, Michael Brandon Sharpe, 46, of Pembroke, Ga., was sentenced to 210 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release after previously pleading guilty to Possession with Intent to Distribute 50 Grams or More of Methamphetamine, and Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon, while William Hamilton, a/k/a “Hambone,” 42, of Guyton, Ga., was sentenced to 126 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release after previously pleading guilty to Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and to Distribute 5 Grams or More of Methamphetamine.

There is no parole in the federal system.

“Our law enforcement partners built Operation Stranded Bandit on the foundation of prior investigations dismantling a network of drug traffickers operating inside and outside prisons to bring large quantities of methamphetamine to coastal Georgia,” said U.S. Attorney Estes. “Getting gun-carrying drug traffickers off our streets, particularly those with gang affiliations, is a vital part of protecting our communities from violent crime.”

Sheppard, Sharpe and Hamilton are among 35 defendants indicted in USA v. Baker et. al, dubbed Operation Stranded Bandit. Unsealed in December 2020, the indictment describes an investigation that grew from other major gang-related drug trafficking prosecutions in Operation Vanilla Gorilla and Operation Who’s Laughing Now, and targeted conspiracies to import illegal drugs from Mexico and route them through Atlanta and into the greater Savannah area. The investigations and prosecutions, coordinated under the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF), determined that multiple criminal street gangs, including the Ghost Face Gangsters, collaborated from inside and outside prisons using contraband cell phones to arrange drug transportation, delivery and distribution throughout coastal Georgia.

Sheppard and Sharpe admitted to serving as a methamphetamine couriers and dealers, while Hamilton served as an armed bodyguard for other drug couriers. All three defendants have multiple prior felony convictions involving drugs.

Of the 35 defendants indicted in Operation Stranded Bandit, 34 pled guilty and were sentenced to terms of incarceration of up to 292 months in prison, while one defendant’s case was transferred to state court.  

“This case brought down a significant methamphetamine distribution network operating in and around Savannah,” said Beau Kolodka, Assistant Special Agent in Charge of the Atlanta Field Office of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). “The citizens of Savannah are no doubt safer because of this prosecution. I applaud the thorough investigation conducted by our federal, state, and local partners which resulted in 35 convictions and lengthy sentences in this case.”

“DEA’s involvement in dismantling this notoriously violent gang set is a prime example of how federal, state and local law enforcement partnerships work collaboratively to confront, engage and eliminate drug trafficking,” said Robert J. Murphy, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration’s Atlanta Field Division. “Agents left no stone unturned and pursued every investigative lead to ensure these criminals were brought to justice.”

“Illegal drugs and criminal street gangs have no place in Georgia,” said Georgia Bureau of Investigation Director Mike Register. “These defendants were part of a criminal enterprise that has been threatening the safety of communities for years. We will continue to work diligently along with our local and federal partners to investigate and dismantle drug trafficking organizations and criminal street gangs.”

The case was investigated by agencies including the ATF, the DEA, the GBI, and the Savannah-Chatham Counter Narcotics Team, the Jones County Sheriff’s Office, the Bryan County Sheriff’s Office, the Effingham County Sheriff’s Office, and the Richmond Hill Police Department, and prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorneys E. Greg Gilluly Jr. and Jennifer J. Kirkland.

BRUNSWICK, GA:  A Chatham County man has been sentenced to nearly 30 years in federal prison after admitting to multiple charges of child sexual exploitation.

Rodney Bryant, 38, of Savannah, was sentenced to 336 months in prison after previously pleading guilty to Production of Child Pornography, and Possession of Child Pornography, said David H. Estes, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. U.S. District Court Judge Lisa Godbey Wood also ordered Bryant to pay $413,800 in restitution to four victims, to register as a sex offender, and to serve 15 years of supervised release after completion of his prison term.

There is no parole in the federal system.

“Rodney Bryant is a dangerous predator who exploited multiple children by sharing images of sexual abuse through the internet’s electronic cesspool,” said U.S. Attorney Estes. “The dedicated work of our law enforcement partners ensures our communities will be safer with this criminal behind bars.”

Bryant had been scheduled for trial in June 2022 when he opted to plead guilty to two child exploitation charges. As described in court documents and testimony, agents from Homeland Security Investigations and the Savannah Police Department searched Bryant’s residence in 2020 after the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children provided CyberTip reports regarding the origin of images of child sexual abuse to the Georgia Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force.

Following those leads, investigators identified Bryant and later seized dozens of electronic devices from his home, finding thousands of images of child sexual abuse and child erotica on those devices. The investigation determined Bryant produced many of those images in Georgia and while stationed with the U.S. Army in Fort Drum, N.Y.

“Bryant is a predator who not only abused children, but he also recorded these horrible acts for others to see. Thankfully, he will no longer be able to continue his deplorable acts of abuse and we all can breathe a little easier,” said Special Agent in Charge Katrina W. Berger, who oversees Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) operations in Georgia and Alabama. “HSI and its partners will continue to find, arrest and prosecute those who seek to exploit our most vulnerable population.”

The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the Georgia Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, and the Savannah Police Department, and prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jennifer J. Kirkland and Project Safe Childhood Coordinator Tara M. Lyons.

This investigation took place under the umbrella of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Childhood. Anyone with information on suspected child sexual exploitation can contact the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children at 800-843-5678, or https://report.cybertip.org/.

WAYCROSS, GA:  An Atkinson County man has been sentenced to more than 10 years in federal prison after admitting to charges involving methamphetamine trafficking and illegal gun possession.

Juan Eloy Quintanilla, 29, of Willacoochee, Ga., was sentenced to 135 months in prison after pleading guilty to Possession with Intent to Distribute Five or More Grams of Methamphetamine, and Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon, said David H. Estes, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. U.S. District Court Judge Lisa Godbey Wood also ordered Quintanilla to serve five years of supervised release upon completion of his prison term.

There is no parole in the federal system.

“This sentence of hard time in federal prison sends the unmistakable message that we will not tolerate convicted felons continuing to commit crimes and threatening the safety of our communities,” said U.S. Attorney Estes. “Drugs and illegally possessed guns fuel violent crime, and getting such criminals off the street will make our neighborhoods safer.”

As described in court documents and testimony, Quintanilla was on felony probation on drug charges in August 2021 when Coffee County Sheriff’s deputies searched Quintanilla’s vehicle during a traffic stop and arrested him after finding drugs and a loaded pistol. During a subsequent search of his residence, Atkinson County Sheriff’s deputies seized methamphetamine, a rifle, ammunition, and drug-distribution paraphernalia.  

“Despite prior felony convictions, Quintanilla continued to plague our communities with drugs and the crimes that result from them,” said Keri Farley, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “The FBI and our law enforcement partners are determined to make our streets safer by removing violent felons and holding them accountable with long prison terms without the opportunity for parole.”

The case was investigated by the FBI, the Georgia Department of Community Supervision, the Atkinson County Sheriff’s Office, and the Coffee County Sheriff’s Office, and prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorney Marcela C. Mateo.

SAVANNAH, GA:  A former soldier paid for submitting false information to obtain COVID-19 relief funding and a Camden County woman who received funding after providing fake documents have been sentenced to federal prison.

Jerrod Bellamy, 26, of Savannah, was sentenced to 22 months in prison and ordered to pay $223,807.14 in restitution after previously pleading guilty to Conspiracy and Filing a False Tax Return, said David H. Estes, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. Bellamy admitted he provided false information in his personal tax return, fraudulently obtained a Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan, and conspired with others to fraudulently obtain PPP loans for them. He also received more than $50,000 in kickbacks for helping co-conspirators fraudulently obtain COVID-19 relief funding. At the time of his offenses, Bellamy was a Specialist in the U.S. Army and stationed at Hunter Army Airfield. He since has been discharged.

In a separate case, Roshawnda Richardson, 29, of Waverly, Ga., was sentenced to 15 months in prison and ordered to pay $166,665.50 in restitution after previously pleading guilty to Wire Fraud. Richardson admitted participating in a scheme to fraudulently obtain PPP funding for two businesses.

U.S. District Court Judge Lisa Godbey Wood ordered Bellamy and Richardson to each serve three years of supervised release after completion of their prison terms, and there is no parole in the federal system.

“These sentences, with restitution representing the scope of these defendant’s thefts from the American people, serve as a warning to other scam artists who used fraud to received small-business relief funding,” said U.S. Attorney Estes. “With our law enforcement partners, we will continue to hold accountable those who have siphoned off funds from this assistance program.”

Since passage of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act, in March 2020, and its subsequent funding of more than $6.5 billion, the Southern District of Georgia U.S. Attorney’s Office has federally prosecuted more than 40 defendants for fraudulently obtaining PPP funding or Economic Injury Disaster Loans through Small Business Administration.

“These sentences show that individuals will be prosecuted when they break the law,” said Special Agent-in-Charge Scott Moreland, Army Criminal Investigation Division Major Procurement Fraud Field Office. “It should send a message to those who are tempted to defraud the government that CID and its federal law enforcement partners are committed to rooting out fraud.”

“Schemers who stole taxpayer dollars from SBA ‘s Paycheck Protection Program will be brought to justice,” said SBA OIG’s Eastern Region Special Agent in Charge Amaleka McCall-Brathwaite. “These sentences demonstrate 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.”

“Those who choose to fraudulently utilize government assistance for their own personal gain undermine the efficacy and integrity of programs designed to support those who are dire need of government relief,” stated Special Agent in Charge Darrin K. Jones, Department of Defense Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), Southeast Field Office. “DCIS and our investigative partners will continue to hold those accountable who exploit these programs for selfish gain.”

“The U.S. Secret Service’s collaboration with our law enforcement and prosecutorial partners continue to demonstrate our commitment to pursuing the bad actors who choose to exploit the systems created to help those effected by COVID-19 pandemic,” said Craig Reno, Resident Agent in Charge of the Savannah Resident Office. “The results of these cases will serve as a deterrent to fraudsters, and let them know they will be held accountable to the fullest extent of the law.”

The cases were investigated by the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Division, the Defense Criminal Investigative Service, the Small Business Administration Office of Inspector General, IRS Criminal Investigations, and the U.S. Secret Service, and prosecuted for the United States by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Georgia.

Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.

SAVANNAH, GA: Seven defendants are among those facing federal charges including illegal possession of firearms after separate indictments by a grand jury in the Southern District of Georgia, while recent actions in U.S. District Court include guilty pleas and criminal sentences related to illegal gun possession. 

The indicted cases are being investigated as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods in collaboration with federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, including the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the FBI, to reduce violent crime with measures that include targeting convicted felons who illegally carry guns.

“As we continue the fight against violent crime in the Southern District, we commend our law enforcement partners for their efforts in getting guns out of the hands of those previously convicted of felonies,” said David H. Estes, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. “Keeping our communities safe remains our top priority.”   

In the past four years, more than 800 defendants have been federally charged in the Southern District of Georgia for illegal firearms offenses – most often for possessing a firearm after conviction for a previous felony. Recent federal legislation increases the maximum penalty for illegal possession of a firearm by a convicted felon to 15 years, up from 10, for those found in possession after June 25, 2022.

Defendants named in federal indictments from the December 2022 term of the U.S. District Court grand jury include:

• Olajuwon Raheem Williams, 25, of Augusta, charged with Kidnapping; Use of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Crime of Violence; and Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon;
• Zion Howard, 22, of Augusta, charged with Possession with Intent to Distribute 5 Grams or More of Methamphetamine and an amount of Cocaine; Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime; and Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon;
• Dequan Dante Payne, 31, of Augusta, charged with Possession with Intent to Distribute Cocaine, Crack Cocaine, and Marijuana; Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime; and Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon;
• Demmerio Swint, 28, of Savannah, charged with Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon;
• Darvin Preston Morris, 38, of Townsend, Ga., charged with Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon;  
• Antonio D’Avaris Bowens, 34, of Gray, Ga., charged with Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person, a charge related to a prior conviction for domestic violence; and,
• Brandon McCall Williams, 31, of Savannah, charged with Receipt of a Firearm by a Person Under Indictment.

Indictments naming additional defendants recently were unsealed following initial court appearances:

• Derrick Drurell Long, 32, of Augusta, charged with Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon;
• Horatio Trimane Bynes, 65, of Augusta, charged with Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine and Marijuana; Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime; and Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon;
• Kevon Quantae Davis, 23, of Augusta, charged with Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon;
• Reco Casey, a/k/a “Rico,” 33, of Augusta, charged with Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon;
• Daquan Marquise Rolack, 25, of Grovetown, Ga., charged with two counts of Possession with Intent to Distribute Marijuana, and two counts of Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime;
• Jared Tyrese Adger, 23, of Augusta, charged with Receipt of a Firearm by a Person Under Indictment;
•  Dontrell Kydreek Mathis, 30, of Augusta, charged with Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon, and Possession of Cocaine.

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

Additional defendants recently have been adjudicated on federal charges that include illegal firearms possession:

• Kareem M. Harris, 38, of Savannah, was sentenced to 90 months in prison after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Savannah Police officers arrested Harris in August 2021 after a brief vehicle and foot chase. He had been sought in relation to an early-morning shooting in July 2021 in Ellis Square in which one person was wounded. Harris has a substantial criminal history including drugs, guns and obstructing police, and state charges including aggravated assault are pending.
• Jonathan McGregor, 46, of Woodbine, Ga., was sentenced to 72 months in prison after pleading guilty to Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine and Heroin, and Possession of Firearms by a Convicted Felon. Kingsland Police officers arrested McGregor in November 2020 after finding a loaded pistol, two rifles, drugs and cash in his vehicle during a traffic stop.
• Gilberto Mojica-Ravelo, 37, of Savannah, was sentenced to 68 months in prison after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Mojica-Ravelo, who has a previous state conviction on gang charges, was charged following a Dec. 2019 domestic dispute in which Savannah Police officers found a semiautomatic pistol with a high-capacity magazine in his vehicle.
• Trevor Watson, 31, of Sylvania, was sentenced to 21months in prison after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by an Illegal Drug User. Watson was indicted in October 2021 along with eight other defendants in Operation Washout, a drug-trafficking investigation by the Burke County Sheriff’s Office and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration.    
• Davonta Johnson, 31, of Hinesville, Ga., was sentenced to 46 months in prison after pleading guilty to False Statement During Purchase of a Firearm, and Possession of Firearms by a Prohibited Person, relating to a prior conviction for domestic violence. Johnson admitted that he lied in May 2020 about his prior conviction while purchasing a pistol at a Bullock County pawn shop. Hinesville Police arrested Johnson two months later during a traffic stop and found two pistols in his vehicle.  
• Charles Dean Jones, 26, of Grovetown, Ga., was sentenced to 60 months in prison and fined $1,500 after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. A Georgia State Patrol trooper charged Jones in November 2021 after an attempted traffic stop, pursuit and crash of the motorcycle Jones was riding in Columbia County. Police found a loaded pistol in the backpack Jones was wearing.   
• Seth Patrick Anderson, a/k/a “Shane Anderson,” a/k/a “AB,” 37, of Hinesville, Ga., awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Long County sheriff’s deputies arrested Anderson in October 2021 at a license checkpoint after finding a pistol in the vehicle he was driving. Anderson is a member of the Aryan Brotherhood white supremacist street gang.
• Rondell Smith,a/k/a “Rondal Smith,” 27, of Hephzibah, awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Richmond County Sheriff’s deputies arrested Smith in February 2022 after finding a pistol in his vehicle during a traffic stop. At the time of his arrest, Smith was on supervised release from a 2017 federal conviction for Possession of a Stolen Firearm.
• Alonzo Ware Henderson, 37, of Augusta, awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Richmond County Sheriff’s deputies investigating a disturbance at a convenience store arrested Henderson in August 2021 after finding a pistol in his pocket. Henderson has multiple prior felony convictions involving violence, drugs and firearms.
• Joshua Jerome Russell, 27, of Swainsboro, Ga., awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to Discharging a Firearm in a School Zone. A Johnson County Sheriff’s office investigator arrested Russell in August 2022 after seeing Russell exit his vehicle at a Johnson County High School football game, point a pistol in the air and fire multiple times, causing a panic at the stadium. 
• Tareem Burgess, 39, of Hephzibah, Ga., awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Richmond County Sheriff’s deputies arrested Burgess after a traffic stop in August 2020 when they found a pistol in his vehicle. Burgess has prior convictions for robbery and family violence.
• Deon Brown, 31, of Augusta, awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to Possession with Intent to Distribute Heroin, Cocaine, Crack Cocaine, and Methamphetamine, and Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Agents from the Georgia Bureau of Investigation and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration arrested Brown in August 2021 at his residence and found drugs and multiple handguns in his vehicle. Brown has prior convictions for drugs and gun possession.
• Donald Lorenzo Evans Jr., 44, of Augusta, awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Richmond County Sheriff’s deputies arrested Evans in May 2020 after finding drugs and a pistol in his vehicle during a traffic stop. Evans has prior convictions for drug trafficking and domestic violence.
• Dwight Eady, 40, of Milan, Ga., awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to Possession of Ammunition by a Convicted Felon. Eady was arrested in September 2020 after running from a Georgia State Patrol traffic stop in Telfair County. Telfair County Sheriff’s deputies and a Georgia Department of Natural Resources warden later found Eady in a wooded area, along with drugs, ammunition and a semi-automatic pistol. Eady has prior federal and state felony convictions for drug trafficking.
• Corii Arkeem Bussey, 32, and Darnell Dwight Brown, 30, both of Augusta, await sentencing after pleading guilty to felony charges following a December 2021 shootout at an Augusta convenience store in which a U.S. Postal Service worker and her vehicle were caught in the crossfire. Bussey pled guilty to Assaulting, Resisting, or Impeding a Federal Employee and faces up to 20 years in prison, while Brown pled guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a User of Illegal Drugs and faces up to 10 years in prison.
• Christopher Napolian Middleton, 34, of Savannah, awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Savannah Police officers arrested Middleton in December 2021 while responding to a report of a man brandishing a firearm and found a pistol in Middleton’s pocket.
• Jamar Lavelle Alexander, 35, of Crawfordville, Ga., awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Taliaferro County Sheriff’s deputies arrested Alexander in November 2020 after finding him passed out behind the wheel of a car parked in the middle of a county highway with a loaded pistol in his lap. Alexander previously was convicted on state charges of weapons possession.
• Ephelius Artavis Brinson Jr., 28, of Hephzibah, Ga., awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Richmond County Sheriff’s deputies arrested Brinson in June 2022 after he fled from a traffic stop, leaving behind a backpack containing a loaded pistol and drugs.
• Diemond Dajion Wimberly, 25, of Augusta, awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Richmond County Sheriff’s deputies arrested Wimberly during an April 2022 traffic stop after finding a pistol with a high-capacity magazine in the vehicle.

Agencies investigating these cases include the ATF, the FBI, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, the Savannah Police Department, the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office, and the Georgia State Patrol.

The cases are being prosecuted for the United States by the Southern District of Georgia U.S. Attorney’s Office.

Under federal law, it is illegal for an individual to possess a firearm if he or she falls into one of nine prohibited categories including being a felon; illegal alien; or unlawful user of a controlled substance. Further, it is unlawful to possess a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense or violent crime. It is also illegal to purchase – or even to attempt to purchase – firearms if the buyer is a prohibited person or illegally purchasing a firearm on behalf of others. Lying on ATF Form 4473, which is used to lawfully purchase a firearm, also is a federal offense. 

For more information from the ATF on the lawful purchasing of firearms, please see: https://www.atf.gov/qa-category/atfw-form-4473

SAVANNAH, GA:  A Chatham County man with a violent criminal history has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for illegally carrying a gun.

Dontray Lewis, 43, of Savannah, was sentenced to 120 months in prison after a federal jury previously convicted him of Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon, said David H. Estes, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. U.S. District Court Judge R. Stan Baker also ordered Lewis to serve three years of supervised release after completion of his prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.

“Despite multiple trips to jail and to prison for crimes including guns, violence and drugs, Dontray Lewis has refused abundant opportunities to reform,” said U.S. Attorney Estes. “Hard time in prison will give him more time to reflect on his future activities while keeping the community safe from this violent criminal.”

A U.S. District Court jury convicted Lewis in August 2020 after a three-day trial, finding him guilty of illegally possessing a Glock semiautomatic pistol with an extended magazine. Savannah Police officers found the pistol in Lewis’ vehicle after he at first fled from a traffic stop in May 2020. As a previously convicted felon, Lewis is prohibited from possessing firearms.

“This sentence is a direct message to criminals that ATF will not allow egregious violations of our laws go unpunished. If you a felon with a gun, you will be targeted, and we will ensure that you are prosecuted and removed from our streets,” said Beau Kolodka, Assistant Special Agent in Charge of the Atlanta Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and the Savannah Police Department, and prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorney Frank M. Pennington II and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Daron J. Hubbard.

This investigation took place under the umbrella of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program that has been successful in bringing together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer.

SAVANNAH, GA:  A Chatham County gang member with a violent criminal history has been sentenced to prison and ordered to pay back the federal government after admitting to COVID-19 relief funding fraud.

Brandon Lamar Williams, a/k/a “NH Skilo,” 30, of Savannah, was sentenced to 60 months in prison after previously pleading guilty to Wire Fraud, said David H. Estes, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. U.S. District Court Judge William T. Moore Jr. also ordered Williams to pay restitution of $46,522 and to serve three years of supervised release upon completion of his prison term.

There is no parole in the federal system.

“Brandon Williams is a multi-time felon who scammed money from American taxpayers,” said U.S. Attorney Estes. “Perhaps he can contemplate more honest future endeavors while he’s being held accountable behind bars.”

As described in court documents and proceedings, Williams, who performs under the name NH Skilo, in mid-2021 provided false information in loan applications to the Small Business Administration (SBA) for economic assistance under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act’s Paycheck Protection Program. Williams obtained more than $40,000 from a lender participating in the program.

A member of the Crips criminal street gang, Williams has a long, violent criminal history that includes possession of illegal guns and drugs, with multiple prior sentences to state and federal prison.

“The Office of Inspector General continues to identify and bring to justice wrongdoers who seek to utilize falsified information to illegally benefit from SBA programs,” said SBA OIG’s Eastern Region Special Agent in Charge Amaleka McCall-Brathwaite. “OIG remains committed to rooting out bad actors and protecting the integrity of SBA programs every day. I am continually grateful to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for its leadership and dedication to shining a light on darkness wherever it may be.”

“The sentence Mr. Williams received represents the seriousness of his crime and serves to deter individuals who choose to circumvent federal and local laws for personal gain,” said Beau Kolodka, Assistant Special Agent in Charge of the Atlanta Field Office of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.  

The case is being investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, along with assistance from the Small Business Administration Office of Inspector General, and prosecuted for the United States by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Georgia.

Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.

SAVANNAH, GA:  A defendant who supervised a scheme to defraud more than $6 million from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) education programs through scuba diving schools has been sentenced to more than four years in federal prison.

Kenneth Meers, 55, of Altamonte Springs, Fla., was sentenced to 54 months in prison after previously pleading guilty to Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud, said David H. Estes, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. U.S. District Court Judge Lisa Godbey Wood also ordered Meers to pay restitution of $6,085,918.08, and to serve three years of supervised release upon completion of his prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.

“The VA administers a robust program to provides educational benefits for those who have served their country, opening access to substantial career and enrichment opportunities for veterans,” said U.S. Attorney Estes, a retired U.S. Army Colonel. “Kenneth Meers and his co-conspirators circumvented the rules designed to protect that funding, purely for their personal enrichment, and they justly are being held accountable for their crimes.”

The six defendants charged in the case, all of whom have entered guilty pleas in U.S. District Court, are owners, managers, and/or instructors at Scooba Shack in Savannah and Richmond Hill, Ga., or at Diver’s Den in St. Marys, Ga. In those capacities, the individuals caused false submissions to be made to the Department of Veterans Affairs, misstating the businesses’ compliance with VA regulations, dates of students’ attendance, and hours of instructions, among other misinformation. Some of the defendants also participated in creating fictitious scholarship programs to provide the appearance that a required percentage of non-VA students participated in those classes. The businesses billed the VA up to more than $20,000 per veteran student enrollee for the classes.

Meers was a school certifying official and course director at Scooba Shack in Savannah and Richmond Hill, Ga., from about May 2018 to April 2021, and became a consultant at Diver’s Den in St. Mary’s, Ga., around May 2020 and an instructor from about June 2021 to February 2022. Meers prepared and submitted Scooba Shack’s application and course catalog for VA approval, and developed Diver’s Den’s program, knowing that those applications contained false information. He also directed other defendants to create the fake scholarships that were used to mask the percentage of students receiving VA education benefits.

Judith Lanoue, 59, and Robert Lanoue, 63, both of Savannah, operated Scooba Shack and were previously sentenced to prison after pleading guilty to related charges.  They were also ordered to pay $3,228,921.53 in restitution.  Their employee, David Anderegg, 42, of Richmond Hill, Ga., was previously sentenced to probation and ordered to pay $20,497 in restitution.  

Two other defendants – Theresa Whitlock, 55, of St. Marys, Ga., and John Spyker, 39, of Yulee, Fla., await sentencing after entering guilty pleas. Whitlock operated Diver’s Den and served as a school certifying official, providing false information to the VA about Diver’s Den’s diving programs, and submitting claims to the VA for tuition payments totaling more than $1.1 million, while Spyker, a School Certifying Official and Director of Training at Diver’s Den, admitted submitting false and fraudulent information to the VA for tuition payments totaling $722,399.19.

“Safeguarding Post-9/11 GI Bill education benefit funds is a priority, and our investigators work diligently to ensure this vital program is not exploited for financial gain and greed. This significant sentence holds the defendant accountable and highlights the severity of the penalties of such fraudulent activities,” said Special Agent in Charge David Spilker with the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General’s Southeast Field Office. “The VA OIG remains committed to working with our law enforcement partners to hold accountable those who would defraud VA’s programs and services.”

“This sentencing sends a strong message to those who defraud programs that benefit our veterans,” stated Special Agent in Charge Darrin K. Jones, Department of Defense Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), Southeast Field Office. “DCIS will continue to work closely with our investigative partners and the U.S. Attorney’s Office to ensure individuals who selfishly enrich themselves at the expense of our veterans and military personnel are brought to justice.”

The case was investigated by the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General and the Defense Criminal Investigative Service, and is being prosecuted for the United States by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Georgia.

CORRECTED BELOW To note defendant Keith Wheeler Jr. is 31 years old.

DUBLIN, GA:  A newly unsealed federal indictment charges 13 people with participating in a drug trafficking conspiracy distributing large amounts of methamphetamine and heroin in the Laurens County area.

The indictment in USA v. Martin et. al, follows a nearly three-year investigation by the Laurens County Sheriff’s Office, with assistance from the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, into drug trafficking in and around Laurens, Johnson, Treutlen, Emanuel, and Washington counties, and elsewhere, said David H. Estes, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. The 27-count indictment charges each of the defendants with Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute, and to Distribute, 100 Grams or More of Heroin, and 50 Grams or More of Methamphetamine, a charge that upon conviction carries a statutory penalty of up to life in prison. There is no parole in the federal system.

“Investigators from the Laurens County Sheriff’s Office and the DEA performed outstanding work in identifying and bringing to justice those alleged to be responsible for a significant amount of drug trafficking in the greater Dublin area,” U.S. Attorney Estes said. “These collaborations with our law enforcement partners continue to send the message that we will be relentless in protecting our communities from drug trafficking and the violent crime it spawns.”

The indictment was unsealed after initial court appearances for each of the defendants. They include:

• Travis Lee Martin, a/k/a “Fat,” 41, of Wrightsville, Ga., charged with Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute, and to Distribute, 100 Grams or More of Heroin, and 50 Grams or More of Methamphetamine; four counts of Distribution of 50 Grams or More of Methamphetamine; two counts of Distribution of Heroin; four counts of Distribution of 5 Grams or More of Methamphetamine; Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon; and three counts of Use of Communication Facility, related to use of a telephone on behalf of the conspiracy. Martin’s indictment includes a Notice of Enhanced Punishment, noting that he is subject to increased punishment if convicted because he previously was convicted of one or more serious drug or serious violent felonies.
• Lashondria Letrecee Roberts, 37, of Wrightsville, Ga., charged with Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute, and to Distribute, 100 Grams or More of Heroin, and 50 Grams or More of Methamphetamine;
• Sentell Eugene Carey, 39, of Wrightsville, Ga., charged with Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute, and to Distribute, 100 Grams or More of Heroin, and 50 Grams or More of Methamphetamine;
• Ikavian Dankevious Carey, a/k/a “Big Mike,” a/k/a “Man,” 25, of Wrightsville, Ga., charged with Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute, and to Distribute, 100 Grams or More of Heroin, and 50 Grams or More of Methamphetamine;
• Ricardo Jerome Taylor, a/k/a “Mike,” a/k/a “Spook,” 41, of Wrightsville, Ga., charged with Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute, and to Distribute, 100 Grams or More of Heroin, and 50 Grams or More of Methamphetamine;
• Travis Keith Wheeler Jr., 31, of Soperton, Ga., charged with Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute, and to Distribute, 100 Grams or More of Heroin, and 50 Grams or More of Methamphetamine; and two counts of Distribution of Methamphetamine;
• Travon Lamont Burger, 41, of Dublin, Ga., charged with Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute, and to Distribute, 100 Grams or More of Heroin, and 50 Grams or More of Methamphetamine;
• Carmen Michelle Oxford, 40, of East Dublin, Ga., charged with Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute, and to Distribute, 100 Grams or More of Heroin, and 50 Grams or More of Methamphetamine; Possession with Intent to Distribute 50 Grams or More of Methamphetamine; Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime; Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon; and Possession of a Firearm with an Obliterated Serial Number;
• Gerald Keith Downard, 45, of East Dublin, Ga., charged with Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute, and to Distribute, 100 Grams or More of Heroin, and 50 Grams or More of Methamphetamine; Possession with Intent to Distribute 50 Grams or More of Methamphetamine; Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime; and Possession of a Firearm with an Obliterated Serial Number;
• Kendrick Lavar Dixon, a/k/a “Ken,” 41, of Wrightsville, Ga., charged with Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute, and to Distribute, 100 Grams or More of Heroin, and 50 Grams or More of Methamphetamine;
• Jacquelyn Amelia Brewer, a/k/a “Amy,” 50, of Dexter, Ga., charged with Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute, and to Distribute, 100 Grams or More of Heroin, and 50 Grams or More of Methamphetamine; and one count of Use of Communication Facility;
• Nicole Tinagero Gregory, 35, of Swainsboro, Ga., charged with Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute, and to Distribute, 100 Grams or More of Heroin, and 50 Grams or More of Methamphetamine; Distribution of Heroin; and Distribution of Methamphetamine; and,
• Erika Lashandria Tobridge, 43, of Dublin, Ga., charged with Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute, and to Distribute, 100 Grams or More of Heroin, and 50 Grams or More of Methamphetamine; four counts of Distribution of Heroin; and Possession with Intent to Distribute 100 Grams or More of Heroin.

The indictment includes a forfeiture notice regarding two firearms and $86,297 in cash seized during searches as part of the investigation. Nearly 100 dogs suspected to be involved in a dog-fighting operation also were seized during the investigation; that case is being prosecuted separately.

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

The case is being investigated by agencies including the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and the Laurens County Sheriff’s Office, with assistance from the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation Southeastern Regional Drug Enforcement Office, the Emanuel County Sheriff’s Office, the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office, and the Ocmulgee Drug Task Force, and prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jennifer J. Kirkland and Jerimiah S. Johnson.

SAVANNAH, GA:  A former U.S. Army service member has admitted his involvement in a plot that led to the stabbing death of a former fellow soldier whose body was found in his Fort Stewart barracks room in June 2020.

Jordan Brown, 21, of St. Marys, Ga., awaits sentencing after entering a plea of guilty to Assault Upon a U.S. Servicemember Involving Bodily Injury or a Deadly Weapon, and Retaliation Against a Witness Involving Bodily Injury, said David H. Estes, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. The terms of the plea agreement, which U.S. District Court Judge R. Stan Baker will consider at sentencing in deciding whether to accept the plea, subject Brown to a sentence of not less than 198 months in prison, nor more than 240 months, along with potential fines and restitution, followed by three years of supervised release upon completion of his prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.

Brown’s co-defendant, Byron Booker, 29, of Ludowici, Ga., awaits sentencing after previously pleading guilty to Premeditated Murder of a Member of the United States Uniformed Services. In accordance with his plea agreement, Booker faces a mandatory minimum sentence of life in prison.

“The guilty pleas of these two defendants firmly establish their culpability in the despicable murder of a former fellow soldier in retaliation for performing his duties as a service member,” said U.S. Attorney Estes, a retired U.S. Army Colonel. “They will now be held accountable for their bloody conspiracy.”

In his prior guilty plea, Booker, a former U.S. Army sergeant, admitted he and Brown, a former U.S. Army specialist, discussed “silencing” Specialist Austin J. Hawk, 21, at Fort Stewart Military Reservation. Hawk’s subsequent murder was in retaliation for Hawk reporting Brown to U.S. Army leadership for marijuana use that resulted in a preliminary inquiry for a court martial proceeding against Brown. After conspiring with Brown, Booker admitted that he gained entry to Hawk’s barracks room shortly after midnight on June 17, 2020, where he “slashed and stabbed Hawk repeatedly with a sharp-edged weapon.” A medical examiner later noted that Hawk received 40 separate stab or slash wounds.

Hawk’s body was found in his Fort Stewart barracks room the next day.

“The joint response by the Department of Defense and Department of Justice to this murder exemplifies the phenomenal teamwork between the Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division, FBI, and the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Georgia,” said Rusty Higgason, Assistant Special Agent-in-Charge of the CID Southeast Field Office. “The U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Laboratory and the FBI Crime Lab analyzed hundreds of pieces of evidence, and the CID forensic science professionals that responded from various locations to process the site did an amazing job. I would also like to highlight the relentless, behind-the-scenes work by investigative analysts who meticulously reviewed an extraordinary amount of documents, images, video recordings and digital data in this investigation.”

“Brown’s plea is a direct result of the hard work and persistence put in by the FBI Savannah Resident Agency and our partners at the U.S. Army and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Georgia,” said Keri Farley, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “Hawk’s family and friends will never be rid of the pain this senseless murder has caused them, but hopefully it gives them some sense of resolve to know that justice will be served.”

The Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division and the FBI are investigating the case, which is being prosecuted for the United States by Southern District of Georgia Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jennifer G. Solari and Darron J. Hubbard.

U.S. Attorney Estes also commended the work of CID Forensic Science Technicians from Fort Stewart, Fort Bragg, Fort Gordon, and Fort Jackson; the analysts with the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Laboratory and the FBI Crime Lab; the Office of the Armed Forces Medical Examiner; the DOJ Cybercrime Lab; Bevel, Gardner & Associates, Inc.; and Peace River K9 Search and Rescue.

BRUNSWICK, GA:  A former U.S. Navy petty officer stationed at Submarine Base Kings Bay was sentenced to federal prison after admitting he distributed images of child sexual exploitation.
Anthony Gabriel Ortiz, 23, of Kings Bay, Ga., was sentenced to 74 months in prison after pleading guilty to Distribution of Child Pornography, said David H. Estes, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. U.S. District Court Judge Lisa Godbey Wood also ordered Ortiz to pay restitution of $19,000, to register as a sex offender, and to serve 15 years of supervised release after completion of his prison sentence.
There is no parole in the federal system.
“Distributing child pornography shares the pain of victimization endlessly for innocent children who have been exploited,” said U.S. Attorney Estes. “Anthony Ortiz is being held accountable for perpetuating the harm to these vulnerable victims.” 
As described in court documents and testimony, Ortiz was in the U.S. Navy assigned to the Naval Nuclear Power Training Command, Naval Weapons Station in Charleston, S.C., when investigators with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) in early 2019 found online images of child pornography shared via a messaging application. RCMP alerted the Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Cyber Crimes Center, and HSI contacted the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS). 
Ortiz, a petty officer third class, transferred in April 2019 to Submarine Base Kings Bay in Kingsland, Ga., where he later was interviewed by HSI and NCIS investigators. He was taken into custody after admitting to possessing and distributing child pornography over the internet, and investigators found hundreds of images and videos of child sexual exploitation on electronic devices in his possession.
“Mr. Ortiz deserves to be held fully accountable for his reprehensible actions to possess and distribute child pornography,” said Special Agent in Charge Thomas Cannizzo of the NCIS Southeast Field Office. “NCIS exists to protect our Department of the Navy warfighters and their families from harm. We sincerely thank our partners at Homeland Security Investigations and the Department of Justice for their continued efforts to combat child sexual exploitation in communities where our DON families live and work.”
“Those who create, view and distribute images of child exploitation create an enduring cycle of trauma and victimization, which is why these crimes are so detrimental,” said Special Agent in Charge Katrina W. Berger, who oversees Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) operations in Georgia and Alabama. “Catching and prosecuting the predators that traffic in these disturbing images takes a team effort and we are very thankful for the great relationships we have with our law enforcement partners.”
This investigation took place under the umbrella of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Childhood, and was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the Naval Criminal Investigative Service. The case was prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jennifer Kirkland and Project Safe Childhood Coordinator Tara M. Lyons. 
Anyone with information on suspected child sexual exploitation can contact the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children at 800-843-5678, or https://report.cybertip.org/.
 

BRUNSWICK, GA.: Two men have been sentenced to federal prison for their roles in the murder of a whistleblower who exposed a multi-million-dollar scheme that fraudulently employed undocumented workers.

Pablo Rangel-Rubio, 53, of Rincon, was sentenced to 584 months in prison after previously pleading guilty to charges including Aiding and Abetting the Retaliation Against a Witness, while Higinio Perez-Bravo, 52, of Savannah, was sentenced to 240 months in prison after previously pleading guilty to Conspiracy to Commit Murder for Hire, said David H. Estes, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. U.S District Court Judge Lisa Godbey Wood also ordered Perez-Bravo to pay restitution of $1,329,412.80 to the family of the victim, and ordered Rangel-Rubio to pay $1,351,217.05 in restitution to the victim’s family and to another worker for lost wages. Both Perez-Bravo and Rangel-Rubio are citizens of Mexico illegally present in the United States and are subject to deportation after completion of their prison terms. There is no parole in the federal system.

A third defendant, Rangel-Rubio’s brother, Juan Rangel-Rubio, 45, of Rincon – also an illegal alien – faces a statutory minimum sentence of life in prison after being found guilty at trial in October 2022 on charges including Conspiracy to Retaliate Against a Witness, and Conspiracy to Kill a Witness. His sentencing date has not yet been set.

“These sentences represent a measure of justice for Eliud Montoya, a brave man murdered by criminals protecting their lucrative and exploitative labor-trafficking enterprise,” said U.S. Attorney Estes. “Our law enforcement partners did outstanding work to identify and hold accountable those responsible for this brutal murder.”

As reflected in court documents and evidence, the three men conspired to kill Eliud Montoya, a United States citizen who blew the whistle on a scheme of hiring and mistreating illegal aliens and who was murdered August 19, 2017, near his home in Garden City, Ga.

Pablo Rangel-Rubio worked as a supervisor at Wolf Tree, a contract company that performed tree-cutting services on utility rights-of-way. Working with his brother, the two schemed to hire illegal aliens to work for the company, and then routed the illegal aliens’ paychecks to their own bank accounts where they skimmed a portion of the pay for themselves. As a result of this scheme, the conspirators netted more than $3.5 million from an estimated 100 illegal alien laborers. 

Mr. Montoya, a United States citizen who also worked at Wolf Tree, saw his colleagues being mistreated and complained to the company and to the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. After Mr. Montoya blew the whistle on the scheme, Pablo Rangel-Rubio arranged for Mr. Montoya’s murder by paying Perez-Bravo for the use of his vehicles and to act as the getaway driver when Juan Rangel-Rubio shot Mr. Montoya to death.  

“This sentence means that criminals like these defendants will not escape justice and will no longer be able to victimize anyone,” said Special Agent in Charge Katrina W. Berger, who oversees Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) operations in Georgia and Alabama. “We are thankful for the hard work done by all of the agencies involved in this case and hope that the verdict brings comfort to the victims and their families.”

Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) led the investigation with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the FBI, the U.S. Marshals Service, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI), the Garden City Police Department, the Effingham County Sheriff’s Office, and the Chatham County Sheriff’s Office, and is being prosecuted for the United States by Southern District of Georgia Assistant U.S. Attorneys, including Tania D. Groover.