Southern District of Georgia

AUGUSTA, GA:  A Columbia County man has been sentenced to 10 years in prison after pleading guilty to methamphetamine distribution.

Bobby Lewis Sturkey, 51, of Harlem, Ga., was sentenced to 120 months in prison after previously pleading guilty to Possession with Intent to Distribute 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 Sturkey to serve three years of supervised release after completion of his prison term.

There is no parole in the federal system.

“Meth is a deadly, dangerous and highly addictive drug that increasingly is present in fatal overdoses,” said U.S. Attorney Estes. “Bobby Sturkey helped fuel this epidemic and the violent crime it supports, and he is being held accountable.”

According to court documents and testimony, Sturkey’s illegal activities came to the attention of law enforcement authorities in early 2020. The Columbia County Sheriff’s Office, along with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives served a search warrant on Sturkey’s rural home in January 2021, finding high-grade methamphetamine and firearms in the residence. Sturkey has previous felony convictions involving methamphetamine, along with felony convictions for armed robbery and burglary.

“It’s never a matter of ‘if’ a drug dealer will get caught, but rather ‘when,’ said Robert J. Murphy, the Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Field Division. “And when that time comes, they’ll face severe consequences as is the case for this defendant whose lengthy sentence behind bars is indicative of the damage he caused individuals and the community by dealing dangerous drugs like ‘meth.’”

The case was investigated by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office, with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeremiah L. Johnson.

AUGUSTA, GA:  A Burke County man faces decades in prison after admitting he coerced a child to produce sexually explicit images.

Keyshawn Omar Cooper, 20, of Waynesboro, Ga., awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to Production of Child Pornography, said David H. Estes, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. The plea subjects Cooper to a statutory penalty of up to 30 years in prison, along with payment of restitution and substantial financial penalties, followed by a minimum of five years of supervised release and registration as a sex offender after completion of his prison term.

There is no parole in the federal system.

“Keyshawn Cooper’s crime represents the nightmare scenario for parents whose children connect over the internet with predatory strangers,” said U.S. Attorney Estes. “Thanks to the vigilance of one of those parents and diligent law enforcement partners, Cooper will be held accountable for his reprehensible activities.”

As described in court, Cooper admitted that around May 9, 2021, he communicated via an internet application with a child in Missouri, and persuaded the victim to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of creating visual depictions that the victim then sent to Cooper. The child’s mother discovered the activity and reported it to police in Cape Girardeau, Mo., who enlisted the assistance of the FBI in identifying and locating Cooper.

The investigation determined that the child and Cooper met online while playing a video game.

“The FBI has unfortunately seen an increasing amount of sextortion crimes across the country over the past year and we want this plea to send a message that we make crimes targeting children a top priority”, said Keri Farley, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “Let this be a reminder to parents and caregivers, people can pretend to be anyone online, and you need to remain vigilant with monitoring your child’s online activity and educating them about the risks of communicating with strangers.”

The case was investigated by the Cape Girardeau, Mo., Police Department and 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/.

WAYCROSS, GA: A South Georgia man who participated in a widespread drug-trafficking conspiracy and two state prison guards who smuggled drugs behind bars are among the final defendants sentenced to federal prison as a major meth-distribution prosecution comes to a close.

Alexander Reyes Tyson, 45, of Douglas, Ga., was sentenced to 28 months in prison after previously pleading guilty to Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute, and to Distribute, Methamphetamine; Idalis Qua Dazia Harrell, 26, of Douglas, a former guard at Coffee County Correctional Facility, was sentenced to 30 months in prison after previously pleading guilty to Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute, and to Distribute, Methamphetamine and Marijuana; and Jessica Azaelae Burnett, a/k/a “The Madam,” 43, of Douglas, formerly a senior guard at Coffee County Correctional Facility, was sentenced to 30 months in prison after previously pleading guilty to Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute, and to Distribute, Methamphetamine and Marijuana.

There is no parole in the federal system.

“When the citizens of Coffee County sought relief from rising violent crime and illegal drug activity in their community, our local, state and federal law enforcement partners responded to identify and shut down these gang-driven drug traffickers,” said David H. Estes, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. “This operation sends a resounding message that we will be relentless in our efforts to keep our neighborhoods safe.”

Tyson, Harrell and Burnett are among 48 individuals who were indicted in January 2021 in USA v. McMillan et. al, dubbed Operation Sandy Bottom, an investigation into an extensive drug trafficking conspiracy centered in a Douglas, Ga., area known as “the bottoms.” The lead defendant, Jackie Kayaskia McMillan, 41, is serving a nearly 40-year sentence in federal prison for leading the conspiracy from inside Dooly State Prison, where he was serving a life sentence for murder. His girlfriend, Christina Veronda Alexander 42, of Hazlehurst, Ga., is serving a sentence of nearly 24 years in federal prison for serving as McMillan’s primary contact outside of prison, facilitating deliveries of methamphetamine from Mexico and distributing it to street-level dealers in Coffee, Bacon, Emanuel, Jeff Davis, Pierce and Wheeler counties, along with other parts of Georgia.

 The investigation began in 2018 when the Coffee County Drug Unit enlisted the assistance of the FBI and the Coastal Georgia Violent Gang Task Force in the Douglas-area drug trafficking conspiracy. The traffickers, coordinated by a subset of the Gangster Disciples criminal street gang, controlled multiple “trap houses” to store and distribute illegal drugs, primarily methamphetamine.

Investigators infiltrated the operation, intercepting multiple kilograms of drugs and nearly two dozen illegally possessed firearms, along with seven vehicles and more than $12,000 in cash identified as drug-trafficking proceeds. They also identified and charged state prison guards who smuggled drugs and cell phones into prisons.

The cases against all 48 defendants are complete, with most serving sentences of up to 200 months in prison after pleading guilty. The final defendant, Amos Tyrone Brantley III, 40, of Ambrose, Ga., awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute, and to Distribute, Marijuana.

“It is impossible to overstate the enormity of this investigation and the incredible multi-agency teamwork involved to procure the arrests, convictions, and sentences of such a large operation,” said Coffee County Sheriff Doyle Wooten. “Make no mistake: This investigation was a major blow to drug traffickers targeting our area and our penal institutions. We are particularly saddened when those who have sworn to uphold the law become the ones subverting it, but we will not think twice to hold them accountable.”

“The sentencing of these individuals ends an exhaustive investigation and proves that the FBI and our partners will spare no resource when it comes to ending an epidemic in our society that fuels violent crime and kills our citizens,” said Keri Farley, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “We want to thank our partners in the Georgia Safe Streets Violent Gang Task Force who relentlessly work along our side to dismantle these organized, violent criminal enterprises.”

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

It was investigated by the FBI and the FBI Coastal Georgia Safe Streets Violent Gang Task Force; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the U.S. Marshals Service; the Coffee County Sheriff’s Office and the Coffee County Drug Unit; the Georgia Department of Corrections; the Jeff Davis County Sheriff’s Office; the Pierce County Sheriff’s Office; the Bacon County Sheriff’s Office; the Emanuel County Sheriff’s Office; the Lanier County Sheriff’s Office; the Blackshear Police Department; the Nicholls Police Department; the Douglas Police Department; the Alma Police Department; the Glynn County Police Department; the Brunswick Police Department; the Swainsboro Police Department; and the Coffee County Department of Family and Children Services.

The cases were prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorney E. Greg Gilluly Jr. and Frank M. Pennington II.

BRUNSWICK, GA:  The training director of a Camden County dive shop has admitted participating in the submission of false claims to the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) for scuba classes targeting military veterans’ education benefits.

John Spyker, 39, of Yulee, Fla., awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to an Information charging him with False, Fictitious, and Fraudulent Claims, said David H. Estes, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. The guilty plea subjects Spyker to a possible statutory penalty of up to five years in prison, along with substantial financial penalties and restitution, and up to three years of supervised release following any prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.

“As the sixth defendant admitting culpability in this investigation, John Spyker represents one more falling domino in the effort to unravel this substantial theft of veterans’ education benefits,” said U.S. Attorney Estes. “The VA Office of Inspector General continues to do outstanding work in identifying and ending this fraud.”

Spyker, a School Certifying Official and Director of Training at Diver’s Den in St. Marys, Ga., admitted that from about January 2021 through January 2022, he, and others, submitted false and fraudulent information to the Department of Veterans Affairs for tuition payments under the Post-9/11 GI Bill totaling $722,399.19.

Five other defendants who previously entered guilty pleas in U.S. District Court are owners, managers, and/or instructors at Diver’s Den and at Scooba Shack in Savannah and Richmond Hill, Ga. Collectively, the defendants are responsible for defrauding more than $6 million from VA education benefits.

As described in court documents, the defendants caused false submissions to be made to the VA. The false submissions misstated the businesses’ compliance with VA regulations, dates of students’ attendance, and hours of instructions, among other information. 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.

“Safeguarding Post-9/11 GI Bill education benefit funds reserved for deserving veterans remains a priority, and our investigators are working diligently in the field to ensure these programs are not exploited for financial gain and greed,” said Special Agent in Charge David Spilker with the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General’s Southeast Field Office. “Six guilty pleas in this case is a testament of our commitment to working with our law enforcement partners to hold accountable those who would defraud VA’s benefits programs.”

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

SAVANNAH, GA:  The former owner of a Savannah pizza franchise faces a federal charge for withholding more than $400,000 in payroll taxes.

Melissa Metts Johnson, 48, of Statesboro, Ga., is charged via an Information with Failure to Account for and Pay Over Employment Taxes, said David H. Estes, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. The felony charge carries a statutory penalty of up to five 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.

“Employers who willfully fail to collect, account for, and deposit with the IRS employment tax due are stealing from the U.S. Treasury and gaining an unfair advantage over their honest competitors,” said U.S. Attorney Estes. “Our office is committed to investigating and prosecuting those who willfully fail to comply with their employment tax responsibilities.” 

As described in the Information, Johnson was the owner of LHMS Inc., which operated a franchise of Mellow Mushroom in Savannah. The Information alleges that from 2015 through 2019, the company spent thousands of dollars for Johnson’s benefit, even as the company failed to turn over to the Internal Revenue Service the payroll taxes withheld from the company’s employees.

The Information alleges that while the company withheld tax payments from employees’ paychecks during the period, the company failed to pay all of those taxes to the IRS. “Altogether,” the Information says, the “Defendant causes LHMS, Inc. to fail to account for and pay over $428,203.48 in payroll taxes.” As recently as April 2020, the company failed to turn over $35,882.29 in payroll taxes due to the United States.

An Information contains only charges; a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

The case is being investigated by IRS-Criminal Investigation, and prosecuted for the United States by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Georgia.

STATESBORO, GA:  A newly unsealed federal indictment charges nearly three dozen defendants for their involvement in a drug trafficking conspiracy centered in south Georgia and reaching into the Caribbean.

The primary conspiracy charge in USA v. Morales-Jimenez et. al, dubbed Operation Carpet Ride, carries a statutory minimum penalty of 10 years in prison, up to life, said David H. Estes, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. Conviction on the charge also carries a minimum of five years of supervised release following any prison term, and there is no parole in the federal system.

“The painstaking investigation in Operation Carpet Ride spans nearly six years and thousands of miles as it tracked illegal drugs flowing into the United States to the Southern District of Georgia and beyond,” said U.S. Attorney Estes. “Our law enforcement partners have done outstanding work in identifying, investigating and disrupting this drug trafficking organization.”

Operation Carpet Ride, investigated under the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF), identified drug trafficking operations in Bulloch, Burke, Candler, Effingham, Evans, Liberty, Richmond, and Tattnall counties, and elsewhere, from as early as January 2016. As described in the 49-count indictment, the conspiracy is alleged to have imported large quantities of cocaine, methamphetamine and other drugs for distribution in the Southern District.

Each defendant in USA v. Morales-Jiminez et. al is charged with Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute, and to Distribute, 5 Kilograms or More of Cocaine; 50 Grams or More of Methamphetamine; 28 Grams or More of Crack Cocaine; Hydrocodone; Oxycodone; and Marijuana. Other individual charges in the indictment include drug possession and distribution, maintenance of a drug-involved premises, and illegal firearms possession and use.

Those named in the indictment include:

• Daniel Morales-Jimenez, a/k/a “Danny Hill,” 45, of Puerto Rico;
• Pedro Castro-Vasquez, a/k/a “Chipo,” 50, of Puerto Rico;
• Sonic Torres-Garcia, 24, of Kissimmee, Fla.;
• Kristine Albright-Ramos, 35, of Puerto Rico;
• Alexys Rivera-Cuevas, 28, of Gainesville, Fla.;
• Luis Diaz-Albright, 20, of Puerto Rico;
• Paola Morales Rosario, 24, of Kissimmee, Fla.;
• Clarence Bess, a/k/a “Cash,” 41, of Jacksonville, Fla.;
• Laverne Pullins Jr., 70, of Jacksonville, Fla.;
• Demarr Clayton Lee, 52, of Miami, Fla.;
• Tony Deshawn Slater, 51, of Claxton, Ga.;
• Domanek Laquan Mincey, 44, of Glennville, Ga.;
• Anthony Craig Johnson, a/k/a “Pookie,” 56, of Claxton, Ga.;
• Andre Delerrain Anderson, 48, of Claxton, Ga.;
• Phillip Dwayne Walden, 45, of Statesboro, Ga.;
• Corey Ontavious Hendrix, 44, of Claxton, Ga.;
• Enrique Humbra Denson Sr., 49, of Statesboro, Ga.;
• Enrique Humbra Denson Jr., 29, of Reidsville, Ga.;
• Kevin Derrell Ponder, 45, of Claxton, Ga.;
• Terran Harvel Tigner, 35, of Glennville, Ga.;
• Troy Sinclair Tigner, 35, of Glennville, Ga.;
• Nicholas Rashon Fillmore, 42, of Hinesville, Ga.;
• Marquese Shavel Palmer, 30, of Claxton, Ga.;
• Michael Lynn Jinks, 47, of Glennville, Ga.;
• Tony Anthony Warren, 38, of Claxton, Ga.;
• Lance Boyette Ford, 39, of Glennville, Ga.;
• Heather Elaine Barbee, 43, of Sylvania, Ga.;
• Sean Christopher Brown, 43, of Savannah;
• Jarvis Charles Hagan, 31, of Claxton, Ga.;
• Kenneth Bacon Hall, 51, of Glennville, Ga.;
• Caleb Earl Riggs, 37, of Claxton, Ga.; and,
• Gerald Walter Dasher, 52, of Glennville, Ga.

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

The case is 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; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the U.S. Postal Inspection Service; Homeland Security Investigations; the Georgia Bureau of Investigation; the Puerto Rico State Police; the Georgia State Board of Pardons and Paroles; the Georgia Department of Community Supervision; the Tattnall County Sheriff’s Office; the Bulloch County Sheriff’s Office; the Evans County Sheriff’s Office; the Barceloneta Police Department; the Claxton Police Department; and the Glennville Police Department; and prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Frank M. Pennington II and OCDETF Coordinator Marcela C. Mateo.

SAVANNAH, GA: Six 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.

“The law specifically prohibits previously convicted felons from carrying guns – and it’s abundantly clear that reducing violent crime requires keeping gun-carrying criminals off our streets,” said David H. Estes, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. “We commend our law enforcement partners for their continued commitment to keeping our communities safe.”   

In the past four years, more than 790 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 November 2022 term of the U.S. District Court grand jury include:

• Shannan Barnwell, 24, of Savannah, charged with 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 is charged in connection with the Sept. 27 armed robbery of a vendor restocking a South State Bank automatic teller machine.
• Jacob Matthew Miller, 32, of Waynesboro, Ga., charged with Possession of a Firearm by Convicted Felon.

Nine additional defendants were indicted under seal in October, with those indictments recently unsealed following initial court appearances:

• Robert Richard Hatten, 47, of Oak Park, Ga., charged with Possession with Intent to Distribute, and 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;
• Christopher Nakia Jones, 47, of Swainsboro, Ga., charged with three counts of Distribution of Methamphetamine, and Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon;
• Ephelius Artavis Brinson Jr., 28, of Hephzibah, Ga., charged with Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon; and Possession of Marijuana;
• Devonte Malik Jorame, 25, of Aiken, S.C., charged with Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon, and Possession of Marijuana.
• Trevor Elijah Walker, 24, of Augusta, charged with two counts of Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon;
• Taipai La’Don Brewer, 43, of Augusta, charged with Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon;
• Titus Nathaniel Travis, 23, of Augusta, charged with Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon;
• Diemond Dajion Wimberly, 25, of Augusta, charged with Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon; and,
• Deontre Hubert, 28, 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:

• Thomas Kevin Robinson, 52, of Savannah, was sentenced to 120 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Savannah Police responding to a shoplifting call in April 2021 chased Robinson in his vehicle and on foot, and found a pistol that he had dropped while running. Robinson has an extensive criminal history with at least seven prior felony convictions.  

• Terry Kennard Isaacs, 37, of Beaufort, S.C., was sentenced to 108 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release after pleading guilty to Possession of a Stolen Firearm. Shortly after midnight on June 17, 2021, Pooler Police officers found Isaacs asleep inside a customer’s vehicle parked at a repair business, and arrested him after finding a pistol and drugs in his possession. Isaacs has multiple prior felony convictions involving firearms and violence.

• Johnathon Emanuel McGahee, 24, of Thomson, Ga., was sentenced to 100 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release and fined $2,000 after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. McGahee crashed his vehicle while fleeing Georgia State Patrol troopers attempting a traffic stop on Jan. 1, 2021, and ran into woods where he was captured. Troopers found drugs and a loaded pistol with a high-capacity magazine in McGahee’s car. McGahee is a member of the Gangster Disciples criminal street gang with a violent criminal history.
• Carlos Middleton, 21, of Savannah, was sentenced to 97 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release after pleading guilty to Interference with Commerce by Robbery. Middleton admitted brandishing a firearm Jan. 20, 2022, when he threatened and robbed employees of a Chatham County video game store. The plea subjects Middleton to a statutory sentence of up to 20 years in prison.
• Rashejon B. Curry, 28, of Pooler, Ga., was sentenced to 96 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Chatham County Police officers arrested Curry following a report of an assault at a motel room, later finding him carrying a loaded pistol. Curry has a violent criminal history including convictions for robbery and gun possession.
• Daquan Dwayne Young, 27, of Savannah, awaits sentencing 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.

• Ra’ann Michell Coleman, 49, of Eastman, Ga., awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to two counts of False Statement During the Purchase of a Firearm, a charge often referred to as “lying and buying.” In her plea agreement, Coleman admitted that when she purchased a Taurus .380 pistol on Oct. 26, 2020, and a Bersa .380 pistol on Dec. 8, 2020, she lied about being the actual purchaser of the guns when she in fact was buying the firearms on behalf of someone else.

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/atf-form-4473

For any questions, please contact Barry Paschal at the U.S. Attorney’s Office at (912) 652-4422.

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SAVANNAH, GA:  A Douglas County man and his company are named in a 16-count federal indictment alleging a scheme to ship stolen cars to another country.

Prince Bediako, 40, of Douglasville, Ga., and his Atlanta company, Fastlane Logistix LLC, are charged with four counts of Submitting False or Misleading Export Information; four counts of Smuggling; and eight counts of Interstate Transport of Stolen Property, said David H. Estes, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. The charges carry a statutory penalty of up to 10 years in prison and substantial financial penalties, and up to three years of supervised release following completion of any prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.

“The vigilant staff at the Port of Savannah perform a tremendous duty in protecting our country from dangerous imports, and identifying those who use the ports for illegal export activity,” said U.S. Attorney Estes. “These charges should send a warning to those intent on circumventing our nation’s import and export controls.”

As described in the indictment, in early 2020, Bediako and Fastlane are alleged to have transported eight stolen vehicles to Georgia from Florida, North Carolina, Mississippi, Missouri, and New Hampshire. They are then alleged to have provided false and fraudulent information to a freight company in an attempt to ship the vehicles to another country.

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

The case is being investigated by the U.S. Bureau of Industry and Security Office of Export Enforcement, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the Savannah Ports Police, and the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office, and prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jenna G. Solari and Darron J. Hubbard.

AUGUSTA, GA:  Ten people have been indicted in an Augusta-area drug trafficking conspiracy linked to another large-scale drug trafficking prosecution.

As described in the newly unsealed indictment in USA v. Fields et. al, the investigation parallels the indictments in USA v. Wheatley et. al, together dubbed Operation Wheat Fields, and describes a conspiracy to transport and distribute large amounts of methamphetamine and heroin in the areas of Richmond and Emanuel counties in Georgia, said David H. Estes, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. Each defendants faces a conspiracy charge that carries a maximum statutory penalty of up to life in prison, and there is no parole in the federal system.

“Illegal drug trafficking operations generate misery in our communities and produce significant illicit funds and generate rivalries that fuel violent crime,” said U.S. Attorney Estes. “By closely collaborating with our law enforcement partners, we will continue to identify, disrupt and dismantle these organizations and make our citizens safer.”

Operation Wheat Fields is an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces investigation that identified a pipeline of illegal drugs from Mexico routed through Atlanta and into the greater Augusta area, facilitated by defendants that included those housed in Georgia prisons who used contraband devices to communicate via text message and Facebook. The investigation led to multiple searches and evidence seizures from residences, vehicles, and hotel rooms.

Those charged in the October 2022 indictment in USA v. Fields, et. al, include:

• Justin Wayne Fields, 39, of Swainsboro, charged with Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute, and to Distribute, 500 Grams or More of a Mixture Containing a Detectable Amount of Methamphetamine and an Amount of Heroin; three counts of Distribution of Methamphetamine; and 11 counts of Use of Communication Facility, related to the use of a cell phone or Facebook Messenger to facilitate the conspiracy;
• Joshua Brooks Woodward, a/k/a “Jay Wood,” 30, of Augusta, charged with Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute, and to Distribute, 500 Grams or More of a Mixture Containing a Detectable Amount of Methamphetamine and an Amount of Heroin; and five counts of Use of a Communication Facility;
• Elizabeth Sarah Hagan, 38, of Augusta, charged with Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute, and to Distribute, 500 Grams or More of a Mixture Containing a Detectable Amount of Methamphetamine and an Amount of Heroin; Possession of Methamphetamine; and four counts of Use of a Communication Facility;
• Coley Alexander Greene, a/k/a “Henry Jones,” 30, of Wrens, Ga., charged with Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute, and to Distribute, 500 Grams or More of a Mixture Containing a Detectable Amount of Methamphetamine and an Amount of Heroin; and three counts of Use of a Communication Facility;
• James Edmund Beasley, 34, of Grovetown, Ga., charged with Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute, and to Distribute, 500 Grams or More of a Mixture Containing a Detectable Amount of Methamphetamine and an Amount of Heroin; Possession with Intent to Distribute Heroin; and three counts of Use of a Communication Facility;
• Cameron Ruth Young, 35, of Grovetown, charged with Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute, and to Distribute, 500 Grams or More of a Mixture Containing a Detectable Amount of Methamphetamine and an Amount of Heroin; Possession with Intent to Distribute Heroin; and Use of a Communication Facility;
• David Marshall Hood, 45, of Kite, Ga., charged with Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute, and to Distribute, 500 Grams or More of a Mixture Containing a Detectable Amount of Methamphetamine and an Amount of Heroin; two counts of Distribution of Methamphetamine; Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine; and Use of a Communication Facility;
• James Richard Faircloth, 39, of Swainsboro, charged with Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute, and to Distribute, 500 Grams or More of a Mixture Containing a Detectable Amount of Methamphetamine and an Amount of Heroin; five counts of Distribution of Methamphetamine; Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine; and three counts of Use of a Communication Facility;
• Leann Nicole Faircloth, 39, of Swainsboro, charged with Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute, and to Distribute, 500 Grams or More of a Mixture Containing a Detectable Amount of Methamphetamine and an Amount of Heroin; and three counts of Distribution of Heroin; and,
• Casey Alton Henry, 45, of Swainsboro, charged with Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute, and to Distribute, 500 Grams or More of a Mixture Containing a Detectable Amount of Methamphetamine and an Amount of Heroin; two counts of Distribution of Methamphetamine; and Use of a Communication Facility.

All of the defendants charged in the indictment have appeared before a magistrate in U.S. District Court.

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

In the related prosecution in USA v. Wheatley et al., lead defendant Jayson Dwayne Wheatley, 41, of Augusta, awaits sentencing after pleading guilty Sept. 23 to Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute, and to Distribute, 50 Grams or More of a Mixture Containing a Detectable Amount of Methamphetamine. Two other defendants also await sentencing after pleading guilty to related charges, and the remaining four defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

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

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.

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

 

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AUGUSTA, GA:  A U.S. District Court jury convicted a Richmond County man of illegally carrying a gun after previously being convicted of a felony.

Christopher Fitzgerald Jones, 35, of Augusta, was found guilty of Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon, said David H. Estes, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. Jones’ conviction subjects him to a statutory penalty of up to 10 years in prison, without parole.

“Convicted felons perpetuate violent crime in our communities by illegally carrying guns,” said U.S. Attorney Estes. “With our law enforcement partners, we will continue to remove these criminals from our streets.”

As presented at trial, Richmond County Sheriff’s Office investigators were planning to arrest Jones in October 2021 on a felony warrant when he drove away from a home under surveillance. As the investigators followed his vehicle, Jones abruptly stopped his car and stepped out, facing the police vehicle. As he was taken into custody, the investigators found a loaded 9 mm semiautomatic pistol in Jones’ back pocket.

From the beginning of the trial, both sides agreed that Jones knew, as a previously convicted felon, that it was illegal for him to carry a firearm. Jones has a violent criminal history, including convictions in state court for domestic violence and illegal gun possession.

Sentencing before U.S. District Court Chief Judge J. Randal Hall will be scheduled following completion of a pre-sentence investigation by U.S. Probation Services.

“Today’s announcement is a perfect answer to one of our most important ‘whys’ – why we chose to protect and serve the public. Illegal firearm possession in our communities is dangerous and damaging to everyone involved in the criminal activity,” said Beau Kolodka, Assistant Special Agent in Charge of the Atlanta Field Office of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. “ATF will remain in lockstep with our local, state and federal partners in our continuing effort to combat violent crime and maintain public safety.”

The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office, and prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorney Henry W. Syms Jr. and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Spitulnik.

BRUNSWICK, GA.: A U.S. District Court jury returned a unanimous verdict of guilty to all charges lodged against an illegal alien for his role in a conspiracy to kill a whistleblower who exposed a multi-million-dollar scheme to fraudulently employ undocumented workers.

Juan Rangel-Rubio, 45, of Rincon, a citizen of Mexico illegally present in the United States, was found guilty after a five-day trial of Conspiracy to Retaliate Against a Witness; Conspiracy to Kill a Witness; Conspiracy to Conceal, Harbor and Shield Illegal Aliens; and Money Laundering Conspiracy, said David H. Estes, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. The charges carry a statutory minimum sentence of life in prison, and there is no parole in the federal system.

Two co-defendants – Higinio Perez-Bravo, 52, of Savannah, and Rangel-Rubio’s brother, Pablo Rangel-Rubio, 53, of Rincon, await sentencing after pleading guilty in the conspiracy 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.

“This jury verdict brings resounding resolution to any doubts about the culpability of these defendants in this horrific conspiracy to kill a man who threatened their illegal and lucrative labor-trafficking scheme,” said U.S. Attorney Estes. “We commend our law enforcement partners who solved this brutal murder and paved the way to holding these criminals accountable.”

As reflected in court records and evidence presented to the jury, 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, Juan Rangel-Rubio – also a Mexican citizen illegally present in the United States – 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. 

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.  

Sentencings for all three defendants will begin in November in U.S. District Court.

“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.”

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 is being prosecuted for the United States by Southern District of Georgia Assistant U.S. Attorneys, including Tania D. Groover.

SAVANNAH, GA:  Two Assistant U.S. Attorneys have been named to lead the efforts in the Southern District of Georgia in connection with the U.S. Department of Justice’s nationwide 2022 Election Day Program. 

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Channell V. Singh and Jeremiah L. Johnson have been appointed to serve as the District Election Officers (DEOs) for the Southern District of Georgia, said David H. Estes, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. In that capacity, they are responsible for overseeing the District’s handling of election day complaints of voting rights concerns, threats of violence to election officials or staff, and reports of election fraud, in consultation with Justice Department Headquarters in Washington, D.C.

“Every citizen must be able to vote without interference or discrimination and to have that vote counted in a fair and free election,” U.S. Attorney Estes said. “Similarly, election officials and staff must be able to serve without being subject to unlawful threats of violence. Our office will work tirelessly to protect the integrity of the election process.”

The Department of Justice has an important role in deterring and combatting discrimination and intimidation at the polls, threats of violence directed at election officials and poll workers, and election fraud. The Department will address these violations wherever they occur. The Department’s longstanding Election Day Program furthers these goals and seeks to ensure public confidence in the electoral process by providing local points of contact within the Department for the public to report possible federal election law violations.

Federal law protects against such crimes as threatening violence against election officials or staff, intimidating or bribing voters, buying and selling votes, impersonating voters, altering vote tallies, stuffing ballot boxes, and marking ballots for voters against their wishes or without their input. It also contains special protections for the rights of voters, and provides that they can vote free from interference, including intimidation, and other acts designed to prevent or discourage people from voting or voting for the candidate of their choice. The Voting Rights Act protects the right of voters to mark their own ballot, or to be assisted by a person of their choice where voters need assistance because of disability or inability to read or write in English.  

In order to respond to complaints of voting rights concerns and election fraud during the upcoming election, and to ensure that such complaints are directed to the appropriate authorities, the District Election Officers will be on duty in the Southern District of Georgia while the polls are open and can be reached at 912-652-4422. 

In addition, the FBI will have special agents available in each field office and resident agency throughout the country to receive allegations of election fraud and other election abuses on election day.  The local FBI field office can be reached by the public at 770-216-3000.

Complaints about possible violations of the federal voting rights laws can be made directly to the Civil Rights Division in Washington, D.C. by phone at 800-253-3931 or by complaint form at https://civilrights.justice.gov/.

In the event of a crime of violence or intimidation, please call 911 immediately and before contacting federal authorities. State and local police have primary jurisdiction over polling places, and almost always have faster reaction capacity in an emergency.

AUGUSTA, GA:  The last of 21 defendants in a Wilkes County, Ga., area drug trafficking conspiracy have now entered guilty pleas, wrapping up prosecution of a crime ring that distributed methamphetamine and other drugs in the Southern District of Georgia.

Timothy Derrick Pettus, a/k/a “TP,” 54, of Duluth, Ga., awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute, and to Distribute, Methamphetamine, Cocaine, and Marijuana, said David H. Estes, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. Pettus’ plea represents the final determination of guilt for the 21 defendants indicted in July 2021 in USA v. Wynn et. al, dubbed Operation Wynner Storm.

“The teamwork of the Wilkes County Sheriff’s Office with other local, state, and federal agencies identified and dismantled a violence-prone criminal organization distributing dangerous drugs throughout a largely rural northern part of the Southern District of Georgia,” said U.S. Attorney Estes. “Our communities are safer with these gun-carrying meth merchants off the streets.”

Initiated by the Wilkes County Sheriff’s Office and the FBI Safe Streets Task Force and coordinated through the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF), Operation Wynner Storm targeted gang-related drug trafficking in the Wilkes, Lincoln and McDuffie County areas north of Augusta, culminating in a 51 count federal indictment. An additional 18 defendants were prosecuted on related state charges.

The two-year investigation began in September 2019 with information that the conspirators, led by Exjaben Demontaz Hardman, a/k/a “Zay,” 43, of Washington, Ga., Calvin Terrill Wynn, a/k/a “Swang Lo,” a/k/a “Lo,” 34, of Washington, and others, were distributing large amounts of methamphetamine and other drugs throughout the greater Wilkes County area using a network of street dealers. After months of investigation and controlled purchases, agents conducted nearly 20 court-authorized searches and seized methamphetamine, cocaine, crack cocaine, marijuana, drug sales paraphernalia, cash and illegally possessed firearms.

Hardman is serving a 135-month prison sentence and Wynn is serving a 66-month sentence after each pled guilty to Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute, and to Distribute, Methamphetamine. Other defendants are serving sentences of up to 78 months on similar charges, while Pettus and five remaining defendants await sentencing.

“Citizens in the communities affected by these defendants’ peddling drugs and weapons are immediately safer following their removal from the streets,” said Keri Farley, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “As this exhaustive investigation comes to an end, the FBI’s job is not complete. We will continue working with our partners to investigate and dismantle drug trafficking organizations here in Georgia.” 

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

Agencies investigating the case include the FBI; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the U.S. Marshals Service and the U.S. Probation Office; the Georgia Bureau of Investigation; the Georgia Department of Community Supervision; the Georgia State Patrol; the Wilkes County Sheriff’s Office; the Taliaferro County Sheriff’s Office; the McDuffie County Sheriff’s Office; the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office; and the Burke County Sheriff’s Office. The case is being prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorney and Criminal Division Chief Patricia G. Rhodes.

SAVANNAH, GA:  A Coffee County, Ga., physician has been sentenced to five years in federal prison after he admitted to participating in a drug trafficking conspiracy that distributed massive amounts of addictive controlled substances from pain management and addiction clinics.

Dr. Wallace Steven Anderson, 68, of Douglas, Ga., was sentenced to 60 months in prison after pleading guilty to Conspiracy to Unlawfully Distribute and Dispense Schedule IV Controlled Substances, said David H. Estes, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. U.S. District Court Judge R. Stan Baker also fined Anderson $35,000 and ordered him to serve a period of supervised release after completion of his prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.

As part of his plea agreement, Anderson forfeited more than $200,000 in cash and three vehicles, and agreed to pay a total of $46,378.61 in restitution that includes paying the funeral expense for one individual who fatally overdosed on drugs provided through the conspiracy.

“Dr. Anderson betrayed his oath and betrayed his medical credentials to illegally dole out significant amounts of addictive drugs, including opioids, fueling our communities’ addiction crisis while lining his pockets,” said U.S. Attorney Estes. “We commend our law enforcement partners for their stellar efforts in shutting down this white-coated dope-dealer.” 

Anderson was the owner of Steve Anderson, PC, and Steve Anderson Behavioral Health, both located in Douglas, Ga. In pleading guilty, Anderson admitted that from Feb. 1, 2016, to Sept. 30, 2020, his nominal pain management and addiction facilities distributed alprazolam, temazepam, and clonazepam “not for legitimate medical purpose and not in the usual course of professional practice” by providing pre-signed refill prescriptions prior to patient examinations.

The investigation of the practice determined that the conspiracy issued nearly 160,000 prescriptions for controlled substances while ignoring numerous “red flags” indicating that the prescriptions were not issued for legitimate medical purposes.

Two employees at the clinics, Bridgett Stephanie Taylor, 55, of Broxton, Ga., a Nurse Practitioner who worked under Anderson, and Wandle Keith Butler, 57, of Douglas, a Physician Assistant who worked under Anderson, were sentenced in August 2022 after each pled guilty to Conspiracy to Unlawfully Distribute and Dispense Schedule IV Controlled Substances. Judge Baker sentenced Taylor to 48 months’ probation and fined her $20,000, while Butler was sentenced to 18 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay $2,296.29 in restitution. 

“Americans rely on physicians and other healthcare providers to help their patients and to ‘do no harm.’ This pill-peddling physician and his co-conspirators violated the law and betrayed the responsibilities of their profession by unlawfully dispensing highly-addictive controlled substances,” said Robert J. Murphy, the Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Field Division. “The law enforcement community is committed to stopping unscrupulous medical professionals from harming patients.”

“This case serves as an important reminder that health care professionals have a duty to prescribe medication responsibly to ensure the well-being of patients under their care. Failing to do so can endanger patients and undermines critical, ongoing public health measures to address the illegal distribution of opioids,” said Special Agent in Charge Tamala E. Miles of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “Our agency, working with our law enforcement partners, will continue to hold bad actors accountable.”

“Our job as law enforcement is to seek out those responsible for supplying poison, from the street-level dealers to the professional dealers in lab coats. Years of negligence from three medical professionals causing destruction and pain has come to an end with the sentencing of Dr. Anderson.,” said Jeff Davis County Sheriff Preston Bohannon. “Jeff Davis County, Coffee County, Bacon County and other surrounding counties have witnessed the wave of destruction in our communities. I personally want to thank our county investigators that were involved in this case for an outstanding job, and the federal agencies for trusting our work and integrity. I’d like to congratulate the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and all other agencies involved for a successful case. I pray that the families impacted by this can finally have some closure and peace.”

The investigation was conducted by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration’s Savannah Resident Office; IRS Criminal Investigations; and Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General; and prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew A. Josephson and Bradford C. Patrick, with assistance from the office’s Asset Forfeiture Unit.

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

SAVANNAH, GA:  A former U.S. Army sergeant has admitted he stabbed to death a former fellow soldier whose body was found in his Fort Stewart barracks room in June 2020.

Byron Booker, 29, of Ludowici, Ga., awaits sentencing after 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. In accordance with his plea agreement, Booker faces a mandatory minimum sentence of life in prison, and there is no parole in the federal system.

“Byron Booker murdered a former fellow soldier in cold blood in retaliation for that soldier performing his duties as a service member,” said U.S. Attorney Estes, himself a retired U.S. Army Colonel. “The FBI and the Department of the Army Criminal Investigative Division did outstanding work in solving this despicable crime and bringing Booker to justice.”

Booker’s co-defendant, Jordan Brown, 21, of St. Marys, Ga., awaits further proceedings on charges of Conspiracy; Assault Upon a Member of the United States Uniformed Services; Conspiracy to Retaliate Against a Witness; Retaliation Against a Witness with Bodily Injury; Retaliation Against a Witness with Killing; Murder of a Member of the United States Uniformed Services; and Premeditated Murder. He is considered innocent unless or until proven guilty.

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. As described in the plea agreement, 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 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 collective response by the Department of Defense and the 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 in the Southern District of Georgia,” said Rusty Higgason, Assistant Special Agent-in-Charge of the CID Southeast Field Office. “From the CID forensic science technicians who responded from multiple locations to process the scene, to the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Laboratory and the FBI Crime Lab, who processed hundreds of pieces of evidence, the entire team did an outstanding job."    

“Booker’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.”

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.

DUBLIN, GA:  With a final guilty plea to federal charges entered in U.S. District Court, all charges have been resolved against 30 defendants involved in a Laurens County methamphetamine-trafficking ring indicted just over a year ago.

Robert Anthony Justice, 38, of Chester, Ga., awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to Use of Communication Facility, related to using a cell phone to conduct illegal drug trafficking activity, said David H. Estes, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. With Justice’s plea, 25 of 30 indicted defendants in Operation Monroe Doctrine have pled guilty; four defendants entered Pre-Trial Diversion; and one defendant passed away.

“Operation Monroe Doctrine is a textbook example of a well-coordinated law enforcement operation to identify and shut down a major drug-trafficking conspiracy and alleviate the violent crime it spawned throughout the Dublin area,” said U.S. Attorney Estes. “It speaks volumes that every defendant admitted guilt without trial, and all of them are now being held accountable.”

The indictment of 30 defendants in USA v. Monroe et. al, dubbed Operation Monroe Doctrine, was handed down by a U.S. District Court Grand Jury in July 2021. The operation 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, 32, of Dexter, Ga., the leader of the local drug trafficking organization, 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 seized during the investigation, and abandoned his interest in 54 additional firearms.
• Jorge Hernandez-Pena, 46, of Atlanta, 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.
• David Kates, 46, a Jamaican citizen who was incarcerated at Rogers State Prison, 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, 31, of Dublin, 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 seized during the investigation.
• Carl Davis, 48, 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.

 

SAVANNAH, GA:  Eight more people have been charged in federal court with participating in COVID-19 relief fraud schemes, with two of them pleading guilty.

Each defendant is charged via an Information as the result of ongoing investigations into misuse of the U.S. government’s COVID-19 financial relief programs, said David H. Estes, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. The charges carry statutory penalties up to 20 years in prison, along with substantial amounts of restitution and financial penalties, followed by a period of supervised release.

There is no parole in the federal system.

“Millions of distressed businesses found much-needed financial assistance during the pandemic through the U.S. government’s COVID-19 relief programs,” said U.S. Attorney Estes. “It’s disappointing that others abused these programs not for saving a valid business, but for lining their own pockets.”

The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act was passed into law in March 2020. The CARES Act authorized the Small Business Administration (SBA) to provide and/or guarantee loans to keep small businesses afloat during the pandemic’s financial challenges. Each of the eight defendants is accused of seeking relief payments through false and fraudulent representations regarding their businesses, real or fictitious, in order to receive Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans or Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL).

Two defendants have entered guilty pleas:

• Cortazz Russ, 24, of Hampton, Ga., awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to Wire Fraud. Russ admitted filing two PPP loan applications containing false information in May 2021.
• Melvin D’Juan Williams, 34, of Fort Stewart, awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to Wire Fraud. Williams admitted including false statements in a PPP application in August 2020.

Six additional individuals have been charged via Information, and are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty:

• Salmat Deyji, 26, of Stockbridge, Ga., charged with Conspiracy regarding payments received for filing fraudulent PPP applications on behalf of others;
• Aleska Davis, 54, of Decatur, Ga., charged with Wire Fraud regarding two applications for PPP loans;
• Jimmy Cede, 21, of Savannah, charged with Wire Fraud regarding an application for a PPP loan;
• James Andre Wright, 40, of Savannah, charged with False Statements regarding an EIDL application;
• Calvin Beckford, 28, of Hinesville, Ga., charged with Wire Fraud regarding a PPP application; and,
• Devante Williams, 25, of Hinesville, charged with Wire Fraud regarding two applications for PPP loans.

The cases are being investigated by the Small Business Administration Office of Inspector General, the FBI, U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Division, IRS Criminal Investigation, and the U.S. Postal Service Postal Inspection Service, and prosecuted for the United States by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Georgia.

On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus

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.

 

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AUGUSTA, GA:  The final defendant of four conspirators in an industrial-level pill-production operation is joining his mother and two other defendants in federal prison after all admitted participating in an operation that used pill presses to package and distribute methamphetamine.

Albert Bynoe, a/k/a “Chino,” a/k/a “Bossman Chino,” 35, of Tucker, Ga., was sentenced to 92 months in prison after previously pleading guilty to Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute, and to Distribute, 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 Bynoe to serve three years of supervised release after completion of his prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.

“Multiple law enforcement agencies worked together to identify and dismantle this operation that created and distributed massive numbers of doses of illegal drugs in our neighborhoods,” said U.S. Attorney Estes. “Taking these meth merchants off the streets makes our communities safer.”

Three other defendants previously were sentenced:

• Bynoe’s mother, Cynthia Dessaure-Outlaw, 58, of Grovetown, Ga., was sentenced to 30 months in prison followed by 12 months of supervised release after pleading guilty to Unlawful Transport of Drug Paraphernalia;
• Darnee Cooper, a/k/a “Lafayette,” a/k/a “Lafayette Bandz,” 34, of Columbia, S.C., was sentenced to 88 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release and fined $1,500 after pleading guilty to Possession of Methamphetamine with Intent to Distribute; and,
• Nicholas Butler, 42, of Augusta, was sentenced to 72 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release after pleading guilty to Possession of Methamphetamine with Intent to Distribute.

In 2020, investigators from the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration discovered that Dessaure-Outlaw was unlawfully purchasing large-scale pill press machines and kilogram quantities of chemical binding agents from several companies, some of which were located in foreign countries such as China and the United Kingdom.  Investigators learned that Bynoe asked Dessaure-Outlaw, his mother, to order these machines in the name of her non-functional limited liability company so he could sell the machines and pills for profit.   

In 2021, agents searched Bynoe’s residence in Decatur, Georgia and his rented storage unit in Tucker, Ga., seizing methamphetamine, a pill press machine, pill molds in the shape of a joker and seashells, firearms, drug paraphernalia, and cash. A September 2021 federal indictment charged Dessaure-Outlaw and Bynoe in the operation, along with Cooper, Butler and other members of the conspiracy.

“CBP Savannah will continue its strong collaboration with our partner agencies to safeguard the American public from the manufacture and distribution of illicit drugs,” said Scott Huntley, Assistant Port Director for Customs and Border Protection Savannah.

“This defendant has been removed from the streets and will now spend well-deserved time in prison,” said Robert J. Murphy, the Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Field Division. “The poisonous fake pills he manufactured and sold can no longer harm would-be users. DEA and its law enforcement partners are committed to protecting citizens from dangerous drugs.”

“We are committed to working with our partners to get dangerous drugs out of our communities,” said Michael Register, Director of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation. “Illegal and unidentified pills on the streets pose a danger to public health. Thank you to the men and women working each day to bring these violators to justice.” 

The case was investigated by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, U.S. Customs and Border Protection National Targeting Center, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, the Chatham-Savannah Counter Narcotics Team, the Dekalb County Sheriff’s Office, and the Cobb County Sheriff’s Office.  The case was prosecuted for the United States by Southern District of Georgia Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew A. Josephson and Jeremiah L. Johnson.

SAVANNAH, GA:  A South Carolina man who led a conspiracy to steal trade secrets from aircraft companies has been sentenced to nearly seven years in prison.

Gilbert Basaldua, 63, of Hilton Head, S.C., was sentenced to 80 months in prison after previously pleading guilty to Conspiracy to Steal Trade Secrets and Interstate Transportation of Stolen Property, said David H. Estes, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. U.S. District Court Judge William T. Moore Jr. also ordered Basaldua to serve three years of supervised release after completion of his prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.

“Theft is theft, whether it’s a bag full of cash or a digital file holding specialized design information – and Gilbert Basaldua and his co-conspirators are thieves,” said U.S. Attorney Estes. “This sentence will hold him accountable for attempting to enrich himself by stealing valuable information from a private company.”

As spelled out in court documents and testimony, Basaldua worked as a numerical control engineer contractor for an aircraft manufacturer in the Southern District from October 2016 through November 2018. During that time, Basaldua conspired with his co-conspirators to steal valuable proprietary aircraft wing designs and anti-icing testing information from various aircraft manufacturers, including the company where Basaldua worked. The conspirators intended to use the stolen information to quicken the process of obtaining Federal Aviation Administration certification for another company’s product. 

Basaldua was on trial on the charges in September 2021 when he pled guilty during the second day of testimony.

“Basaldua and his co-conspirators betrayed the trust placed in them by their employers for outright greed,” said Keri Farley, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “The FBI will continue to work with our partners to stop people who are out to illegally enrich themselves.”

The case was investigated by the FBI and prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer G. Solari. 

AUGUSTA, GA:  A member of a violent motorcycle gang has been sentenced to nine years in federal prison after pleading guilty to trafficking methamphetamine.

Robert Lewis Coney Jr., 50, of North Augusta, S.C., was sentenced to 108 months in 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 Judge Dudley H. Bowen Jr. also ordered Coney to pay a fine of $2,000 and to serve five years of supervised release after completion of his prison term.

There is no parole in the federal system.

Coney’s co-defendant, Donnie Lee Curtis Jr., 37, of Tunnel Hill, Ga., was sentenced in September to 144 months in prison after also pleading guilty to Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute, and To Distribute, 50 Grams or More of Methamphetamine.

“Violent crime in our communities all too often is fueled by drug traffickers, particularly those affiliated with criminal street gangs,” said U.S. Attorney Estes. “Our streets are safer with felons like Coney and Curtis behind bars.”

As described in court documents and testimony, Coney and Curtis were identified as methamphetamine traffickers during an investigation in 2021 initiated by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. With assistance from the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office, the two were arrested during a drug deal in the parking lot of a motel in Grovetown, Ga., on May 19, 2021.

In subsequent searches of their vehicle and hotel rooms in Grovetown and in Trenton, S.C., authorities seized large amounts of high-grade methamphetamine and multiple firearms. Curtis, a member of the white supremacist Aryan Brotherhood criminal street gang, was identified as Coney’s source of supply for the illegal drugs. Coney is affiliated with the Red Devils Motorcycle Gang, a support club of the Hell’s Angels.

“These notorious gang-related drug dealers distributed poison to the community and caused fear through means of violence and intimidation,” said Robert J. Murphy, the Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Field Division. “DEA and its law enforcement partners disrupted and dismantled this once-thriving criminal network which ultimately led to lengthy prison sentencings.”

The case was investigated by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office, with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Firearms, Tobacco, and Explosives, and prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeremiah L. Johnson.

STATESBORO, GA: The co-owner of multiple bars and a restaurant in Georgia has pled guilty to tax evasion. 

Eugene R. Britt III, aka Trey Britt, 52, of Milledgeville, Ga., awaits sentencing after pleading guilty in U.S. District Court to one count of Tax Evasion, with the plea announced by Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney David H. Estes of the Southern District of Georgia.

“Law-abiding Americans dutifully pay their taxes with the expectation that others will similarly follow the law,” said U.S. Attorney Estes. “Those who concoct schemes to avoid paying taxes for self-enrichment not only violate the law, but place a greater burden on all other taxpayers.”

As described in court documents and testimony, Britt engaged in a scheme to evade taxes owed to the IRS on income from bars and a restaurant he and others owned near college campuses in Georgia. As part of the scheme, Britt and others disguised their ownership in the bars by causing each establishment to be owned on paper by a single person. Britt and the other true owners then shared in the profits by skimming cash and disbursing it amongst themselves.

Britt personally controlled the distribution of cash for three of the establishments. As part of his guilty plea, Britt admitted that for approximately two decades he skimmed cash from his bars and restaurants and did not report it on his tax returns.

Additionally, Britt admitted to engaging in a similar cash skimming operation with respect to sales of beer at a music festival in 2015. Britt ensured that his individual tax return was false because he did not inform his accountant of the cash he received from the bars and the music festival during this year. In total, Britt caused a total tax loss to the IRS of more than $535,000.

“Tax evasion is not a victimless crime,” said James E. Dorsey, Special Agent in Charge, IRS Criminal Investigation. “We all pay when others cheat our tax system. Tax evasion with this degree of trickery, dishonesty and deceit, did not go undetected. Today's plea demonstrates our collective efforts to enforce the law and ensure public trust in our tax system.”

“This guilty plea is a win for all Americans who play by the tax system rules,” said Keri Farley, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “The FBI will not tolerate anyone defrauding our nation’s tax system, and we will continue to work with our partners to hold accountable individuals and businesses who refuse to follow the law.”

Britt faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison, followed by up to three years of supervised release, along with restitution and substantial financial penalties.

IRS-Criminal Investigation and the FBI are investigating the case. Assistant Chief David Zisserson and Trial Attorney Casey Smith of the U.S. Department of Justice Tax Division, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Georgia, are prosecuting the case.

SAVANNAH, GA:  The U.S. Department of Justice has announced more than $2.8 million in grants awarded to agencies and entities to support law enforcement and public safety initiatives in the Southern District of Georgia.

These federal grants include funding for the Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, a key component of the Department of Justice’s Comprehensive Strategy for Reducing Violent Crime, and funding from the Office of Community-Oriented Policing (COPS), said David H. Estes, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia.

“These grant awards will assist law enforcement agencies throughout the Southern District in our continued fight against violent crime, while also supporting communities and agencies allied in our efforts to improve the safety of our neighborhoods,” said U.S. Attorney Estes.

The end-of-fiscal-year 2022 PSN grant to the Southern District of $100,665, administered by the Bureau of Justice Assistance through Georgia’s Criminal Justice Coordinating Council, will distribute funding to Savannah, Augusta, and Brunswick, the three most populous cities in the Southern District, in collaboration with local public safety agencies to help achieve reductions in violent crime, including gun homicides.

“Reducing violence and sustaining those reductions will require strong partnerships between criminal justice agencies and community stakeholders and a shared commitment to the safety and well-being of every community member,” said Office of Justice Programs Deputy Assistant Attorney General Maureen Henneberg. “The investments we are making through Project Safe Neighborhoods will enable every stakeholder to play a part in building safer and healthier communities.”

Additional DOJ grants awarded during the regular end-of-fiscal-year funding cycle include:

Office of Community-Oriented Policing (COPS) Hiring Program:

• City of Swainsboro, $316,653

 

COPS School Violence Prevention Program:

• Lincoln County School District, $274,065

 

Office for Victims of Crime (OVC) Housing Assistance Grants for Victims of Human Trafficking:

• Tharros Place, Inc., Savannah, $750,000

 

Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) grants through the Adult Drug Court Discretionary Grant Program:

• Bulloch County Board of Commissioners, $739,172

 

BJA – STOP School Violence Prevention Program:

• New Bethlehem Community Center, Inc., Augusta, $333,333

 

BJA – The Kevin and Avonte Program: Reducing Injury and Death of Missing Individuals with Dementia and Developmental Disabilities:

• Liberty County, $120,000

 

BJA – The Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant Program:

• City of Savannah, $126,177
• Augusta/Richmond County, $52,106
• Glynn County, $24,527
• Liberty County, $14,242
• City of Waycross, $10,022

 

BJA – Body-worn Camera Policy and Implementation Program:

• Liberty County, $53,940
• City of Thomson, $9,825

More information on the implementation of these grants is available from the individual recipient agencies, and from the U.S. Department of Justice grants information page at justice.gov/grants.

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

Thomas Kevin Robinson, 52, of Savannah, was sentenced to 120 months in prison after previously pleading guilty to 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 Lisa Godbey Wood, who levied the statutory maximum penalty against Robinson, also ordered him to serve three years of supervised release after completion of his prison sentence. There is no parole in the federal system.

“Thomas Kevin Robinson is a textbook example of a recidivist felon whose selfish actions fuel violent crime in our communities,” said U.S. Attorney Estes. “Our neighborhoods are safer with Robinson and criminals like him disarmed and behind bars.”

Savannah Police arrested Robinson in April 2021 following a report of a shoplifting at the Family Dollar Store on Wheaton Street. An employee who confronted Robinson said Robinson pointed a pistol at him and drove away. When police later located and tried to stop his vehicle, Robinson led them on a chase that ended when drove at high speed through a construction zone and crashed into another vehicle. Robinson then ran away and later was found in the backyard of a residence with a pistol on the ground nearby.

Robinson has multiple prior arrests and more than 20 criminal convictions, primarily for drug and shoplifting offenses.

“Robinson, with a lengthy criminal history, once again put innocent civilians at risk during the commission of this robbery. He has repeatedly proven that he has no regard for the law,” said Keri Farley, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “The FBI is proud to work with our local law enforcement partners in helping to convict these repeat offenders at the federal level, where they face stiffer penalties and no opportunity for parole.”

The case was investigated by the FBI and the Savannah Police Department, and prosecuted for the United States by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Georgia.

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.

“As we continue the fight against violent crime in our neighborhoods, removing guns from the hands of convicted felons helps keep our citizens safe,” said David H. Estes, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. “We appreciate the outstanding work of our law enforcement partners in protecting our communities.”  

In the past four years, more than 775 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. In addition, recent federal legislation 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 the June 25, 2022 signing of the law.

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

• Robert Triche, 40, of Savannah, charged with Possession with Intent to Distribute Heroin and Methamphetamine; Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon; Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime; Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute, and to Distribute, Fentanyl; and Possession with Intent to Distribute Fentanyl;
• Maurice Brown, 21, of Savannah, charged with Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon;
• Ricky Maurice Johnson, 35, of Swainsboro, Ga., charged with Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon;
• Steve Shontell Heath, 46, of Hephzibah, Ga., charged with Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon; and,
• William Beau Devore, 21, of Martinez, 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:

• James Hoffman, 37, of Savannah, was sentenced to 92 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Savannah Police officers arrested Hoffman after a foot chase in August 2020 while investigating a report of a man firing a pistol. The officers found a loaded pistol on the ground after tackling Hoffman, who has multiple prior felony convictions for violent crimes.
• Robert Alexander DuBose, 40, of Augusta, was sentenced to 84 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release and fined $1,500 after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Richmond County Sheriff’s deputies investigating a vehicle break-in in November 2020 arrested DuBose after finding a pistol in his pants.
• Elijawan Leysath Rhodes, 29, of Augusta, was sentenced to 33 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release and fined $1,500 after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Richmond County Sheriff’s Office investigators responding to gunfire at a Wrightsboro Road motel Dec. 31, 2021, arrested Rhodes after a brief chase when they found a pistol in Rhodes’ vehicle.
• Michael Jordan Sharp, 31, of Augusta, was sentenced to 36 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release and fined $1,200 after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Sharp was on parole from a felony conviction on state charges for sale of methamphetamine when Richmond County Sheriff’s deputies and officers from the Georgia Department of Community Supervision found a pistol while searching his residence. 
• Kevin Shawn McGahee, 48, of Stapleton, Ga, was sentenced to 56 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release and fined $1,500 after pleading guilty to Possession of Firearms by a Convicted Felon. McGahee’s April 2021 arrest followed a search of his residence where agents from the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and deputies from the Warren County and McDuffie County sheriff’s offices found methamphetamine, drug paraphernalia, and nearly two dozen firearms. Among those firearms was a Glock 9mm semi-automatic pistol equipped with a so-called “Glock switch,” an aftermarket accessory that converts firearms into automatic weapons. McGahee also faces state charges in the case.
• Neqwaun O’Neal Roberson, 23, of Augusta, was sentenced to 46 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release and fined $1,000 after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Richmond County Sheriff’s deputies arrested Roberson in September 2021 on outstanding warrants for state charges, including aggravated assault and armed robbery, and found a loaded pistol in his pocket. Roberson is a member of Loyalty Over Everything (LOE) criminal street gang in Augusta.
• Jonathan R. White, 25, of Savannah, was sentenced to 46 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Savannah Police officers investigating a vehicle crash arrested White after seeing him remove a pistol from the vehicle and learning that White had a prior felony conviction.
• Ziquane Sandford, 24, of Hephzibah, was sentenced to five years of probation and fined $1,500 after pleading guilty to Engaging in the Business of Dealing in Firearms Without a License. Sandford admitted he sold firearms on four occasions without the required license. 
• Charles Dean Jones, 26, of Grovetown, Ga., awaits sentencing 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. Jones had a loaded pistol in a backpack he was wearing.  
• Cody Truitt Devore, 23, of Sylvania, Ga., awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Columbia County Sheriff’s deputies arrested Devore after finding drugs and two guns in his vehicle during a traffic stop in January 2022. At the time, Devore was on federal supervised release for a 2019 federal conviction for firearms possession.
• Christopher Fitzgerald Jones, 35, of Augusta, awaits sentencing 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.
• James Deon Green, 51, of Savannah, awaits sentencing 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.
• Diallow Akpan Johnson, a/k/a “Kevin Williams,” 50, of Savannah, awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. 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.
• Quentin Jashawn Putney, 46, of Wrightsville, Ga., awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Savannah Police officers arrested Putney, who was a back-seat passenger in a vehicle stopped for traffic violations, in July 2020 when they found him in possession of a pistol. Putney has prior criminal convictions that include domestic violence.
• Ryan Nickolus Smiley, a/k/a “Nick Smiley,” 40, of Springfield, Ga., awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition by a Convicted Felon. A member of the Aryan Brotherhood white supremacist street gang, Smiley was on supervised release from a prior federal firearms conviction in March 2021 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.

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/atf-form-4473

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AUGUSTA, GA:  A Columbia County, Ga., man has been sentenced to federal prison after admitting he possessed images of children being sexually exploited.

Mark Christopher Greene, 46, of Appling, Ga., was sentenced to 102 months in prison after pleading guilty to Possession of Child Pornography, said David H. Estes, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. U.S. District Court Chief Judge J. Randal Hall also ordered Greene to pay $18,000 in restitution, to serve 15 years of supervised release and register as a sex offender after completion of his prison term.

There is no parole in the federal system.

“Protecting our most vulnerable citizens is an essential element of public safety,” said U.S. Attorney Estes. “We commend our vigilant law enforcement partners for identifying and shutting down digital predators.”

The investigation of Greene began in December 2019 when the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children received a cyber tip that identified images of child pornography. Armed with a search warrant, agents from the Georgia Bureau of Investigation seized electronic devices from Greene’s Appling residence and discovered dozens of images and videos of child exploitation on those devices.

Greene was on probation for a prior conviction for drug possession at the time of his arrest on the child pornography charge.

“The GBI will continue to work tirelessly to protect innocent child victims of online exploitation,” said Michael Register, Director of the GBI. “We are grateful for the relationships we maintain with our federal partner agencies to bring these offenders to justice.”

The case was investigated by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation and prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeremiah L. Johnson and Assistant U.S. Attorney 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/.

WAYCROSS, GA:  A Coffee County man has been sentenced to 15 years in federal prison after his conviction on child pornography charges.

Ashley Marshall Carter, 43, of Douglas, Ga., was sentenced to 180 months in prison after a U.S. District Court jury found him guilty in June 2022 of one count of Distribution of Child Pornography, and one count of 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 Carter to pay $11,000 in restitution, to register as a sex offender, and to serve 12 years of supervised release after completion of his prison sentence. There is no parole in the federal system.

“Ashley Carter was found guilty by a jury of his peers, and is being held accountable for his crimes,” said U.S. Attorney Estes. “We commend our law enforcement partners for their outstanding work in identifying and removing these predators from our communities.”

As described in court, a task force officer working with Homeland Security Investigations identified electronic transfers of images of child exploitation originating from Carter’s Douglas address. During a subsequent search in February 2021, Carter was arrested after investigators removed multiple electronic devices from the home and identified more than 17,000 images of child pornography.

“This sentence should serve as a warning to those who are viewing, sharing or creating these disturbing images of children being abused,” said Special Agent in Charge Katrina W. Berger, who oversees Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) operations in Georgia and Alabama. “HSI and its law enforcement partners are committed to catching and prosecuting those involved in the exploitation of children.” 

The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the Lowndes County Sheriff’s Office, with assistance from the Candler County Sheriff’s Office, the Coffee County Sheriff’s Office, and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, and prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jennifer J. Kirkland and Jeremiah L. Johnson.

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/.

AUGUSTA, GA:  A Richmond County man and his daughter have been sentenced after admitting they filed fraudulently inflated tax returns on behalf of clients.

Ezra Hatcher Sr., 67, of Hephzibah, Ga., was sentenced to 24 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay $69,682 in restitution after previously pleading guilty to Conspiracy to Defraud the United States, said David H. Estes, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. Hatcher’s daughter, Sherry Hatcher, 42, of Augusta, was sentenced to five years’ probation and ordered to pay $4,141 in restitution after previously pleading guilty to Aiding and Assisting in the Filing of a False Tax Return.

In addition, each defendant is permanently prohibited from preparing or filing federal tax returns for anyone other than themselves.

“Family run small businesses are the backbone of American free enterprise, and the Hatchers could have established themselves as honorable participants in the tax preparation business,” said U.S. Attorney Estes. “Instead, serial scam artist Ezra Hatcher made a business of defrauding taxpayers, and he and his daughter are being held accountable for their crimes.”

As described in court documents and testimony, an IRS investigation of tax preparation services operated by Ezra Hatcher and Sherry Hatcher determined that from 2014 to 2018, their tax services filed 21 tax returns containing fraudulent information on behalf of seven individuals. The returns included false information relating to Schedule C expenses, income, and earned income credits, causing the IRS to issue excess refunds amounting to nearly $75,000.

Ezra Hatcher previously served a federal prison sentence for preparing false income tax returns after pleading guilty in 1998.

“The Hatchers abused their clients’ trust in an effort to fraudulently gain more funds,” said IRS-Criminal Investigation Special Agent in Charge James E. Dorsey. “The sentencing is proof we are holding return preparers accountable. To help detect these schemes and avoid getting a surprise IRS audit bill, it’s important to pick an honest, transparent return preparer and not the one who promises a big refund. Always review your return with your return preparer and ask questions.”

The case was investigated by IRS-Criminal Investigations, and prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Henry W. Syms Jr. and Jennifer A Stanley.

AUGUSTA, GA:  A Chatham County sex offender has been sentenced to more than 10 years in prison after admitting he possessed child pornography.

Christopher Jason Shaw, 43, of Pooler, Ga., was sentenced to 125 months in prison after previously pleading guilty to Possession of Child Pornography, said David H. Estes, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. U.S. District Court Judge R. Stan Baker also ordered Shaw to pay $14,000 in restitution, to serve 25 years of supervised release after completion of his prison term, and to register as a sex offender. There is no parole in the federal system.

“Protecting our most vulnerable citizens from predators is a vital part of keeping our communities safe,” said U.S. Attorney Estes. “Our vigilant law enforcement partners continue to perform outstanding work in identifying these predators and putting them behind bars.”

As described in court documents and testimony, Shaw was a registered sex offender and on state probation in 2019 from a 2010 conviction in Georgia for charges including sexual exploitation of children. He also had a 2005 conviction in South Carolina for charges including committing a lewd act upon a child. An officer from the Georgia Department of Community Supervision, responding to a report that Shaw was in violation of the terms of his probation, visited Shaw’s residence and confirmed the violations.

The officer seized Shaw’s cell phone, and analysis by agents from the FBI and Georgia Bureau of Investigation found several hundred images of child sexual exploitation on the phone – many of them involving sexual abuse of infants and toddlers. Shaw then was federally charged with Possession of Child Pornography, and pled guilty in June.

“Shaw clearly did not learn his lesson from the past charges he was serving probation on involving child sexual exploitation,” said Keri Farley, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “But now, thanks to assistance from our law enforcement partners, Shaw will spend a lengthy time in prison for his repeated crimes where he will no longer be able to violate the rights of innocent children.”

“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 case was investigated by the FBI, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, and the Georgia Department of Community Supervision, and prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jennifer A. Stanley 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:  A three-time convicted felon who held himself out as a pastor, mortician, restaurateur, and tax preparer has admitted lying to receive COVID-19 small business assistance.

Mack Devon Knight, 45, of Stonecrest, Ga., formerly of Kingsland, Ga., was sentenced to 29 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release after previously pleading guilty to two counts of Wire Fraud, said David H. Estes, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. In pleading guilty to the charges, Knight also agreed to pay $149,000 in restitution to the Small Business Administration.

“When Congress provided more than $6.5 billion through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Security (CARES) Act to help small businesses struggling financially during the pandemic, fraudsters like Mack Knight came out of the woodwork” said U.S. Attorney Estes. “With our law enforcement partners, we are identifying and holding accountable these scam artists attempting to steal taxpayer funds.”   

As described in court documents and testimony, in February and March 2021, Knight applied for Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDLs) from the Small Business Administration (SBA) on behalf of multiple Camden County, Ga., businesses. Those EIDL applications falsely claimed that Knight had a series of businesses with hundreds of thousands of dollars of gross revenue prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. Knight admitted that those applications were fraudulent, and he admitted sending fictious documents to the SBA, including a fake tax document and an altered bank record.

As a result of those fraudulent filings, Knight received $149,900 from the SBA on behalf of a claimed tax business, and he used a large portion of the funds to buy a Mercedes-Benz S-Class sedan. As part of his plea agreement, Knight is forfeiting the vehicle to the United States.

Knight has at least three prior felony convictions for other acts of fraud.

“So many businesses needed federal emergency assistance to stay afloat during the pandemic, and this defendant misdirected hundreds of thousands of dollars of that money to his own pockets,” said Keri Farley, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “Mack Knight’s actions affected every tax paying citizen, in particular those who needed help the most. The FBI will continue to make every effort to ensure federal funds are used as intended.”

The FBI investigated the case. Knight was prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jonathan A. Porter and E. Greg Gilluly Jr.

To report a COVID-19-related fraud scheme or suspicious activity, contact the National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) by calling the NCDF Hotline at 1-866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.

The Department of Justice announced guilty pleas by seven defendants in three separate cases in schemes to defraud the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Post-9/11 GI Bill education benefits program, including the largest known Post-9/11 GI Bill fraud case ever brought by the department.

“The Post-9/11 GI Bill was enacted to aid our military veterans and their families on behalf of a nation grateful for their service,” said Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Criminal Division. “These frauds drain funds from a vital veterans’ program and undermine public faith in the administration of government. These cases demonstrate the Criminal Division’s clear commitment to protecting the integrity of federal programs and to holding offenders who would abuse and exploit these programs accountable.” 

The Post-9/11 GI Bill is a VA benefit program that pays tuition, housing, and other costs for eligible veterans seeking post-secondary education and training. Employees of VA-approved education institutions, known as School Certifying Officials (SCOs), are responsible for ensuring the participating educational institution maintains and supplies the VA with true and accurate enrollment, attendance, and course completion records for enrolled veterans; promptly notifies the VA of changes to veteran enrollment status; and maintains compliance with the “85-15 rule,” which stipulates educational institutions (1) charge the same tuition rate to veteran and non-veteran students, and (2) ensure that no more than 85% of the students enrolled in an approved course are funded by the VA. The VA relies on representations made by SCOs in authorizing tuition payments to VA-approved schools and housing and other payments to eligible veterans.

Today’s enforcement action involves SCOs for three VA-approved education institutions who submitted fraudulent claims to the VA in order to obtain millions of dollars in payments in Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits.

“The scope of the fraud uncovered in these investigations is stunning, particularly when you consider the schemes siphoned funds intended for providing legitimate education assistance to former service members,” said U.S. Attorney David H. Estes for the Southern District of Georgia. “We applaud the work of the VA Office of Inspector General in identifying and halting this fraud.”

“Safeguarding Post-9/11 GI Bill education benefit funds reserved for deserving veterans remains a priority,” said Inspector General Michael J. Missal of the Department of Veterans Affairs. “These guilty pleas are a testament of our commitment to working with our law enforcement partners to hold accountable those who would defraud VA’s benefits programs.”

The following charges were announced today as part of this national enforcement action:

United States v. Michael Bostock and Eric Bostock (District of Columbia)

Michael Bostock, 54, of Nampa, Idaho, and Eric Bostock, 47, of Riverside, California, each pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. According to court documents, Michael Bostock was the founder and CEO of California Technical Academy (CTA), a VA-approved, for-profit school that offered technical training programs at three locations in Los Angeles and San Diego. Eric Bostock was CTA’s Director of Student Services. Both were SCOs.

According to court documents, from January 2012 to June 2022, the Bostocks and their co-conspirators made false representations to the VA regarding veterans’ enrollment in CTA’s approved courses of study, class attendance, and grades, and CTA’s compliance with the 85-15 rule. They also falsified course completion records to make it appear as if enrolled veterans completed their programs, when in fact they had not. In order to conceal their scheme, the Bostocks and their co-conspirators falsified veterans’ contact information to ensure that regulators could not contact the veterans by substituting phone numbers they and their co-conspirators controlled. When regulators called the falsified phone numbers to obtain information about CTA, the Bostocks and their co-conspirators would impersonate students.

Between January 2012 and June 2022, when CTA’s VA approval was withdrawn, CTA received more than $32 million in tuition payments for approximately 1,793 enrolled veterans. During the same period, veterans enrolled in CTA’s VA-approved courses received over $72 million in housing and other education-related benefits. In total, Michael and Eric Bostock’s scheme to defraud the VA resulted in a total loss of approximately $104,682,860. This is the largest known incident of Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits fraud prosecuted by the department to date.

Michael and Eric Bostock will be sentenced at a later date and each faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison.

Trial Attorneys Michael P. McCarthy and Lauren Archer of the Justice Department’s Fraud Section are prosecuting the case.

United States v. Robert Lanoue, Judith Lanoue, Kenneth Meers, and David Anderegg (Southern District of Georgia)

Robert Lanoue, 63, and Judith Lanoue, 59, both of Savannah, Georgia, each pleaded guilty to one count of submitting false claims to the VA. According to court documents, the Lanoues were the owners of Scooba Shack, a VA-approved scuba academy located in Bryan County, Georgia, that offered eight courses to eligible veterans. As SCOs, the Lanoues made false representations to the VA regarding Scooba Shack’s compliance with the 85-15 rule, the true hours of instruction for each VA-approved course, attendance and course completion dates, and payments received from non-VA students. To evade compliance with the 85-15 rule, the Lanoues took part in setting up a fake scholarship fund, ostensibly to pay for non-VA funded students who enrolled in Scooba Shack’s VA-approved courses. In fact, the scholarship did not pay out any funds, and instead non-VA funded students were allowed to attend classes for free or at discounted rates in violation of the 85-15 rule. Scooba Shack obtained over $3.2 million as a result of materially false claims submitted to the VA.

David Anderegg, 42, of Richmond Hill, Georgia, also pleaded guilty to submitting false claims to the VA for his role as a Scooba Shack SCO.

Kenneth Meers, 54, of Altamonte, Georgia, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud for his role in orchestrating the scheme to defraud the VA at Scooba Shack and Diver’s Den, another VA-approved scuba school in Camden County, Georgia, which is described in further detail below.

United States v. Theresa Whitlock and Kenneth Meers (Southern District of Georgia)

Theresa Whitlock, 55, of St. Mary’s, Georgia, pleaded guilty to making false statements to the VA. According to court documents, Whitlock was an owner of Diver’s Den, a VA-approved scuba academy located in Camden County, Georgia. As an SCO, Whitlock made false statements to the VA regarding Diver’s Den’s compliance with the 85-15 rule, true hours of instruction, dates of attendance and completion for certain students, and payments received from non-VA students. Diver’s Den obtained more than $1.1 million as a result of materially false claims submitted by Whitlock and Meers.

Judith Lanoue was sentenced to six months in prison on Sept. 15.

Robert Lanoue is scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 18 and faces a maximum of five years in prison.

The remaining defendants will be sentenced at a later date. David Anderegg, and Theresa Whitlock each faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison. Kenneth Meers faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison.

Trial Attorney Michael P. McCarthy of the Justice Department’s Fraud Section and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Georgia are prosecuting the Scooba Shack and Diver’s Den cases.

For those awaiting sentencing, a federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. All cases were investigated by the VA-OIG with assistance from the Veterans Benefits Administration-Education Service.

SAVANNAH, GA:  Five people affiliated with Georgia dive shops have admitted submitting false claims to the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) through scuba classes targeting military veterans education benefits.

The five defendants, 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., said David H. Estes, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. Collectively, the five defendants are responsible for defrauding more than $4 million from VA education benefits.

“The scope of the fraud uncovered in this investigation is stunning, particularly when you consider the scheme siphoned funds intended for providing legitimate education assistance to former service members,” said U.S. Attorney Estes. “We applaud the work of the VA Office of Inspector General in identifying and halting this fraud.”

As described in court documents, the five defendants worked in various capacities with the businesses and caused false submissions to be made to the VA. The false submissions misstated the businesses’ compliance with VA regulations, dates of students’ attendance, and hours of instructions, among other information. 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.

“Safeguarding Post-9/11 GI Bill education benefit funds reserved for deserving veterans remains a priority,” said Special Agent in Charge David Spilker with the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General’s Southeast Field Office. “These guilty pleas are a testament to our commitment to holding accountable those who would defraud VA’s benefit programs.”

The defendants include:

• Kenneth Meers, 54, of Altamonte Springs, Fla., pled guilty to Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud, a charge with a statutory penalty of up to 20 years in prison and substantial financial penalties, followed by up to three years of supervised release. Meers was a school certifying official and course director at Scooba Shack from about May 2018 to April 2021, and became a consultant at Diver’s Den around May 2020 and an instructor from about June 2021 to February 2022. In those capacities, 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 used to mask the percentage of students receiving VA education benefits. As part of his plea agreement, Meers agrees that the cost to the VA of the scheme exceeded $3.5 million.
• Robert Lanoue, 63, and his wife, Judith Lanoue, 59, both of Savannah. Each has pled guilty to False, Fictitious, and Fraudulent Claims, a charge that carries a statutory penalty of up to five years in prison and significant financial penalties, followed by up to three years of supervised release. Robert Lanoue and Judith Lanoue are owners of Scuba Shack. As part of their plea agreement, the two will forfeit $270,893.75 from their bank account, funds that will apply toward restitution of more than $3.2 million in losses to the VA.
• David Anderegg, 42, of Richmond Hill, Ga., pled guilty to False, Fictitious, and Fraudulent Claims. He is the store manager, instructor, and a school certifying official of Scooba Shack.
• Theresa Whitlock, 55, of St. Marys, Ga., pled guilty to False Statement, a charge that carries a statutory penalty of up to five years in prison. 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. As part of any restitution, Whitlock agrees to forfeit $64,260.30 seized from Diver’s Den’s bank accounts.

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

SAVANNAH, GA: Six 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 many of our communities continue to fight violent crime, it is vital that law enforcement agencies work together to remove criminals with guns from our streets,” said David H. Estes, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. “We will continue to hold accountable those who endanger our neighborhoods by illegally possessing and using firearms.”   

In the past four years, more than 770 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.

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

• Terran L. Jones, 25, of Fort Myers, Fla., charged with Possession with Intent to Distribute Marijuana, and Using and Carrying a Firearm During and in Relation to a Drug Trafficking Crime; and Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon;
• Joshua Jerome Russell, 27, of Swainsboro, Ga., charged with Possession of a Firearm in a School Zone, and Discharge of a Firearm in a School Zone;
• Windsor Hodge, 64, of Martinez, Ga., charged with Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon;
• Nicholas Robinson, 22, of Savannah, charged with three counts of Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon;
• Donald D. Walker, 27, of Hinesville, Ga., charged with False Statement During the Attempted Purchase of a Firearm;
• Carl Williams, 52, of Savannah, charged with Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon; and,

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:

• Deon McWhorter, 36, of Brunswick, was sentenced to 82 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Brunswick Police officers found McWhorter asleep at the wheel of his vehicle, which was parked in the roadway, in August 2020; while taking McWhorter into custody, offices found a pistol in his pocket.
• Jamie Lee Cogan, 38, of Thomson, Ga., was sentenced to 77 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release and fined $1,500 after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Columbia County Sheriff’s deputies arrested Cogan in April 2021 after finding him in possession of a pistol. Cogan was being sought at the time by Pickens County, Ga., authorities on a warrant for violating probation.
• Pernell D. Scott, 33, of Hephzibah, Ga., was sentenced to 36 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release and fined $1,500 after pleading guilty to with Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Richmond County Sheriff’s deputies arrested Scott after an October 2019 traffic stop when he was found in possession of a pistol.
• Willie Joe Liddell, 38, of Augusta, was sentenced to 30 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Richmond County Sheriff’s deputies were assisting the U.S. Marshals Service in arresting Liddell on an outstanding warrant when they discovered a pistol in Liddell’s jacket pocket.
• Shaquille Green, a/k/a “OC,” a/k/a “Scrill Rip Chop,” 28, of Savannah, was sentenced to 24 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Savannah Police arrested Green in October 2021 after investigating a report of a man brandishing a pistol during a youth football game.

• James Wayne Cooper Jr., 37, of Waynesboro, Ga., awaits sentencing 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.
• Harry Telfair, 60, of Savannah, awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Savannah Police officers arrested Telfair March 5, 2021, after a domestic violence report in which Telfair fired multiple shots inside his home while others were present.

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

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

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

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

For any questions, please contact Barry Paschal at the U.S. Attorney’s Office at (912) 652-4422.

107-22

SAVANNAH, GA:  A Chatham County man faces a substantial prison sentence after admitting to the four armed robberies of convenience stores.

Jacob Bragg, 20, of Savannah, awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to Conspiracy to Interfere with Commerce by Robbery, and Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Crime of Violence, said David H. Estes, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. The plea subjects Bragg to a possible sentence of up to life in prison, along with substantial financial penalties and restitution, followed by up to five years of supervised release upon completion of any term in prison.

There is no parole in the federal system.

“Jacob Bragg terrorized employees and customers of private businesses in his week-long crime spree and is now being held accountable,” said U.S. Attorney Estes. “We commend our law enforcement partners for their quick resolution to this case and for taking this violent, armed criminal off of our streets.”

As described in court documents and testimony, from Oct. 9 to Oct. 16, 2021, Bragg and a co-conspirator brandished handguns and threatened employees to rob three Garden City and Pooler convenience stores – one of them twice.

U.S. District Court Judge R. Stan Baker will schedule Bragg for sentencing after U.S. Probation Services completes a pre-sentencing investigation.

“Carrying weapons into peaceful places of business and terrifying hard-working citizens is something the FBI and our law enforcement partners will make every effort to prosecute and punish,” said Keri Farley, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “We are fortunate that no innocent victims were hurt as a result of Bragg’s selfish desire for wealth.”

The case was investigated by the FBI, the Savannah Police Department, the Pooler Police Department and the Garden City Police Department, and prosecuted for the United States by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Georgia.

AUGUSTA, GA:  A member of a violent white supremacist street gang has been sentenced to more than a decade in federal prison after pleading guilty to trafficking methamphetamine.

Donnie Lee Curtis Jr., 37, of Tunnel Hill, Ga., was sentenced to 144 months in 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 Judge Dudley H. Bowen also fined Curtis $1,500 and ordered him to serve five years of supervised release after completion of his prison term.

There is no parole in the federal system.

“Drug-trafficking felons are a malignant source of a significant amount of the violent crime in our communities,” said U.S. Attorney Estes. “With our law enforcement partners, we will make our streets safer by identifying and removing these criminals from our neighborhoods.”

Curtis’ co-defendant, Robert Lewis Coney Jr., 50, of North Augusta, S.C., faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison, up to life, after also previously pleading guilty to Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute, and To Distribute, 50 Grams or More of Methamphetamine.

As described in court documents and testimony, Curtis and Coney were identified as methamphetamine traffickers during an investigation in 2021 initiated by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. With assistance from the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office, the two were arrested during a drug deal in the parking lot of a motel in Grovetown, Ga., on May 19, 2021.

In subsequent searches of their vehicle and hotel rooms in Grovetown and in Trenton, S.C., authorities seized large amounts of high-grade methamphetamine and multiple firearms. Curtis, a member of the Aryan Brotherhood criminal street gang who was on felony probation on state drug charges at the time of his arrest, was identified as Coney’s source of supply for the illegal drugs.

“Residents in Augusta and elsewhere can sleep better tonight knowing that this violent ‘meth’ distributor can no longer peddle insidious drugs on the streets,” said Robert J. Murphy, the Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Field Division. “The DEA and its law enforcement partners presented a united front to protect our communities by bringing these dangerous drug traffickers to justice.”

The case was investigated by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office, with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Firearms, Tobacco, and Explosives, and prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeremiah L. Johnson.

AUGUSTA, GA:  All four defendants in an Augusta methamphetamine-trafficking ring await sentencing now that the conspiracy’s lead defendant has admitted guilt.

Magnum Jelani Neely, 38, of Millen, Ga., an inmate at Dooly State Prison, awaits sentencing after 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. Neely’s guilty plea subjects him to a minimum statutory sentence of 10 years in prison, up to life, along with substantial financial penalties and a minimum of five years of supervised release after completion of any prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.

“With substantial assistance from co-conspirators, Neely was able to direct a high volume of meth distribution even as he served a 10-year state sentence for violent crime,” said U.S. Attorney Estes. “This investigation shut down his operation, and federal sentences will ensure these traffickers are held accountable for their crimes.”

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. The Georgia Department of Corrections assisted in the investigation, and Neely and three co-conspirators were indicted in April 2022.

The three co-conspirators include:

• Patricia Gregory, 45, of Augusta, awaits sentencing 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, awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute, and to Distribute, 50 Grams or More of Methamphetamine; and,
• Yvonne Smith, 57, of Augusta – mother of Fanesia Smith – faces a statutory sentence of up to three years in prison after pleading guilty to Misprision of a Felony for knowing of, and helping to conceal, the criminal activity of the conspiracy.

Each of the defendants will be sentenced by U.S. District Court Chief Judge J. Randal Hall after completion of a pre-sentence investigation by U.S. Probation Services.

“The ringleader of a once-thriving methamphetamine ring profited by spreading this insidious poison throughout Richmond County and elsewhere, all while serving a prison sentence,” said Robert J. Murphy, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Field Division. “But DEA and its law enforcement partners are committed to holding criminals accountable, no matter whether they're locked up or on the streets.” 

“Any type of criminal activity perpetrated from behind the walls of our facilities will not be tolerated, and we appreciate the support and assistance of our law enforcement partners on every level, in our efforts to see that justice is being served on those who pose a threat to the safety of the public and the operations of our facilities,” said Georgi Department of Corrections Commissioner Timothy C. Ward.

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

BRUNSWICK, GA:  A Glynn County woman has been sentenced to federal prison after admitting to her role in a conspiracy to use fraudulent prescriptions to obtain thousands of pills, including opioids, for street distribution.

Teresa Hickman, 49, of Brunswick, was sentenced to 38 months in prison after pleading guilty to Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute, and to Distribute, a Controlled Substance, said David H. Estes, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. U.S. District Court Judge Lisa Godbey Wood also ordered Hickman to serve three years of supervised release after completion of her prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.

“Americans continue to die in record numbers from drug overdoses, and drug traffickers like Teresa Hickman pour gasoline on this raging epidemic,” said U.S. Attorney Estes. “Our law enforcement partners continue to do outstanding work in identifying and shutting down those who profit from such misery.”

As described in court documents and testimony, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration began investigating Hickman in April 2020 after receiving reports that she was fraudulently obtaining large numbers of prescriptions from a pharmacy in Jacksonville, Fla., using the real names and DEA registration numbers of doctors who were unaware of the practice.

Agents investigating the case identified more than 300 fraudulent prescriptions filled through the conspiracy, many of them for highly addictive opioids. The drugs were then sold to drug users.

“Although these pills came from pharmacies, the prescriptions were fake,” said Robert J. Murphy, the Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Field Division. “Teresa Hickman had no business obtaining and distributing these highly addictive drugs.”

“The Glynn County Sheriff’s Office appreciates the coordinated efforts of the Drug Enforcement Administration in fighting the opioid epidemic that is destroying our community,” said Glynn County Sheriff Neal Jump. “Our office will continue to work with our partner agencies to fight this ongoing battle.”

The case was investigated by the Savannah Office of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, the Glynn County Sheriff’s Office, and the Brunswick Police Department, and prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew A. Josephson.

STATESBORO, GA:  A South Carolina man who referred to himself and his girlfriend as the “modern-day Bonnie and Clyde” has admitted using information gleaned 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., awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to Conspiracy to Commit Mail, Wire, and Bank Fraud, said David H. Estes, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. Stephanie Michelle Lea Napier, 29, also of Chesterfield, awaits sentencing after previously pleading guilty to Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud.

“These thefts weren’t just a matter of swiping letters from private citizens’ rural mailboxes; Boatwright and Napier took their crimes several steps further by using that mail to steal sensitive information and individuals’ identities,” said U.S. Attorney Estes. “They will now be held accountable for invading the privacy and financial security of innocent victims.”

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 nearly $1.5 million.

“The United States Postal Inspection Service mission is to defend the mail system from criminal misuse,” said Juan A. Vargas, Acting Inspector in Charge of the Miami Division. “Postal Inspectors and our law enforcement partners will continue to be vigilant investigating and pursuing mail thieves.”

“Even the most cunning criminals can’t elude the team effort of the federal, state and local law enforcement agencies tasked with pursuing them,” said U.S. Secret Service Resident Agent in Charge Craig Reno. “This case should serve as a deterrent to fraudsters that you can’t escape the long arm of the law.”

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 Jonathan A. Porter.

SAVANNAH, GA:  A Telfair County woman has been sentenced to federal prison after admitting she participated in a scheme to fraudulently obtain millions of dollars in COVID-19 relief funds.

Shakeena Hamilton, 34, of McRae, Ga., was sentenced to 60 months in prison after she previously pled guilty to Conspiracy to Commit an Offense Against the U.S. Government, said David H. Estes, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. Hamilton admitted helping others to fraudulently apply for Paycheck Protection Plan (PPP) relief under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act, and to receiving kickbacks from the co-conspirators in return for her assistance. U.S. District Court Judge Dudley H. Bowen ordered Hamilton to pay $2,511,489.07 in restitution, and to serve three years of supervised release after completion of her prison term.

There is no parole in the federal system. 

“Shakeena Hamilton not only perpetrated fraud and stole from the taxpayers of the United States, but assisted others in defrauding a program set up to assist small businesses struggling during the global pandemic,” said U.S. Attorney Estes. “In collaboration with our law enforcement partners, we continue identifying and holding accountable those who are intent on exploiting these programs for their own profit.”

Since passage of the 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 charged nearly 40 defendants for fraudulently obtaining PPP funding or Economic Injury Disaster Loans through Small Business Administration.

“Using SBA programs fraudulently undermines the spirit and true intent of bolstering the backbone of the nation’s economy – small businesses,” said SBA OIG’s Eastern Region Special Agent in Charge Amaleka McCall-Brathwaite. “OIG is focused on rooting out bad actors in these vital SBA programs. I want to thank the Department of Justice and our law enforcement partners for their dedication and commitment to seeing justice served.”

The case was investigated by 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:  The number of defendants charged with illegally obtaining pandemic relief funds continues to rise in the Southern District of Georgia as investigators identify those who used fraud to receive government payments.

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 charged nearly 40 defendants for fraudulently obtaining Paycheck Protection Plan (PPP) funding or Economic Injury Disaster Loans through Small Business Administration.

“The CARES Act provided a vital safety net for small businesses during months of pandemic-related disruptions,” said David H. Estes, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. “In coordination with our law enforcement partners, we continue to identify and hold accountable those who obtained funding to which they weren’t entitled and in violation of the law.”

Defendants recently charged in the Southern District include:

• Roshawnda Richardson, 29, of Waverly, Ga., pled guilty to an Information charging her with Wire Fraud. Richardson admitted participating in a scheme to fraudulently obtain PPP funding for two businesses. 
• Jerrod Bellamy, 25, of Savannah, pled guilty to an Information charging him with Conspiracy and Filing a False Tax Return. Bellamy admitted he provided false information in his personal tax return, fraudulently obtained a 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.
• Lesley Anne McCray, 31, of Fort Stewart, is charged via Information alleging she committed Wire Fraud. The Information alleges she provided false information to obtain PPP funding. 
• Christopher Sylvester, 29, of Columbia, S.C., is charged via Information with Wire Fraud. Sylvester is alleged to have provided false information in a PPP application to receive relief funding.
• Monique Stoddart, 30, of Hinesville, Ga., is charged via Information with Wire Fraud. Stoddart is alleged to have provided fraudulent information and false tax forms in an application to receive PPP funding.

The defendants face possible penalty ranges of up to 20 years in prison.  As alleged in the charges and reflected in testimony and court documents, the fraudulent loan applications in these cases combined to cause lenders to pay nearly $400,000 to defendants and co-conspirators. 

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

“Army CID takes all attempts at committing fraud against the federal government by active duty or Department of the Army civilians seriously. This case is an example of the lengths our investigators and law enforcement partners will go to bring perpetrators to justice,” said Acting Resident Agent in Charge Jennifer Coleman of the Southeast Fraud Resident Agency, U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Division.

“Providing false information to gain access to SBA programs intended for victims of disasters is unacceptable,” said SBA OIG’s Eastern Region Special Agent in Charge Amaleka McCall-Brathwaite. “OIG is focused on rooting out bad actors in these vital SBA programs. I want to thank the Department of Justice and our law enforcement partners for their dedication and commitment to seeing justice served.”

“IRS-Criminal Investigation is dedicated to ensuring COVID-19 relief funds are going to those who really need it,” said IRS-Criminal Investigation Special Agent in Charge James E. Dorsey. “We have a financial expertise that assists our law enforcement partners in these types of cases.  Together we will continue to show the public the value we bring to our community ensuring these federal relief funds are going to the real small business owners in need, not to greedy criminals.”

“The U.S. Secret Service along with our law enforcement partners remain committed in the fight to defend the nation’s financial security, and we stand ready to protect our economic infrastructure from those that choose to feloniously exploit it,” said Craig Reno, Resident Agent in Charge of the Savannah Resident Office.” The Secret Service and our law enforcement partners will investigate and criminally prosecute such fraud to the fullest extent of the law.”

The cases are being investigated by the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Division, 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:  A Chatham County man faces a possible sentence of at least 15 years in prison after a federal jury convicted him of illegally carrying a gun.

Dontray Lewis, 43, of Savannah, was convicted after a three-day jury trial on one count of Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon, said David H. Estes, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. If Lewis is adjudicated as an armed career criminal based on his history of multiple felony convictions, he could face a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in prison.

There is no parole in the federal system.

“Gun-carrying criminals like Dontray Lewis are a malignant source of much of the violent crime in our communities,” said U.S. Attorney Estes. “Their claim is always that they need to carry a gun ‘for protection,’ but with our law enforcement partners we will continue to work to protect our streets from gun-wielding felons.”

As described in evidence presented during the three-day trial in U.S. District Court, Lewis was found to have possessed a loaded Glock semiautomatic pistol and additional loaded magazines when Savannah Police officers stopped his vehicle for traffic violations in May 2020. Lewis is prohibited from possessing firearms because of prior felony convictions. The jury deliberated for approximately six hours before finding Lewis guilty.

Sentencing for Lewis before U.S. District Court Judge R. Stan Baker will be scheduled upon completion of a pre-sentence investigation by U.S. Probation Services.

“It is our duty to make this community a safer place for you and your families,” said ATF Special Agent in Charge  Beau Kolodka “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.  One firearm in the hands of the wrong person or prohibited person is one firearm too many."

“This conviction further underscores the importance of our partnership with the U.S. Attorney’s Office,” said Lenny Gunther, Savannah Police Chief. “The successful conviction of an individual in Savannah who was illegally in possession of a firearm is further evidence of the value of the recently approved partnership that will bring on an additional prosecutor to get those committing federal gun crimes off our streets.”

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 Liberty County woman has been sentenced to more than 20 years in federal prison after admitting she produced and shared child pornography.

Sharon Elizabeth Keegan, 30, of Midway, Ga., was sentenced to 293 months in prison after previously pleading guilty to Production of Child Pornography, said David H. Estes, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. U.S. District Court Judge R. Stan Baker also ordered Keegan to pay restitution of $3,000 and to register as a sex offender and serve 15 years of supervised release after completion of her prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.

“This sentence brings to a close a depraved and vile episode of criminal child sexual exploitation,” said U.S. Attorney Estes. “Sharon Keegan and her husband will spend decades in federal prison as they are held accountable for their crimes.”

Keegan’s husband, John Paul Joseph Keegan, 31, of Midway, Ga., previously was sentenced to 295 months in prison after pleading guilty to Production of Child Pornography and Possession of Child Pornography. He also must serve 15 years of supervised release and register as a sex offender after completion of his prison term.

Sharon Keegan entered a guilty plea in April 2022 after three days of trial in U.S. District Court in Statesboro, Ga., while John-Paul Keegan pled guilty in May 2021.

Keegan and her husband were indicted in May 2020 after an investigation launched through a cybertip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children to Homeland Security Investigations. Agents from the Liberty County Sheriff’s Office and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation searched the Midway mobile home where the Keegans resided, seizing electronic devices found to contain images and videos of child sexual exploitation that each of the two had produced and shared over the internet.

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

“Thankfully, this case has been resolved and the victims can begin the healing process knowing that these predators will no longer be able to prey upon them,” said Special Agent in Charge Katrina W. Berger, who oversees Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) operations in Georgia and Alabama. “HSI and its law enforcement partners prioritize the protection of our most vulnerable population, and this case is a great example of us holding those predators accountable for their actions”

This investigation took place under the umbrella of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Childhood, and was conducted by Homeland Security Investigations, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation and the Liberty County Sheriff’s Office. The case was prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jennifer J Kirkland and Project Safe Childhood Coordinator Tara M. Lyons, with assistance from Asset Recovery Unit Assistant U.S. Attorney Mary Sue Robichaux.

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:  A Chatham County man faces significant prison time after his conviction at trial for illegal gun possession.

Raheem DaSheen Jackson, 30, of Savannah, awaits sentencing after being found guilty by a U.S. District Court jury of Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon, said David H. Estes, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. Jackson has at least three prior felony convictions, and if adjudicated as an Armed Career Criminal could face a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in prison.

There is no parole in the federal system.

“Our office and our law enforcement partners are committed to removing violent criminals from our communities,” said U.S. Attorney Estes. “Previously convicted felons like Raheem Jackson know they are prohibited from carrying guns, and our streets are safer with them behind bars.”

Jackson was arrested in January 2021 when he ran from a traffic stop conducted by Savannah Police officers. Jackson, a passenger in the vehicle, fled into a neighborhood with an officer in pursuit, dropping a loaded semiautomatic handgun as he ran. Jackson was charged with illegally possessing the gun after a criminal background check revealed prior felony convictions.

U.S. District Court Judge Lisa Godbey Wood will schedule Jackson for sentencing after completion of a presentence investigation by U.S. Probation Services.

“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 U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.

The case was investigated by the ATF and the Savannah Police Department, and prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Marcela C. Mateo and Noah J. Abrams.

AUGUSTA, GA:  A former U.S. Army soldier was sentenced to 15 years in prison after admitting he distributed child pornography.

Joshua Gamble, 30, of Fort Gordon, was sentenced to 180 months in prison after previously pleading guilty to Distribution of Child Pornography, said David H. Estes, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. U.S. District Court Chief Judge J. Randal Hall also ordered Gamble to pay a fine of $5,000, to serve 20 years of supervised release after completion of his prison term, and to register as a sex offender. There is no parole in the federal system.

“Joshua Gamble could have served honorably in the military, but instead served his own depravity by using the internet to exploit vulnerable children,” said U.S. Attorney Estes. “Our vigilant law enforcement partners continue to perform outstanding work in identifying and shutting down these predators.”

As described in court documents and testimony, in 2021 FBI agents were investigating reports of illegal distribution of child pornography via an Internet chat application. After searching Gamble’s room in a Fort Gordon barracks, Agents arrested Gamble in October 2021. The investigation also determined that prior to joining the U.S. Army in May 2021, Gamble worked as a middle-school paraprofessional in Minnesota. 

“This sentence should send a clear message to anyone who would try to take advantage of innocent children,” said Keri Farley, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “Gamble’s 15 years in prison will give him plenty of time to think about his unacceptable behavior, but more importantly while in prison, he won’t be able to do harm to any more children.”

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

AUGUSTA, GA:  An Atlanta-area man has been sentenced to federal prison after admitting his role in a major drug trafficking conspiracy that funneled cocaine and other drugs through Atlanta to the Waynesboro, Ga., area.

Chadric Antonio Rhaney, a/k/a “Chad,” 42, of Powder Springs, Ga., was sentenced to 88 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release after pleading guilty to Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute, and to Distribute, Cocaine, said David H. Estes, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. U.S. District Court Chief Judge J. Randal Hall also ordered Rhaney to forfeit $68,610 seized during the investigation.

“The success of Operation Washout serves as an outstanding example of the value of partnerships between federal, state and local agencies,” said U.S. Attorney Estes. “These collaborative efforts will continue to identify and remove from our communities those who would drive violent crime through the proliferation of illegal drugs.”

The indictment in USA v. Rhaney et al, dubbed Operation Washout, was coordinated through the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) as the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration developed information about cocaine trafficking from Mexico, through California to Atlanta, and then primarily to distributors in Burke County. Investigators from the Burke County Sheriff’s Office then worked with the DEA to develop the investigation that identified the defendants and led to searches and subsequent seizures of cocaine, crack cocaine, marijuana, drug trafficking paraphernalia, cash, and more than two dozen firearms.

In addition to Rhaney, who was identified as the source of cocaine coming into the Burke County area from Atlanta, two other defendants have been sentenced and four await sentencing after pleading guilty to related charges in the conspiracy. The final two defendants are awaiting trial, and are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

“The sentencing of the lead defendant in this case slams the door on a major conspiracy to peddle poison (cocaine) in Burke County and the surrounding area,” said the Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Field Division Robert J. Murphy. “DEA and its law enforcement partners are committed to tracking down and bringing to justice those who pollute our neighborhoods with illegal drugs.”

Agencies investigating Operation Washout include the DEA and the Burke County Sheriff’s Office, with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; U.S. Probation Service; the U.S. Marshals Service; the Georgia National Guard Counterdrug Task Force; the Screven County Sheriff’s Office; the McDuffie County Sheriff’s Office; the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office; and the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorney Henry W. Syms Jr.

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

SAVANNAH, GA:  A Chatham County man could face up to nearly three decades in in prison after admitting he fraudulently obtained funds intended for COVID-19 small business assistance and possessed illegal drugs.

Brandon Lamar Williams, a/k/a “NH Skilo,” 30, of Savannah, awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to Wire Fraud and two counts of Possession of Marijuana, said David H. Estes, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. Williams’ guilty plea subjects him to a statutory penalty of up to 26 years in prison, and because he has prior felony drug convictions he faces a mandatory minimum of 90 days in prison, in addition to substantial financial penalties and restitution, followed by up to three years of supervised release upon completion of any prison term.

There is no parole in the federal system.

“With our law enforcement partners, we continue to identify and hold accountable the fraudsters who illegally tapped into the more than $650 billion Congress appropriated for small business relief during the pandemic,” said U.S. Attorney Estes. “Brandon Lamar Williams is learning that there is a price to pay for stealing from taxpayers.”

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 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.

Williams also admitted to two counts of possession of marijuana related to an August 2021 traffic stop by Savannah Police, and to marijuana in his possession when he was arrested in January 2022. He has prior felony drug convictions in federal and state court. U.S. District Court Judge William T. Moore Jr. will schedule sentencing following an investigation by U.S. Probation Services.

“Law enforcement is at its best when we all come together to enhance public safety,” said Beau Kolodka, Assistant Special Agent in Charge of the Atlanta Field Office of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. “ATF is always looking for creative ways to work with our law enforcement partners to make our jurisdictions safer together.”

“Fraudsters seeking to use falsified information to defraud SBA programs will be brought to justice,” said SBA OIG’s Eastern Region Special Agent in Charge Amaleka McCall-Brathwaite. “OIG is focused on rooting out bad actors in these vital SBA programs. I want to thank the U.S. Attorney’s Office and our law enforcement partners for their dedication and commitment to seeing justice served.”

Acting SBA General Counsel Therese Meers stated: “I commend the efforts of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Georgia in bringing this case and the results achieved. It is emblematic of the ongoing efforts of federal law enforcement to exert every effort to uncover, and forcefully respond to, fraud committed by individuals seeking to abuse SBA’s assistance programs. Identifying, and aggressively pursuing, fraudulent activity which harms not only the agency’s financial assistance programs, but those in our communities that are the intended beneficiaries of such program is one of SBA’s top priorities.”

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.

BRUNSWICK, GA:  A Glynn County man was sentenced in federal court after admitting that he threatened to blow up an IRS office in New York.

Benjamin Stasko, 34, of St. Simons Island, was sentenced to time served and placed on three years of supervised release for his previous guilty plea on a charge of Interstate Transmission of a Threat to Injure, said David H. Estes, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. Since his arrest in July 2020, Stasko has been in federal custody for a total of 21 months – slightly longer than the period of custody recommended under federal sentencing guidelines.

“Benjamin Stasko’s sentence includes a requirement for substance abuse treatment, which tackles the rationale behind his ill-advised, dangerous threat,” said U.S. Attorney Estes. “Considering the massive law enforcement response generated by his actions, it’s fortunate that the episode ended safely.”

Stasko admitted that on July 6, 2020, he posted a comment on a federal agency’s website, alleging that a pipe bomb had been planted in the Ted Weiss Federal Building in New York, New York, as a threat directed toward the Internal Revenue Service. Federal Protective Service officers with bomb sniffing dogs and officers from the New York Police Department searched the facility and found no explosives. Investigators later located and arrested Stasko in St. Simons.

“The safety of Internal Revenue Service employees and property is one of the statutory roles of the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration,” said J. Russell George, the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration.  “Attempts to interfere with IRS employees engaged in the performance of their official duties are aggressively pursued. We appreciate the efforts of the U.S. Attorney’s Office and our law enforcement partners in assisting to protect the integrity of federal tax administration.”

The case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Treasury, Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration; the New York Police Department; and the Glynn County Police Department, and prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorneys E. Gregory Gilluly Jr. and Joshua S. Bearden.

SAVANNAH, GA:  A Chatham County man faces a possible sentence of up to life in prison after admitting to a day-long spree of convenience store robberies.

Anthony Franzel Hamilton, 60, of Savannah, pled guilty to Conspiracy to Interfere with Commerce by Robbery, and Brandishing a Firearm in Furtherance of a Crime of Violence, said David H. Estes, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. The charges carry up to life in prison, along with substantial financial penalties and up to five years of supervised release after completion of the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.

“For 18 hours in a single day, Anthony Hamilton terrorized store employees so he could steal money,” said U.S. Attorney Estes. “Our law enforcement partners did outstanding work in bringing his rampage to a halt, and he now will be held accountable for his violent crimes.”

As described in court documents and testimony, Hamilton was armed with a semiautomatic pistol when he robbed the Savannah Mart on East DeRenne Avenue shortly after midnight on Nov. 22, 2020. For the next 18 hours, Hamilton robbed four more Savannah convenience stores, and attempted to rob another, while brandishing the firearm and in least one instance threatening to shoot a store employee.

Savannah Police officers searching for the getaway vehicle described by witnesses soon located Hamilton and took him into custody without incident, finding the pistol under the seat of the car.

Sentencing before U.S. District Court Judge R. Stan Baker will be scheduled upon completion of an investigation by U.S. Probation Services.

“Thanks to the efforts of our law enforcement partners at the Savannah Police Department and the Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhoods, Anthony Hamilton’s crime spree was brought to an end,” said Keri Farley, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “His reckless disregard for the safety of the store employees and public easily could have turned into a tragedy. Fortunately, he is no longer a threat.”

This investigation took place under the umbrella of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhoods. It was investigated by the FBI and the Savannah Police Department, and prosecuted for the United States by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Georgia.

AUGUSTA, GA: A Rockdale County, Ga., nurse practitioner has been sentenced to federal prison and ordered to pay more than $1.6 million in restitution for her role in a massive telemedicine fraud scheme.

Sherley L. Beaufils, 44, of Conyers, Ga., was sentenced to 87 months in prison after a U.S. District Court jury convicted her of participating in an illegal kickback conspiracy, and five counts each of Health Care Fraud, False Statements Related to Health Care, and Aggravated Identity Theft, said David H. Estes, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. Judge Dudley H. Bowen also ordered Beaufils to pay $1,635,161.61 restitution and to serve three years of supervised release after completion of her prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.

“Sherley Beaufils let greed take the wheel when she raked in massive profits by ordering unnecessary medical devices for patients she never examined or spoke to,” said U.S. Attorney Estes. “She targeted the elderly and medically vulnerable with her schemes, and is now being held accountable.”

As described in court documents and testimony, Beaufils, as a nurse practitioner, facilitated orders for more than 3,000 orthotic braces that generated more than $3 million in fraudulent or excessive charges to Medicare. Co-conspirators captured the identities of senior citizens, identified through a telemarketing scheme, and bundled that information as “leads.”

Beaufils then signed her name to fake medical records in which she falsely claimed she provided examinations of those patients, and then in exchange for money she created orders for orthotic braces for patients she never met or spoke with – including a knee brace for an amputee, and a back brace for a recently deceased patient – and for other durable medical equipment. Beaufils’ fraudulent orders were then sold to companies to generate reimbursement from Medicare.

“Beaufils exploited vulnerable populations, undermined patient trust, and wasted valuable taxpayer dollars in order to maximize her own profits,” said Special Agent in Charge Tamala E. Miles, with the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “HHS-OIG, alongside our law enforcement partners, is committed to investigating and holding accountable those who engage in health care fraud.”

“Beaufils falsified medical records and examinations for her own personal greed,” said Keri Farley, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “We are proud of the work our agents and law enforcement partners are doing to end this abuse of taxpayers and the Medicare system.”

The case was investigated by the FBI and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General, and prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jonathan A. Porter and Patricia G. Rhodes.

AUGUSTA, GA:  Four key defendants in a Washington, Ga., area drug trafficking conspiracy have been sentenced to federal prison, with just two of the 21 indicted defendants awaiting trail while others are serving prison terms or awaiting sentencing.

Exjaben Demontaz Hardman, a/k/a “Zay,” 43, of Washington, Ga., was sentenced to 135 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release and fined $2,500 after pleading guilty to Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute, and to Distribute, Methamphetamine, said David H. Estes, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia.

U.S. District Court Chief Judge J. Randal Hall also sentenced Calvin Terrill Wynn, a/k/a “Swang Lo,” a/k/a “Lo,” 34, of Washington, to 66 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release and a $2,000 fine; Demetrius Antonio Perkins, a/k/a “Dee,” 40, of Washington, Ga., to 63 months in prison and a $2,000 fine; and Sherman Redzuees Blackmon, a/k/a “Shorty P,” 43, of Washington, to 47 months in prison. All three pled guilty to Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute, and to Distribute, Methamphetamine.

There is no parole in the federal system.

“Like far too many rural communities, the Wilkes County area has faced the challenge of gang-led drug trafficking operations and the violent crime generated by those illegal activities,” said U.S. Attorney Estes. “With exceptional work from our law enforcement partners, we continue to identify and dismantle these threats to the safety and security of our law-abiding citizens.”

The 50-count federal indictment in USA v. Hardman, et. al in July 2021 was the culmination of a more than two-year investigation initiated by the Wilkes County Sheriff’s Office and the FBI Safe Streets Task Force, and coordinated through the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF). Dubbed Operation Wynner Storm, the investigation targeted gang-related drug trafficking in the Wilkes, Lincoln and McDuffie County areas north of Augusta. After months of investigation and controlled purchases, agents conducted nearly 20 court-authorized searches and seized methamphetamine, cocaine, crack cocaine, marijuana, drug sales paraphernalia, cash and firearms.

Eight defendants have now been sentenced after pleading guilty, and 11 other defendants await sentencing after pleading guilty. Two defendants are awaiting trial and are considered innocent unless and until being found guilty in court.

“These Georgia communities are safer today because of the removal of the drugs and this gang-led criminal network from our streets,” said Keri Farley, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “The FBI Safe Streets Task Force will continue to use all available investigative resources to identify dealers, whether they attempt to hide in big cities or rural areas, to hold them accountable under the law.”

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

“These sentences are the result of successful collaborative efforts between state, local, and federal agencies,” said Vic Reynolds, Director of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation. “We will continue to work with our partners to investigate gang activity and drug trafficking. It is a priority that we take illegal drugs and guns off our streets to keep our communities safe.”

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

Agencies investigating the case include the FBI; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the U.S. Marshals Service and the U.S. Probation Office; the Georgia Bureau of Investigation; the Georgia Department of Community Supervision; the Georgia State Patrol; the Wilkes County Sheriff’s Office; the Taliaferro County Sheriff’s Office; the McDuffie County Sheriff’s Office; the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office; and the Burke County Sheriff’s Office. The case is being prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Patricia G. Rhodes and Jerimiah L. Johnson.

SAVANNAH, GA: Eleven 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 are prohibited from possessing guns, and with our law enforcement partners we are committed to keeping our communities safe from violent crime by holding accountable those who would violate the law,” said David H. Estes, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia.  

In the past four years, more than 760 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.

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

• Omar Lockhart, 34, of Savannah, charged with Bank Robbery for the March 7 robbery of the Synovus Bank on Paulsen Street in Savannah. Lockhart also is charged with Using, Carrying, or Possessing a Firearm During and in Relation to a Crime of Violence; Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon; and Possession of a Stolen Firearm.
• Darnell Dwight Brown, 30, and Corii Arkheem Bussey, 31, both of Augusta, charged with Assaulting, Resisting or Impeding Certain Officers or Employees, and Using, Carrying or Possessing a Firearm During and In Relation to a Crime of Violence. The case involves a Dec. 9, 2021, shootout in which a U.S. Postal Service vehicle was struck by multiple bullets. The mail carrier who was inside the vehicle was not injured.
• Kerry Akeem Milledge, 37, of Savannah, and Antron Ozier Charles, 19, of Pooler, Ga., charged with Possession of Marijuana with Intent to Distribute, and Possession of Firearms in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime. Milledge also is charged with Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon.
• Zachary Smith, 25, of Savannah, charged with Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon;
• Marshall Lee Cushman, 39, of Augusta, charged with Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon;
• Christopher Fitzgerald Jones, 35, of Augusta, charged with Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon;
• Christopher David Baskett, 46, if Augusta, charged with Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon; and,
• Rondell Smith, a/k/a “Rondal Smith,” 27, of Hephzibah, 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:

• Phillip Allen Loughry, 41, of Baxley, Ga., was sentenced to 120 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release after pleading guilty to Possession of a Stolen Firearm. Appling County Sheriff’s deputies charged Loughry after he ran from a December 2020 traffic stop and dropped a pistol as deputies pursued and captured him. Loughry still faces prosecution for related state charges and revocation of prior probationary status in state court.
• Lamar Harris, a/k/a “Foolie,” 21, of Savannah, was sentenced to 62 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release after pleading guilty to Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute 50 Kilos or More of Marijuana, and Conspiracy to Use, Possess, or Carry Firearms. Harris was one of 29 defendants indicted in December 2020 as part of Operation Deadlier Catch, an investigation into a gang-related drug trafficking network in the greater Savannah area.
• Vesenta Cornelius Watson, 46, of Augusta, was sentenced to 60 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm with an Obliterated Serial Number. Watson sped away from an attempted Richmond County Sheriff’s Office traffic stop in November 2021 and threw a duffel bag from the window of his vehicle. After taking Watson into custody, deputies retrieved the bag and found a pistol and illegal drugs inside. 
• De’Montre Murray, 22, of Columbia, S.C., was sentenced to 46 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. A four-time convicted felon, Murray was charged after a June 21 chase by Glynn County Sheriff’s deputies and the Georgia State Patrol on Interstate 95 for 57 miles at speeds up to 100 mph. A pistol was discovered in the stolen vehicle Murray was driving.
• Antoine Ladson, 33, of Brunswick, was sentenced to 36 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release after pleading guilty to Possession with Intent to Distribute Fentanyl and Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Brunswick Police officers arrested Ladson in January 2021 after finding him in possession of large amounts of drugs, cash and a pistol while loitering near a liquor store.
• Akil Shawron Brown, 21, of Savannah, was sentenced to 16 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release and fined $1,000 after pleading guilty to Receipt of a Firearm by a Person Under Indictment. Savannah Police officers charged Brown, who was out on bond pending adjudication of felony charges on the state level, after learning he was in possession of a pistol while being treated at a Savannah hospital. Brown is a reputed member of Savannah’s 1100 criminal street gang.
• Davonta Johnson, 31, of Hinesville, Ga., awaits sentencing 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.  

• Rashejon B. Curry, 28, of Pooler, Ga., awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Chatham County Police officers arrested Curry following a report of an assault at a motel room, later finding him carrying a loaded pistol. Curry has a violent criminal history including convictions for robbery and gun possession.
• Michael Brandon Sharpe, 44, of Pembroke, Ga., awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine, and Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Sharpe is one of 35 defendants indicted as part of Operation Stranded Bandit, which targeted gang-affiliated drug traffickers in the Southern District. Of those defendants, 27 have been sentenced to prison terms of up to 292 months after pleading guilty; three await sentencing after entering guilty pleas; two defendants await trial; and the case against one defendant was referred to state court.
• Terry Kennard Isaacs, 37, of Beaufort, S.C., awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to Possession of a Stolen Firearm. Shortly after midnight on June 17, 2021, Pooler Police officers found Isaacs asleep inside a customer’s vehicle parked at a repair business, and arrested him after finding a pistol and drugs in a small bag in his possession. Isaacs has multiple prior felony convictions involving firearms and violence.

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

The cases are being prosecuted for the United States by Southern District U.S. Attorney’s Office Assistant U.S. Attorneys, including E. Gregory Gilluly Jr., Jeremiah L. Johnson, Henry W. Syms Jr., Jennifer A. Stanley, Tara M. Lyons, Marcela C. Mateo, and John P. Harper III, with firearms forfeitures coordinated through the Southern District of Georgia U.S. Attorney’s Office Asset Recovery Unit.

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/atf-form-4473.

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