Southern District of Georgia

STATESBORO, GA:  A Texas pharmacy owner is charged in a federal indictment for a scheme that generated millions of dollars in payments for unnecessary, expensive prescriptions through bribes paid to prescribing physicians.

Lucky S. Ott Jr., 44, of Boerne, Texas, is charged with Conspiracy in a one-count indictment alleging that he participated in a scheme to generate revenue by paying doctors to write prescriptions for expensive drugs that were reimbursed by insurance companies, said David H. Estes, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. The charge carries a statutory penalty of up to 15 years in prison, along with substantial financial penalties and up to three years of supervised release following any prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.

“Prescription drug fraud increases health care costs for everyone, including taxpayers who subsidize social safety net programs,” said U.S. Attorney Estes. “With our law enforcement partners, we will identify and shut down operations using illegal means to enrich those who profit at patient and taxpayer expense.”

According to the indictment, Ott was the owner of Boerne Drug in Boerne, Texas. The newly returned indictment by a Southern District of Georgia U.S. District Court Grand Jury alleges that from about 2017 to April 2019, Ott and co-conspirators offered and paid bribes to prescribing physicians in exchange for prescriptions for expensive drugs, including prescriptions to patients in the Southern District of Georgia whose information was obtained through the fraudulent use of a telemedicine call center. Boerne Drug would fill those prescriptions, typically for topical creams and gels, sending the unnecessary drugs to the named patients, and then receive reimbursement from pharmacy benefit managers.

During the time of the conspiracy, the indictment alleges that Boerne Drug and its co-conspirators paid more than $1 million in kickbacks and bribes, and received more than $10 million in reimbursements from insurance programs including Medicare and Tricare.   

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

The case is being investigated by the FBI, the U.S. Secret Service, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General, and the Defense Criminal Investigative Service, and prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jonathan A. Porter and Ryan C. Grover.

AUGUSTA, GA:  A suspended Augusta commissioner was found guilty after a four-day trial of destroying records in a federal investigation, and then lying about it to federal investigators researching the case.

Sammie Lee Sias, 67, of Hephzibah, Ga., who was suspended from his District 4 seat on the Augusta Commission after his indictment, was found guilty by a U.S. District Court jury of Destruction, Alteration, or Falsification of Records in Federal Investigations; and False Statement or Representation Made to a Department or Agency of the United States, said David H. Estes, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. The charges carry a maximum statutory penalty of up to 20 years in federal prison, along with substantial financial penalties and up to five years of supervised release following completion of any prison term.

There is no parole in the federal system.

“Former Commissioner Sias knew his handling of sales tax funds was under investigation, and he deleted thousands of electronic files within hours of a federal order requiring him to provide those files,” said U.S. Attorney Estes. “This verdict demonstrates that no one is above the law, and that there is a penalty for obstructing investigators working to find the truth.”

As described in court documents and testimony, the FBI and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation were investigating Sias’ role in expenditures of Richmond County Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (SPLOST) funds when an FBI special agent served Sandridge and Sias with federal subpoenas between July 30 and Aug. 5, 2019, for records regarding the Sandridge Community Association (SCA), Jamestown Community Center, Jamestown Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (SPLOST), SCA Board of Directors, and SCA Summer Camp. At the time, Sias was the long-time president of the SCA, which operated the Richmond County government-owned Jamestown Community Center.

FBI computer experts testified that within hours of the agent’s visit, Sias deleted approximately 7,000 relevant files from a laptop computer in his possession that belonged to the Jamestown Community Center.

Four days later, during a recorded interview with an FBI agent, Sias lied when he told the agent that he had provided all files in his possession related to the investigation. Digital forensics experts later found evidence of those missing files on the laptop, and in July 2021, a U.S. District Court grand jury named Sias in a two-count felony indictment.

After four days of testimony, the jury deliberated for just two hours before delivering guilty verdicts on both counts of the indictment.

Sias is free on bond pending sentencing. U.S. District Court Chief Judge J. Randal Hall will set a sentencing date for Sias following an investigation by U.S. Probation Services.

The case is being investigated by the FBI and the GBI, and prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorney and Criminal Division Chief Patricia G. Rhodes, and Assistant U.S. Attorney and Deputy Criminal Chief Tara M. Lyons.

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WAYCROSS, GA:  The lead defendant in a Waycross-area fentanyl and heroin trafficking operation has now pled guilty, joining the other five defendants who admitted their roles in the conspiracy.

Eric Lashawn Hayes, a/k/a “Pee Wee,” 28, of Blackshear, Ga., awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime, and Possession of Fentanyl with Intent to Distribute, said David H. Estes, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. Because of a prior drug felony conviction, Hayes faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison, up to life, along with substantial financial penalties, and a minimum of eight years of supervised release upon completion of any prison term.

There is no parole in the federal system.

“Opioid addiction and overdoses, particularly those involving fentanyl, continue to ravage our country,” said U.S. Attorney Estes. “Eric Hayes typifies the gun-carrying drug trafficker whose activities fuel the opioid epidemic and the violent crime it inflicts on our communities. The substantial prison sentence he now faces will make our streets safer.”

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

The investigation culminated in the indictments of the six defendants, all who now have pled guilty. The brother of Eric Hayes, Cyrlus LaShawn Hayes, a/k/a “Dubo,” 45, of Waycross, Ga., is serving 120 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute, and to Distribute, Fentanyl and Heroin; and Crystal Champagne, 34, of Waycross, is serving 30 months in prison after pleading guilty to Distribution of Fentanyl. Three other defendants – Preston Connor Luke, 27, of Blackshear; Renalba Jamar Green, a/k/a “Reno,” 35, of Waycross, Ga.; and Davey Green, a/k/a “Little Dave,” 35, of Waycross – await sentencing after pleading guilty to related charges in the conspiracy.

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

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

WAYCROSS, GA: The imprisoned leader of a criminal conspiracy in which violent criminal street gang members distributed methamphetamine and other drugs throughout south Georgia has been sentenced to nearly 40 years in federal prison.

Jackie Kavaskia McMillan, a/k/a “Bijay,” 41, was sentenced to 444 months in federal prison, consecutive to the life sentence for murder he currently is serving at Dooly State Prison, after pleading guilty in January to Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and to Distribute 5 Grams or More of Methamphetamine and a Quantity of Marijuana, said David H. Estes, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. In the event that the sentence of incarceration ends, McMillan also must serve four years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.

“’Bijay’ McMillan led an extensive drug-trafficking operation while locked inside a Georgia prison, using contraband cellphones and a gang-related network inside and outside prison to distribute large amounts of methamphetamine and other drugs that fueled violent crime in Coffee County and beyond,” said U.S. Attorney Estes. “Ultimately, our network of law enforcement agencies overcame this criminal conspiracy, ensuring that its leader is unlikely to ever walk the streets again.”

McMillan was the lead defendant in U.S.A. v. McMillan et.al, the 57-count indictment resulting from Operation Sandy Bottom, an investigation centered in the Sand Ridge neighborhood on the east side of Douglas, Ga., in an area known as “the bottoms.” Of the 48 defendants originally named in the indictment, 36 are now sentenced after pleading guilty; nine defendants await court hearings related to guilty pleas; two await trial or other court proceedings; and one defendant is deceased.

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 to investigate rising violent crime and illegal drug activity in the Douglas area. The traffickers, coordinated by a subset of the Gangster Disciples criminal street gang, controlled multiple “trap houses” to store illegal drugs, primarily methamphetamine. Those drugs were then distributed throughout Coffee, Bacon, Emanuel, Jeff Davis, Pierce and Wheeler counties, along with other parts of Georgia.

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.  

As described in court documents and testimony, McMillan used contraband cell phones and compromised prison guards to coordinate the drug trafficking operation while incarcerated. McMillan’s primary contact outside prison was his girlfriend, Christina Veronda Alexander, 41, of Hazlehurst, Ga., who is serving a 286-month prison sentence for her role in the conspiracy that included obtaining methamphetamine from a supplier in Mexico for distribution to street-level dealers in south Georgia. Three state prison guards indicted as part of the conspiracy have all pled guilty to federal charges.

“As a result of this case, communities across Georgia are safer and drug traffickers across the region have been put on notice that we will not tolerate efforts to spread these dangerous drugs,” said Keri Farley, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “It is especially alarming that McMillan ran his operation from behind prison walls while already incarcerated for murder. Prisons should be a place of rehabilitation, not a place to continue committing crimes.”

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 are being prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorney E. Greg Gilluly Jr.

BRUNSWICK, GA: A pharmacist and a pharmacy owner have been sentenced to close out the prosecution of a white-coat operation that illegally distributed more than half a million opioid pills and other drugs.

Gilbert Nelson Weise Jr., 58, of Fleming Island, Fla., was sentenced to 46 months in prison, fined $5,000 and ordered to serve three years of supervised release after completion of his prison term, said David H. Estes, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. Weise previously pled guilty to Conspiracy to Distribute and Dispense Schedule IV Controlled Substances.

U.S. District Court Judge Lisa Godbey Wood also sentenced Amy G. Taylor, 43, of Green Cove Springs, Fla., to four years of probation and a $5,000 fine after she pled guilty to Misprision of a Felony.

“These defendants opened the floodgates to opioid abuse by unlawfully dispensing massive amounts of prescription drugs into an uncontrolled environment,” said U.S. Attorney Estes. “They hid behind their lab coats and professional affiliations to become nothing more than illegal drug dealers.”

Five others were previously sentenced after pleading guilty for their roles in the criminal activity which spanned from about October 2014 through June 2017, primarily in St. Mary’s, Ga., and Jacksonville, Fla. David Joseph Muyres, 60, of Fleming Island, Fla.; Mark Alan Ciopryna, 53, of Jacksonville, Fla.; and Silverly Ann May, 51, of St. Augustine, Fla., have completed prison sentences after pleading guilty to conspiracy charges. Courtney G. Gilley, 42, of Fleming Island, Fla., and Rhonda G. Weise, 65, of Fleming Island, Fla., are serving probationary terms after pleading guilty to Misprision of a Felony. The eighth defendant, a physician, was charged in the indictment but was determined to be mentally incompetent to stand trial. 

“Addressing the diversion and abuse of opioids, as well as other controlled pharmaceuticals, continues to be one of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s top priorities,’’ said Robert J. Murphy, the Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Field Division. “The defendants in this case admitted to running a ‘pill mill’ and dispensed large quantities of controlled substances. This investigation was a success because of the spirited level of law enforcement cooperation.”

As described in court documents and testimony, Gilbert Weise Jr. and others conspired to dispense hydromorphone, oxycodone, and hydrocodone, among other drugs, for no legitimate medical purpose and outside the usual course of professional practice, through prescriptions from a nominal pain management clinic known as Coastline Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Inc., in St. Mary’s, Ga.

Coastline generated significant amounts of cash by illegally dispensing controlled substances to drug-seeking customers who typically paid approximately $300 cash in exchange for prescriptions. When pharmacies began refusing to fill Coastline’s prescriptions because of suspected improper dispensation, Gilbert Weise Jr. was recruited to fill Coastline’s prescriptions at Weise Prescription Shop in Jacksonville. 

Evidence presented in court revealed that Weise unlawfully dispensed more than 500,000 pain pills, sold 100,000 hydromorphone pills to a drug dealer for $100,000, and frequently filled stacks of pain pill prescriptions presented and paid for by multiple drug dealers. During the conspiracy, Weise Prescription Shop, a small locally owned pharmacy, was the top purchaser of hydrocodone powder in the United States and the eighth largest purchaser of oxycodone powder in the United States.  Weise Prescription Shop purchased more than 17 kilograms of opioid powder to meet the high demand for opioids from Coastline.

In 2015, Amy Taylor, along with Gilbert Weise Jr.’s wife, Rhonda Weise, and Rhonda Weise’s daughter, Courtney Gilley, purchased Coastal RX Pharmacy in Jacksonville. Coastal RX Pharmacy began filling large numbers of Coastline’s illegal prescriptions shortly after its acquisition. Coastal RX was financed in part with a $120,000 loan from Ciopryna. Ciopryna loaned the money with the understanding that it would be repaid in installments of opioid pills that he could then sell on the street for profit. Each of the three co-owners of Coastal RX Pharmacy admitted that they knew of and concealed the unlawful conspiracy.

The case was investigated by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration’s Savannah Resident Office and Southern District of Georgia U.S. Attorney’s Office Investigator Charles Sikes, and prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorneys E. Greg Gilluly Jr., Matthew A. Josephson and Karl I. Knoche.

SAVANNAH, GA: Nine defendants are among those facing federal charges including drug trafficking and 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), the FBI and the Drug Enforcement Administration, to reduce violent crime with measures that include targeting convicted felons who illegally carry guns.

“The fight against violent crime continues to be an intense focus of our office and of our law enforcement partners,” said David H. Estes, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. “A key part of that fight is our effort to remove guns from the hands of those who are prohibited from possessing them – particularly in the case of previously convicted felons.”  

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 July 2022 term of the U.S. District Court grand jury include:

• Jacob Bragg, 20, of Savannah, charged with Conspiracy to Interfere with Commerce by Robbery; Conspiracy to Possess a Firearm in Furtherance of a Crime of Violence; four counts of Interference with Commerce by Robbery; and four counts of Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Crime of Violence. The indictment alleges that in October 2021, Bragg participated in the armed robberies of four Chatham County convenience stores.
• Quentin Jashawn Putney, 46, of Wrightsville, Ga., charged with Possession with Intent to Distribute 50 or More Grams of Methamphetamine; Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime; and Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon;
• Corinthia Jenae Dansby, 26, of Augusta, charged with Possession with Intent to Distribute 40 or More Grams of Fentanyl; and Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime;
• Jesu Aurelius Fox, 26, of Savannah, charged with two counts of Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon;
• James Travon Walker, 22, of Savannah, charged with Possession of a Stolen Firearm;
• Daquan Dwayne Young, 27, of Savannah, charged with Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon;
• Seth Patrick Anderson, a/k/a “Shane Anderson,” a/k/a “AB,” 37, of Hinesville, Ga., charged with Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon;
• Ryan Nickolus Smiley, a/k/a “Nick Smiley,” 39, of Springfield, Ga., charged with two counts of Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition by a Convicted Felon;
• Charles Deon Jones, 26, of Newnan, 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:

• Shawn Green, 28, of Savannah, was sentenced 84 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. During a May 2020 traffic stop, Savannah Police officers found a pistol under the seat of the vehicle Green was driving. Green has multiple prior felony convictions.
• Treyon Antonio Williams, 31, of Savannah, was sentenced to 120 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release after pleading guilty to Possession of a Stolen Firearm. Savannah Police officers investigating reports of gunshots in February 2021 arrested Williams on an outstanding felony warrant after finding a pistol in his pocket. Williams, an admitted member of a violent criminal street gang with multiple prior convictions for state felonies, was on probation for a conviction on state assault charges at the time of his arrest. He also faces a pending state charge of armed robbery in South Carolina. 
• William McCrae Jr., 43, of Hinesville, Ga., was sentenced to 87 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release after pleading guilty to Possession of a Stolen Firearm. McRae admitted possessing a .38 caliber revolver that he knew was stolen when he was arrested during a traffic stop in February 2019 by Liberty County Sheriff’s deputies. McCrae has prior felony convictions in state court for armed robbery and firearms possession, and was on state probation at the time of his arrest.
• Shakeem Douse, a/k/a “G Street NBA,” a/k/a “Pothead,” 27, of Savannah, was sentenced to 62 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Douse was one of 29 defendants indicted in December 2020 as part of Operation Deadlier Catch, an investigation targeting a violent Savannah-area drug-trafficking network. At the time of his arrest, Douse was on parole from a conviction in state court for firearms possession and drug trafficking.
• Ricardo DeAngelo Norman, 33, of Augusta, was sentenced to 46 months in prison and fined $1,500 followed by three years of supervised release after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by an Unlawful Drug User. Norman was charged in October 2021 as part of Operation Washout, an investigation into a cocaine-trafficking ring in the Burke County area.
• Keyon Quinton Adams, 28, of Augusta, was sentenced to 30 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. U.S. Marshals serving warrants for Adams’ arrest on Florida charges found him in possession of a pistol when they took him into custody in October 2021 in Martinez. Adams still faces prosecution for the Florida state charges, which include attempted sexual battery and armed false imprisonment.
• Johnathon Emanuel McGahee, 24, of Thomson, Ga., awaits sentencing 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.
• Jonathan R. White, 25, of Savannah, awaits sentencing 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.
• Elijawan Leysath Rhodes, 29, of Augusta, awaits sentencing 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.
• Robert Alexander DuBose, 40, of Augusta, awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Richmond County Sheriff’s deputies investigating a vehicle break-in arrested DuBose after finding a pistol in his pants.
• Jonathan McGregor, 46, of Woodbine, Ga., awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine and Heroin, and Possession of Firearms by a Convicted Felon. Kingsland Police officers arrested McGregor in November 2020 after finding a loaded pistol, two rifles, drugs and cash in his vehicle during a traffic stop.
• James Hoffman, 37, of Savannah, awaits sentencing 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.
• Carlos Middleton, 21, of Savannah, awaits sentencing 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.

Agencies investigating these cases include the ATF, the DEA, 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., and Tania D. Groover, 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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SAVANNAH, GA:  A U.S. Army soldier stationed at Fort Stewart awaits sentencing after admitting she led a “prolific fraud scheme” in which she and others illegally raked in millions of dollars from COVID-19 relief programs and federal student loan forgiveness.

Dara Buck, a/k/a Dara Butler, 39, of Ladson, S.C., a U.S. Army Chief Warrant Officer 2 stationed at Fort Stewart, pled guilty to an information charging her with Conspiracy to Commit an Offense Against the United States, said David H. Estes, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. The guilty plea subjects Buck to a sentence of up to five years in prison and substantial financial penalties and restitution, followed by up to three years of supervised release after completion of any prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.

“Dara Buck swore an oath to protect and defend her country, and then engaged in a massive scheme to defraud the nation’s taxpayers,” said U.S. Attorney Estes. “She is now being held accountable for this fraud and betrayal, thanks to the diligence of our civilian and military law enforcement partners.”

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

Altogether, Buck admitted submitting more than 150 fraudulent PPP loan applications to the Small Business Administrating for herself and others in the conspiracy, resulting in more than $3.5 million in fraudulent disbursements from banks to members of the conspiracy. Buck directly received fraudulently obtained PPP funding, or was paid by conspirators for submitting their fraudulent applications.

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

Sentencing in the case will be held before U.S. District Court Judge R. Stan Baker after completion of a pre-sentencing investigation by the U.S. Probation Office.

“Falsifying documents to gain access to SBA program funds intended for the nation’s small businesses is reprehensible,” said SBA OIG’s Eastern Region Special Agent in Charge Amaleka McCall-Brathwaite. “Our Office will remain relentless in the pursuit of fraudsters who seek to exploit SBA’s vital economic 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.”

SBA’s Acting General Counsel, Therese Meers, stated “This is yet a further example of the significant results achieved through the joint efforts of SBA and other Federal agencies 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 the public interest, in general, and, in particular, those in our communities that are the intended beneficiaries of such programs, is one of SBA’s top priorities.”

“CW2 Buck choose to dishonor the U.S. Military and defraud the American people she swore to protect and defend,” stated Special Agent in Charge Cynthia A. Bruce, Department of Defense Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), Southeast Field Office. “DCIS with our investigative counterparts will continue to diligently investigate those who engage in corruption and other illegal acts.”

“This defendant falsified VA disability documents that were, in turn, used to fraudulently discharge federal loans at the taxpayers’ expense for someone who wasn’t even a veteran,” said Special Agent in Charge David Spilker with the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General’s Southeast Field Office. “The VA OIG is committed to investigating anyone who would exploit VA’s programs and services and will continue to work closely with our law enforcement partners to hold wrongdoers accountable.”

“The Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration is committed to protecting the nation’s tax system from waste, fraud and abuse,” said J. Russell George, Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration. “Abusing a Federal program designed to assist Americans in need by fraudulently applying for loans has and will continue to be aggressively investigated. I want to thank our law enforcement partners and the U.S. Attorney’s office for their commitment to this goal.”

“I’m proud of the OIG Special Agents and our law enforcement colleagues whose efforts brought about today’s action,” said Reginald J. France, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Education Office of Inspector General’s Southeastern Regional Office. “The OIG is committed to fighting student aid fraud in all its forms and we will continue to pursue anyone who participants in these types of crimes.”

The case is being investigated by the Small Business Administration Office of Inspector General; the Defense Criminal Investigative Service; U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Division, the U.S. Department of Education Office of Inspector General; the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General; and, the U.S. Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration; and prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan A. Porter and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick J. Schwedler.

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.

AUGUSTA, GA:  A Telfair County man has been sentenced in federal court after admitting he took out a life insurance policy on a woman without her knowledge, naming himself as the potential beneficiary.

Jonathan Seay, 56, of McRae-Helena, Ga., was sentenced to three years of probation after pleading guilty to the felony charge of Unlawful Use of a Means of Identification In or Affecting Interstate Commerce, said David H. Estes, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia.

“This guilty plea and felony sentence ensures Jonathan Seay is held accountable for this attempt to cash in on an innocent victim’s death,” said U.S. Attorney Estes. “It also should serve as a warning to others tempted to try such a cynical ploy at profiting from someone else’s demise.”

As spelled out in court, Seay admitted using a woman’s information without her knowledge or consent to take out a life insurance policy for $250,000, naming himself as the beneficiary in the event of her accidental death. The policy later was discovered and canceled.

“Seay has admitted his wrongdoing and will now be held accountable for his crime of greed,” said Keri Farley, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “No matter the depth of the crime, the FBI will always work with our law enforcement partners to protect our citizens and do everything in our power to stop fraud and restore justice.”

“This type of fraud will not be tolerated in Georgia,” said Vic Reynolds, Director of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation. “We value the partnership with federal agencies to ensure these offenders are held accountable and the victims get justice.”

The case was investigated by the FBI and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, and prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Henry W. Syms Jr. and Jerimiah L. Johnson.

SAVANNAH, GA:  A Georgia woman faces up to 20 years in prison after an indictment alleging she fraudulently obtained funds intended for COVID-19 small business assistance.

Gladys Harun, 43, of Byron, Ga., is charged with one count of Wire Fraud, said David H. Estes, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. The charge subjects Harun upon conviction to a statutory penalty of up to 20 years in prison along with 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.

“Congress appropriated nearly $650 billion to help small businesses struggling to survive during the pandemic,” said U.S. Attorney Estes. “That amount of money rang the dinner bell for those who would exploit the system to feed their greed, and with our law enforcement partners we are holding them accountable.”

As described in the indictment returned by a U.S. District Court Grand Jury and in court proceedings, Harun, who operates a tax preparation business with several locations, is accused of providing “false and altered supporting documentation” to obtain $299,913 in loan proceeds from a California lender through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act’s Paycheck Protection Program.

Prior to the indictment, Harun was arrested on a criminal complaint and ordered detained by U.S. Magistrate Brian K. Epps.

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

The case is being investigated by the Small Business Administration Office of Inspector General, the U.S. Secret Service, and IRS Criminal Investigations, 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 Gwinnett County woman has been charged in a federal indictment with leading a scheme to submit dozens of fraudulent applications for COVID-19 small business relief funding.

Ashlee Parker, 39, of Dacula, Ga., is charged with Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud and Bank Fraud; seven counts of Wire Fraud; False Document; Money Laundering Conspiracy; and False Statement, said David H. Estes, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. The primary charge carries a statutory penalty upon conviction of up to 30 years in federal prison followed by up to five years of supervised release, along with substantial financial penalties and restitution to the U.S. government. There is no parole in the federal system.

“The Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act was funded to help small businesses struggling from the effects of a global pandemic,” said U.S. Attorney Estes. “In far too many cases, however, it has been exploited by those seeking to milk these relief programs for their personal profit. With our diligent law enforcement partners, we will continue to identify and hold accountable anyone who violates the law to siphon money from these programs.”

As described in the indictment, Parker is owner of Proficient Tax LLC, The Harris Parker Group LLC, and AMP Credit Solutions LLC. The indictment alleges that from about May 2020 to April 2021, Parker submitted more than two dozen fraudulent applications for Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL) to the U.S. Small Business Administration in her name on behalf of The Harris Parker Group LLC, AMP Credit Solutions LLC, and other companies. Co-conspirators also allegedly paid Proficient Tax LLC in exchange for Parker submitting fraudulent applications on their behalf for EIDL and Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) funding.

The indictment alleges that “as a result of Parker’s scheme the United States was defrauded out of over $2 million,” and that Parker transferred $13,955 of the fraudulent proceeds to a cosmetic surgery clinic “for a breast augmentation procedure and abdominoplasty with flank liposuction.”

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

The case is being investigated by the FBI and the Small Business Administration Office of Inspector General, and prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jonathan A. Porter and Ryan C. Grover.

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

BRUNSWICK, GA:  A newly unsealed federal indictment charges 14 defendants in a south Georgia drug trafficking conspiracy alleged to have been directed from inside a Georgia state prison.

The indictment in Operation Pope’s G.O.A.L., an Organized Crime Drug Trafficking Task Force investigation, alleges the drug trafficking conspiracy distributed methamphetamine, heroin, and fentanyl since as early as 2018 in at least seven south Georgia counties, said David H. Estes, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia.

All 14 defendants are charged with Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and to Distribute 50 Grams or More of Methamphetamine, and a quantity of Heroin and Fentanyl, a charge that carries a minimum statutory penalty of 10 years in prison, up to life, along with substantial fines and at least five years of supervised release following completion of any prison term.

There is no parole in the federal system.

“The use of contraband cell phones and other devices inside prisons for coordination of criminal activity outside prison walls is an increasing danger to our communities,” said U.S. Attorney Estes. “Our law enforcement partners, including the Georgia Department of Corrections, did outstanding work in identifying and infiltrating this network to bring an end to this illegal conspiracy.”

As described in U.S.A. v. Pope et. al, Operation Pope’s G.O.A.L. alleges the drug trafficking operation began as early as April 2018 and operated in Glynn, Brantley, Bacon, Pierce, Coffee, Camden, and Ware counties, and beyond. Those charged in the indictment include:

• Jonathan Alvin Pope, 38, an inmate at Calhoun State Prison, charged with Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and to Distribute 50 Grams or More of Methamphetamine, and a quantity of Heroin and Fentanyl;
• Christy Renee Pope, a/k/a Christy Renee Dowling, 42, an inmate at Pulaski State Prison, charged with Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and to Distribute 50 Grams or More of Methamphetamine, and a quantity of Heroin and Fentanyl;
• Ashlee Pope, 32, of Waycross, Ga., charged with Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and to Distribute 50 Grams or More of Methamphetamine, and a quantity of Heroin and Fentanyl;
• Lena Leigh Davis, 45, of Homeland, Ga., charged with Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and to Distribute 50 Grams or More of Methamphetamine, and a quantity of Heroin and Fentanyl; and, Conspiracy to Use, Carry, or Possess Firearms;
• Jode Lee Weaver, 41, of Waycross, Ga., charged with Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and to Distribute 50 Grams or More of Methamphetamine, and a quantity of Heroin and Fentanyl;
• Jason Wildes, 40, an inmate at the Ware County Detention Center, charged with Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and to Distribute 50 Grams or More of Methamphetamine, and a quantity of Heroin and Fentanyl; and, Conspiracy to Use, Carry, or Possess Firearms;
• Richard Reginald Perkins Jr., a/k/a “Reggie,” 46, of Nahunta, Ga., charged with Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and to Distribute 50 Grams or More of Methamphetamine, and a quantity of Heroin and Fentanyl;
• Joshua Lance Lee, 45, of Nahunta, Ga., charged with Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and to Distribute 50 Grams or More of Methamphetamine, and a quantity of Heroin and Fentanyl;
• Clark Bennett, 50, an inmate at Floyd County Prison, charged with Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and to Distribute 50 Grams or More of Methamphetamine, and a quantity of Heroin and Fentanyl; Conspiracy to Use, Carry, or Possess Firearms; Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime; and, Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon;
• Sara Elizabeth Laroche, 37, of Nahunta, Ga., charged with Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and to Distribute 50 Grams or More of Methamphetamine, and a quantity of Heroin and Fentanyl;
• Kristina Ashley Montgomery, a/k/a Kristina Ashley Crews, 37, an inmate at the Brantley County Detention Center, charged with Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and to Distribute 50 Grams or More of Methamphetamine, and a quantity of Heroin and Fentanyl;
• Tony Marvin Johns, 63, an inmate at the Brantley County Detention Center, charged with Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and to Distribute 50 Grams or More of Methamphetamine, and a quantity of Heroin and Fentanyl;
• Michael Mancil, 45, an inmate at the Brantley County Detention Center, charged with Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and to Distribute 50 Grams or More of Methamphetamine, and a quantity of Heroin and Fentanyl; and,
• James Edward Lane, 55, an inmate at the Dooley County Detention Center, charged with Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and to Distribute 50 Grams or More of Methamphetamine, and a quantity of Heroin and Fentanyl.

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

The case was investigated under the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) 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.

The investigation is being conducted by the Savannah Office of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; the Georgia Department of Corrections Investigative Unit; the Brantley County Sheriff’s Office; the Ware County Sheriff’s Office; the Glynn County Sheriff’s Office; the Coffee County Sheriff’s Office; the Charlton County Sheriff’s Office; and the Pierce County Sheriff’s Office, with assistance from the Georgia State Patrol, and prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorney Noah J. Abrams and OCDETF Coordinator Marcela C. Mateo.

SAVANNAH, GA:  A Coffee County physician and two of his employees have admitted participating in a drug trafficking conspiracy that distributed massive amounts of addictive controlled substances from a pain management clinic.

Dr. Wallace Steven Anderson, 68, of Douglas, Ga., awaits sentencing 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. The plea subjects Anderson to up to five years in prison followed by at least one year of supervised release and substantial financial penalties.

“Our office remains committed to fighting the opioid crisis that has afflicted far too many people in our community,” said U.S. Attorney Estes. “With our law enforcement partners, we will continue to bring to justice those like Dr. Anderson who use their positions as medical professionals to illegally distribute dangerous and addictive drugs.” 

Anderson is the owner of Steve Anderson, PC, and Steve Anderson Behavioral Health, both located in Douglas, Ga. In pleading guilty, Anderson admits 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.

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, also await sentencing after previously pleading guilty in the conspiracy.

“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.”

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.

The investigation is being conducted by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration’s Savannah Resident Office; the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigations; the Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General; and the Jeff Davis County Sheriff's Office; and prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew A. Josephson and Bradford C. Patrick.

DUBLIN, GA:  A federal prison guard faces the possibility of substantial time as an inmate after being charged with multiple counts of accepting bribes to allow smuggled material into a prison.

Tiffany Fletcher, 35, of McRae, Ga., a corrections officer and counselor at the privately operated McRae Correctional Facility, is charged with five counts of bribery, said David H. Estes, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. The charge carries a statutory penalty of up to 15 years in prison, along with substantial financial penalties and up to three years of supervised release after completion of any prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.

“The safety and integrity of federal corrections facilities demands that the staff of these facilities maintain the highest ethical and legal standards,” said U.S. Attorney Estes. “We continue to partner with investigative agencies to combat the flow of contraband material into these facilities.”

McRae Correctional Facility, in Telfair County, is operated by the private corrections company CoreCivic and houses male inmates under contract with the federal Bureau of Prisons. As described in the indictment, Fletcher is accused of accepting five cash bribes totaling $4,390 from June to December 2019, and in return acted “in violation of her official duties as a correctional officer” by failing to “report or investigate prohibited objects being brought into McCrae Correctional Facility.”

“Fletcher is accused of accepting bribes in exchange for turning a blind eye to contraband being brought into the prison,” said James F. Boyersmith, Special Agent in Charge of the Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General Miami Field Office. “Correctional Officers who engage in bribery undermine the safety and integrity of federal prisons.”

Criminal indictments contain only charges; defendants are presumed innocent unless

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

SAVANNAH, GA:  A Georgia man has been indicted on multiple charges alleging his involvement as the leader in a conspiracy to fraudulently obtain federal COVID-19 pandemic relief funding.

Bernard Okojie, 40, of McDonough, Ga., is charged in a newly unsealed indictment with Conspiracy to Commit Wire and Bank Fraud, Wire Fraud, and Money Laundering Conspiracy, said David H. Estes, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. The charges carry statutory penalties of up to 30 years in prison, along with up to $1 million in financial penalties and up to five years of supervised release after completion of any prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.

“Congress provided funding through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act as a vital safety net for small businesses financially struggling during the global pandemic,” said U.S. Attorney Estes. “Sadly, the significant amount of available funding also attracted those who sought to tap into those funds from greed rather than need.”

As alleged in the indictment, Okojie is alleged to have used information for non-existent companies to file fraudulent applications for Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL) for himself and others from May 2020 through January of 2021, seeking millions of dollars in COVID-19 relief funds for himself and others. Okojie is alleged to have either received the funding directly, or was paid by other recipients of the fraudulently obtained funding for his work in submitting the EIDL applications. Okojie is further charged with conspiring to launder the fraudulent proceeds.

Okojie has appeared in U.S. District Court in the Northern District of Georgia for his initial appearance hearing, but will be prosecuted in the Southern District of Georgia.

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

The case is being investigated by the FBI and the Small Business Administration Office of Inspector General, and prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jonathan A. Porter and Patrick J. Schwedler.

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 former Savannah resident has been sentenced to more than 10 years in prison after he admitted sharing images of child sexual abuse.

Luis Carrasquillo, 40, of San Juan, Puerto Rico, was sentenced to 121 months in prison after pleading guilty to Distribution of Child Pornography, said David H. Estes, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. Carrasquillo also was ordered to register as a sex offender and to serve 15 years of supervised release after completion of his prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.

“Luis Carrasquillo shared horrific images of children who were subjected to sexual abuse,” said U.S. Attorney Estes. “With our law enforcement partners, we will be relentless in identifying pedophiles and holding them accountable.”

As described in court documents and testimony, agents from Homeland Security Investigations received a cybertip in November 2019 from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, alerting them that images of child sexual exploitation were being shared from a Savannah location. Investigators narrowed the origin of the illegal file uploads to Carrasquillo’s Savannah apartment, and he was arrested in August 2020 after he had moved to San Juan. Investigators determined Carrasquillo shared multiple images depicting sexual abuse of children, some of them as young as toddlers.

“This sentence should serve as a warning to Carrasquillo and others like him who delight in the viewing and sharing of these despicable 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 partners are prioritizing the protection of our most vulnerable populations and we will continue to hold these criminals accountable.”

The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer J. Kirkland.

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/.

SAVANNAH, GA:  Four defendants are among those facing federal charges including drug trafficking and 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), the FBI and the Drug Enforcement Administration, to reduce violent crime with measures that include targeting convicted felons who illegally carry guns.

“In our continuing battle against violent crime in the Southern District, an essential element is the removal of guns from the hands of convicted felons,” said David H. Estes, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. “The message is clear: We and our law enforcement partner will not tolerate these threats to our communities.”  

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 June 2022 term of the U.S. District Court grand jury include:

• Deon Brown, 30, of Augusta, charged with Possession with Intent to Distribute Heroin, Cocaine, Crack Cocaine, and Methamphetamine; Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime; and Possession of Firearms by a Convicted Felon;
• Alonzo Ware Henderson, 37, of Augusta, charged with Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon;
• Cody Truitt Devore, 23, of Sylvania, Ga., charged with Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon; and,
• Harry Telfair, 60, of Savannah, charged with Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition 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:

• B’Quan Ferguson, 31, of Savannah, was sentenced to 180 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Savannah Police officers found a pistol in Ferguson’s car during an October 2020 traffic stop. Ferguson has multiple prior state felony convictions, including violent felonies with firearms.
• Kenya Leon Parker, 33, of Savannah, was sentenced to 115 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release after pleading guilty to Possession of a Stolen Firearm. Savannah Police officers arrested Parker in February 2021 after finding a pistol in his possession during a traffic stop.
• Tommy Greene, 34, of Savannah, was sentenced to 84 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release after pleading guilty to Possession with Intent to Distribute Eutylone (Bath Salts) and Methamphetamine, and Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. The Savannah Police Department Violent Savannah Police officers arrested Bennett in January 2020 when they found him in possession of two pistols during a traffic stop.
• Rasheen Dyshawn Stephens, 30, of Savannah, was sentenced to 60 months in prison followed by three years of release after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Savannah Police officers investigating a domestic disturbance on June 7, 2021, found a pistol and an extended magazine in Stephens’ pockets.
• James Kenneth Merritt, 35, of Waynesboro, Ga., was sentenced to 54 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. Burke County Sheriff’s deputies arrested Merritt in December 2020 after Merritt drove away and then ran from an attempted traffic stop, dropping a pistol as he fled.
• Calvin Jerrod Hendrix, 24, of Savannah, was sentenced to 51 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release after pleading guilty to Possession of a Stolen Firearm. He was charged after Savannah Police officers found a pistol in his apartment in July 2020, and learned the gun had been stolen in Clayton County.
• Hunter Cole Reavis, 25, of Savannah, was sentenced to 44 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Reavis was on probation in March 2021 when agents from the Georgia Department of Community Supervision found a pistol during a search of his Savannah hotel room. 
• Jervario Melton, 30, of Kingsland, Ga., 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. Melton was found in possession of a firearm during an Aug. 28, 2020, traffic stop by Port Wentworth police.
• Fredrick Connell Blount, 38, of Augusta, was sentenced to 42 months in prison and ordered to serve three years of supervised release and fined $1,500 after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Blount was arrested after a traffic stop in August 2020 when Richmond County Sheriff’s deputies found a pistol in the vehicle Blount was driving.
• Barry McCormick, 26, 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. McCormick was charged after a pistol fell down his pants leg during a November 2020 traffic stop by Savannah Police officers.
• David McCain III, 35, of Hephzibah, Ga., was sentenced to 24 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. He was arrested on New Year’s Day 2020 when Richmond County Sheriff’s deputies investigating reports of celebratory gunfire found McCain, a convicted felon, in possession of an AR-15 style rifle with a high-capacity magazine. 
• Ziquane Sandford, 24, of Hephzibah, awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to Engaging in the Business of Dealing in Firearms Without a License. Sandford faces a statutory sentence of up to five years in prison after admitting he sold firearms on four occasions without the required license.  
• Willie Joe Liddell, 38, of Augusta, awaits sentencing 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.
• Kevin Shawn McGahee, 47, of Stapleton, Ga., awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. As part of his plea agreement, McGahee forfeits 21 guns found during a law enforcement search of his residence in April. 

Agencies investigating these cases include the ATF, the DEA, 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 Jeremiah L. Johnson, Henry W. Syms Jr., and Tania D. Groover, 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.

BRUNSWICK, GA:  A Chatham County man has pled guilty to child exploitation charges, cancelling his trial that had been set for this week in Brunswick.

Rodney Bryant, 37, of Savannah, pled guilty in U.S. District Court to Production of Child Pornography and Possession of Child Pornography, said David H. Estes, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. The production charge carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in prison, up to 30, along with five years to life of supervised release, substantial financial penalties and restitution, and registration upon release as a sex offender.

There is no parole in the federal system.

“Pedophiles who produce child pornography and share it on the Internet doom exploited children to a lifetime of victimization,” said U.S. Attorney Estes. “Thanks to the diligence and determination of our law enforcement partners and prosecutors, Rodney Bryant will be held accountable for these heinous crimes.”

As described in court documents and testimony, agents from Homeland Security Investigations and the Savannah Police Department searched Bryant’s residence in 2020 after the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children provided cybertips regarding images of child sexual abuse to the Georgia Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. Investigators later seized dozens of electronic devices from Bryant’s home, and found thousands of images of child sexual abuse and child erotica on those devices. The investigation determined Bryant produced many of those images in Georgia and at his previous residence in Fort Drum, N.Y.

Bryant had been scheduled for a jury trial, but it was cancelled by his guilty plea to key charges in the case. Sentencing before U.S. District Court Judge Lisa Godbey Wood will be held after completion of a pre-sentencing investigation by U.S. Probation Services.

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

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

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

SAVANNAH, GA:  Five people face charges including bank and wire fraud for allegedly using false information to secure thousands of dollars in COVID-19 relief funds.

The charges, via indictments or informations, accuse the defendants of applying for Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act funding by using false financial information, said David H. Estes, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. The charges carry statutory penalties upon conviction of up to 30 years in prison, along with fines of up to $250,000 and a period of supervised release after completion of any prison term.

There is no parole in the federal system.

“CARES Act funding provided a valuable safety net for small businesses that struggled financially during the worst of the global pandemic,” said U.S. Attorney Estes. “With our law enforcement partners, we will continue to identify and hold accountable those who would attempt to exploit these public assistance programs for their own personal enrichment.”

Those charged in the Southern District include:

• Brandon Lamar Williams, a/k/a “NH Skilo,” 30, of Savannah, charged in a second superseding federal indictment with two counts of Wire Fraud related to fraudulent applications for Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans. Williams also is charged in seven other counts with drug and firearm charges that carry penalties of up to life in prison.
• Cameron Mills, 30, of Hephzibah, Ga., charged with Bank Fraud; False Statement on a Loan Application; and Wire Fraud, related to applications that enabled him to secure a PPP loan.
• Jennai Mance, 34, of Fort Stewart, Ga., charged and pled guilty to Wire Fraud, related to a PPP application.
• Matthew Patsches, 24, of Hudson, Fla., pled guilty to an information charging him with Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud, related to two April 2021 applications for PPP loans.
• Willie Craft, 28, of Round Rock, Texas, charged with Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud, related to a PPP application and Economic Injury Disaster Loan application.

As alleged in the charges, the fraudulent loan applications in these cases combined to cause lenders to pay more than $130,000 to defendants. 

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

The cases are being investigated by the U.S. Secret Service, the Small Business Administration Office of Inspector General, the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Division, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and the Savannah Police Department, 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.

WAYCROSS, GA:  A Coffee County man was found guilty on all counts after a two-day trial in federal court for possessing and distributing child pornography.

Ashley Marshall Carter, 41, of Douglas, Ga., was found guilty by a U.S. District Court jury on 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. The distribution charge carries a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison, up to 20, along with five years to life of supervised release and substantial financial penalties and restitution and registration upon release as a sex offender. There is no parole in the federal system.

“Our office and our partner law enforcement agencies make it a priority to identify and bring to justice those who would victimize children,” said U.S. Attorney Estes. “This guilty verdict by a jury of his peers ensures Ashley Carter will be held accountable for his crimes.”

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 thousands of images of child pornography.

Sentencing will be scheduled before U.S. District Court Judge Lisa Godbey Wood after completion of a presentence investigation by U.S. Probation Services.

“Finding, arresting and prosecuting those who are involved in the creation, collecting and or distribution of these disturbing images of child exploitation is one of our highest priorities, because of the devastating effects it has on our communities,” said Special Agent in Charge Katrina W. Berger, who oversees Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) operations in Georgia and Alabama. “We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to ensure these predators face justice and that our children are protected.”

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/.

BRUNSWICK, GA:  Two men from Canada and the United Kingdom have been indicted in the Southern District of Georgia on federal charges alleging an international operation used the Dark Web to distribute illegal drugs in the United States, with some of those drugs resulting in the deaths of two U.S. Navy petty officers.

Thomas Michael Federuik, aka “Canada1,” 59, of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, and Paul Anthony Nicholls, aka “Nico Laeser,” 44, of Surrey, England, are charged with drug and money laundering offences, said David H. Estes, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. The charges subject Federuik and Nicholls to possible statutory penalties of a minimum of 10 years in prison, up to life, along with fines of up to $10 million and a minimum of five years of supervised release after completion of any prison term.

“The number of deaths from drug overdoses, particularly Fentanyl and its analogues, has reached a record high in the United States and every citizen of this country should be alarmed.  The prevalence of this drug is, in large part, fueled by an illicit pipeline of illegally imported drugs,” said U.S. Attorney Estes. “This investigation sought to trace that pipeline to its source to cut off its flow to our country in an effort to protect our citizens from harm.”

The investigation, dubbed Operation Canada1, began in October 2017 with the separate deaths of two U.S. Navy petty officers in Kingsland, Ga., that were attributed to Fentanyl-related drug overdoses. The source of the drugs was traced to a Dark Web vendor using Canadian-postmarked packaging labeled “East Van Eco Tours,” leading investigators from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) and the Calgary Police Service to target the Dark Web vendor Canada1.

The indictment alleges that Federuik and Nicholls conspired to import drugs from places including China and Hungary. Then, using business names including “East Van Eco Tours” and “Bridge City Consulting LLP,” the alleged conspirators distributed those drugs through the Dark Web in the Southern District of Georgia and elsewhere in the United States. The indictment further alleges that a shipment of those drugs packaged by the conspirators traveled from Canada to Kingsland, resulting in the deaths of B.J.T. and T.L.B. in October 2017.  

Federuik and Nicholls have been taken into custody and are awaiting extradition proceedings to bring them to the Southern District of Georgia.

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

“The metrics of the opioid crisis are staggering,” said Special Agent in Charge Justin C. Fielder, FDA Office of Criminal Investigations Miami Field Office. “We will continue to take decisive action to curtail the illegal distribution of opioids and other addictive prescription drugs, bringing to justice criminals who endanger the public’s health.”

“The importation and distribution of illicit narcotics within the United States pose a significant threat not only to our local communities but also our nation’s service members and ultimately our national security,” said Special Agent in Charge Thomas Cannizzo of the Naval Criminal Investigative Service Southeast Field Office. “Upon initiating this investigation, NCIS quickly recognized the incredible benefit of our valued collaboration with U.S. and international law enforcement partners. We are grateful for their extraordinary efforts to bring to justice those responsible for importing and distributing the illicit narcotics that led to the tragic overdose deaths of two U.S. Sailors.”

“This poison ultimately led to the deaths of two servicemembers and destroyed the lives of countless others,” said Special Agent in Charge Katrina W. Berger, who oversees Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) operations in Georgia and Alabama. “Stopping drug traffickers takes a team, and I’m proud of the work done by HSI and its law enforcement partners working together to stop this destructive epidemic.”

“The opioid crisis is affecting countless families in our communities, even those who would not otherwise be deemed at risk,” said Superintendent Richard Bergevin, Officer in Charge of the BC RCMP Federal Serious and Organized Crime Major Projects teams. “This investigation showcases the great work that is being done by our teams, using traditional as well as innovative investigative techniques, to combat the sale and distribution of these deadly drugs.”

“Pills in the underground drug market and on the Dark Web are often diluted with dangerous and deadly substances like fentanyl, as was the case in this investigation,” said Robert J. Murphy, the Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Field Division. “There is no quality control in the process, so there’s a high chance that users will receive a deadly dose of fentanyl. The success of this investigation was made possible because of the collaborative efforts between all law enforcement agencies involved.”

“The U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s objectives are to preserve the integrity of the nation’s mail system from criminal misuse, rid the mail of illicit drugs, and to keep our communities safe,” said Juan A. Vargas, Acting Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service Miami Division. “Postal Inspectors will work with our law enforcement partners to combine resources and expertise to achieve a common goal, which is to combat the perils of illegal and dangerous drug distribution and ensure perpetrators of such attempts are brought to justice.”

The case is being investigated in Canada by U.S. Homeland Security Investigations, Vancouver; the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and its Online Undercover Operations Unit and Federal Serious and Organized Crime Unit, Cybercrime Operations Group; Calgary Police Service; and the Canada Border Service Agency; in the United Kingdom assistance was provided by the National Extradition Unit with the Metropolitan Police and the Staffordshire Police; and in the United States by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration Office of Criminal Investigations; the U.S. Naval Criminal Investigative Service; Homeland Security Investigations Savannah; the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration; and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, with assistance from the U.S. Marshals Service. The U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs is providing significant assistance. The case is being prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Frank M. Pennington II and E. Gregory Gilluly Jr.

BRUNSWICK, GA:  A Glynn County man awaits sentencing after admitting in U.S. District Court that he threatened to blow up an Internal Revenue Service office in New York.

Benjamin Stasko, 34, of St. Simons Island, pled guilty to Interstate Transmission of a Threat to Injure, said David H. Estes, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. The charge carries a possible sentence of up to five years in federal prison, along with substantial financial penalties and up to three years of supervised release after completion of any prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.

“We will not tolerate threats of violence against public institutions, and will vigorously pursue anyone who would perpetrate such crimes,” said U.S. Attorney Estes. “Benjamin Stasko’s admission of guilt will deliver justice for his dangerous and ill-advised threat.”

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.

“One of the core tenets of the mission of the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) is to protect IRS personnel and property,” said J. Russell George, the Treasury Inspector for Tax Administration. “We are grateful for the assistance of our law enforcement partners and the U.S. Attorney’s Office ensuring this individual is held to account.”

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

AUGUSTA, GA:  A former Richmond County man has been sentenced to federal prison for bank and bankruptcy fraud related to his purchase of an Augusta apartment complex.

Jerome Walter Kiggundu, 38, now a resident of Commerce City, Colo., was sentenced to 48 months in prison after his conviction in a jury trial in December 2021 on charges of Bank Fraud, Bankruptcy Fraud, and False Statements Under Oath, said David H. Estes, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. U.S. District Court Chief Judge J. Randal Hall also fined Kiggundu $2,500 and ordered him to serve three years of supervised release after completion of his prison term.

There is no parole in the federal system.

“Financial fraud costs everyone – not just the institutions who are the immediate victims, but everyone who participates in the free market and sees their costs increase to make up what fraudsters steal,” said U.S. Attorney Estes. “Jerome Kiggundu’s sentence should send an unmistakable message that our office and our law enforcement partners will relentlessly pursue such criminals and hold them accountable.”

As described in court documents and testimony, Kiggundu was the registered agent and managing member of Nakaddu LLC, a/k/a Kiggun Properties LLC, and borrowed $2,831,250 from a mortgage lender in March 2019 by submitting fraudulent bank statements to falsely claim that his company had an average monthly operating balance of approximately $100,000. During this period, his account actually had an average balance of approximately $500. Kiggundu also submitted a false personal financial statement overstating his net worth and assets to qualify for the loan, which he used to refinance an 80-unit apartment complex that the company owned at 405 Hale St., in Augusta.

When the scheme started to unravel, Kiggundu filed for bankruptcy protection under Chapter 11 to avoid foreclosure by the lender. Kiggundu then submitted another set of fake bank statements in his bankruptcy proceedings to conceal his bank fraud, and lied under oath about his finances when questioned by employees of the United States Trustee Program who suspected this fraud.

“Kiggundu’s extensive fraud scheme was motivated purely by personal greed,” said Keri Farley, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta.  “This sentence serves as a warning to others that the FBI will not let such lies go unchecked.”

The case was investigated by the FBI with assistance from the United States Trustees Program, and prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Patrick J. Schwedler and Jennifer A. Stanley.

AUGUSTA, GA:  An armed drug trafficker has been sentenced to federal prison after admitting he sold large quantities of drugs and possessed firearms in furtherance of the drug trafficking crime.

Jose Ramone Valero Jr., 24, of Stonecrest, Ga., was sentenced to 84 months in prison after pleading guilty to Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute Marijuana, and Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime, said David H. Estes, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. U.S. District Court Chief Judge J. Randal Hall also ordered Valero to serve three years of supervised release after completion of his prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.

“Illegal drugs and illegally possessed firearms are the combustible fuel that drives violent crime in far too many of our communities,” said U.S. Attorney Estes. “We will be relentless in removing dangerous criminals like Valero from our neighborhoods.”

Valero, previously a resident of Grovetown, Ga., and Augusta, prohibited from possessing firearms after being convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence, but was found with drugs and multiple guns during state arrests in 2019 and 2020.

While out on bond on state charges, Valero was charged in a superseding federal indictment in 2021 and pled guilty to the two felony charges in January 2022. The plea included forfeiture of 11 firearms.

“Project Safe Neighborhoods is ATF’s main initiative to remove armed offenders from our communities,” said ATF Assistant Special Agent in Charge Beau Kolodka. “This substantial sentence would not have been possible without the hard work of our partners at the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office and the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office.”

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 neighborhoods safer.

The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office, and the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office, and prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorney and Criminal Division Chief Patricia G. Rhodes.

SAVANNAH, GA:  A Liberty County man was sentenced to nearly 25 years in federal prison after admitting he produced and possessed child pornography.

John Paul Joseph Keegan, 31, of Midway, Ga., was sentenced to 295 months in prison after pleading guilty to Production of Child Pornography and Possession of Child Pornography, said David H. Estes, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. U.S. District Court Judge R. Stan Baker also ordered Keegan to pay $3,000 in restitution, to register as a sex offender and to serve 15 years of supervised release after completion of his prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.

“John Paul Keegan is being held responsible for his truly detestable exploitation of vulnerable children,” said U.S. Attorney Estes. “This substantial prison sentence holds Keegan accountable and protects the community from this predator.”

Keegan’s wife, Sharon Elizabeth Keegan, 30, of Midway, Ga., faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in prison, up to 30 years, after pleading guilty in April to Production of Child Pornography at the midway point of her trial in U.S. District Court.

The Keegans 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. That tip led agents from the Liberty County Sheriff’s Office and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation to search the Midway mobile home where the Keegans resided, and investigators seized electronic devices found to contain images and videos of child sexual exploitation that each of the two had produced and shared over the internet.

“Keegan will now face accountability for his heinous acts and the immeasurable pain he inflicted upon innocent children,” said Special Agent in Charge Katrina W. Berger, who oversees Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) operations in Georgia and Alabama. “Children are among our most vulnerable populations and HSI and its law enforcement partners will continue to use all available resources to protect them from exploitation.”

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

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 is being 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/.

AUGUSTA, GA:  A Columbia County man convicted on nine felony counts related to child sex trafficking has been sentenced to life in federal prison with no parole.

Michael Peyton Gunn, 37, of Evans, Ga., was sentenced to three terms of life in prison after his conviction on nine felony charges including Conspiracy to Engage in Sex Trafficking of a Minor, said David H. Estes, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. U.S. District Court Chief Judge J. Randal Hall also ordered Gunn to pay $800,000 in restitution, to register as a sex offender, and to be subject to a life term of supervised release if he is freed from confinement.

There is no parole in the federal system.

“Michael Peyton Gunn inflicted unspeakable physical and emotional torture upon his victim, and his depraved actions demonstrate unequivocally that he is a danger to society,” said U.S. Attorney Estes. “It is entirely appropriate that he spend the rest of his life behind bars.”

Chief Judge Hall also sentenced Gunn’s former wife, Amanda Gunn, a/k/a “Amanda Howard,” 35, of Augusta, to 235 months in prison after she previously pled guilty to Sex Trafficking Conspiracy. She testified in Peyton Gunn’s November 2021 trial.

A U.S. District Court jury on Nov. 18, 2021, found Peyton Gunn guilty of all nine charges brought in a superseding federal indictment, including Conspiracy to Engage in Sex Trafficking of a Minor; Sex Trafficking of a Child; Coercion and Enticement of a Minor to Engage in Sexual Activity; four counts of Production of Child Pornography; Possession of Child Pornography; and Obstruction of a Sex-Trafficking Investigation. On Tuesday, May 24, Chief Judge Hall sentenced Gunn to concurrent terms of life in prison on the first three counts; 30-year terms on each count of Production of Child Pornography; a 20-year term for Possession of Child Pornography; and a 25-year term for Obstruction of a Sex-Trafficking Investigation. 

The minor victim testified during Peyton Gunn’s trial that he employed rewards, fear, threats of harm, physical abuse, and intimidation to psychologically manipulate and sexually abuse the victim as young as age 7. His actions steadily progressed from coercing the victim to participate in production of child pornography and eventually to forcing the minor victim to submit to commercial sex trafficking facilitated by online advertising.

“Gunn preyed on an innocent child solely for his own pleasure, without regard to the grievous and long-lasting harm his depraved conduct would cause,” said Keri Farley, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “However, thanks to the dedicated work from our agents who aggressively pursue these heinous criminals, Gunn will spend the rest of his life behind bars where he will never be able to harm another child.”

The investigation began in February 2020 when FBI agents assisted with a child pornography case in Hopkins County, Texas. Among the contraband images agents discovered were more than 700 photos – many of them depicting sexually explicit child exploitation – featuring an individual minor victim. Digital location information identified those images as having originated from the vicinity of Gunn’s residence in Evans. Agents from the Augusta FBI office later questioned Gunn and searched his home, where they found evidence of the production of child pornography and exploitation of the minor victim, along with electronic devices storing multiple graphic images of child sexual exploitation, torture, and abuse.

The continuing investigation led to a superseding indictment that added Amanda Gunn as a defendant for her participation in the sex-trafficking conspiracy and obstruction of the investigation. She admitted her guilt and testified in court during Peyton Gunn’s trial.

Also testifying in court was Jonathan Eugene Grantham, 45, of Graniteville, S.C., who is serving 140 months in federal prison after pleading guilty in August 2021 to Coercion and Enticement of a Minor to Engage in Sexual Activity. Grantham, a former Aiken County high school teacher, admitted that he responded to an online advertisement trafficking the minor victim, and then traveled from South Carolina to Evans to transport the minor victim to a motel for sex in return for payment.

The FBI investigated the case, and Assistant U.S. Attorney and Project Safe Childhood Coordinator Tara M. Lyons prosecuted the case for the United States.

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

SAVANNAH, GA:  An Illinois man has been sentenced to nearly a decade in prison after admitting he had sexual contact with a child nearly 15 years ago at Fort Stewart.

Clarence Michael Lynch, 43, of Highland, Ill., was sentenced to 109 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to Abusive Sexual Contact of a Child Under 12, said David H. Estes, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. Already a registered sex offender because of a prior criminal conviction, Lynch also was fined $2,000 and ordered to serve 15 years of supervised release after completion of his prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.

“Justice for this victim was long delayed, but ultimately not denied as the predator is now being held accountable for his vile actions,” said U.S. Attorney Estes. “The U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Division did outstanding work in bringing Lynch to justice.”

As described in court documents and testimony, Lynch was convicted in Liberty County in 2007 on state charges of sexual battery and false imprisonment with a 15-year-old victim, and subsequently served 10 years in state prison. As result of the conviction, he received a dishonorable discharge from the Army.

Three years after Lynch was released from state custody, a prior victim contacted the Belleville, Ill., Police Department to report multiple contacts from Lynch – including messages in which he admitted sexually abusing the then-10-year-old victim in 2006 while he was stationed at Fort Stewart.

Investigators from the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Division (CID) subsequently questioned Lynch, taking him into custody in March 2021. He later was returned to the Southern District of Georgia for prosecution, and pled guilty to the charge.

“Seeing this former Soldier held accountable for his actions perpetrated against a child, no matter how long it took to bring the Soldier to justice, is a hallmark of what Army CID stands for,” said Supervisory Special Agent Donald Hayden, Fort Leonard Wood CID Office. “Our agents are professional, tenacious and driven to do what is right at all times.”

The case was investigated by the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Division, and prosecuted for the United States by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Darron J. Hubbard.

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

SAVANNAH, GA:  A Chatham County man was sentenced to 10 years in prison after a jury found him guilty of possession of hundreds of images of child sexual exploitation.

Michael Todd Morris, 27, of Savannah, was sentenced to 120 months in prison after a U.S. District Court jury previously found him guilty of 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 Morris to pay $19,000 in restitution, to register as a sex offender, and to serve 15 years of supervised release after completion of his prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.

“Images that sexually exploit children are visual reminders of the victimization of the vulnerable,” said U.S. Attorney Estes. “This sentence should serve as a warning to anyone who would possess such vile imagery that we and our law enforcement partners will find them and hold them accountable.”

A jury convicted Morris of Possession of Child Pornography in October 2021 after a three-day trial, where evidence and testimony proved that he possessed hundreds of images of child sexual exploitation and child erotica. Homeland Security Investigations, alerted via a cyber tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, discovered the images on electronic devices in Morris’ possession. 

“Every time these disturbing images are viewed it re-victimizes an innocent person and prevents them from healing from this trauma; this is why stopping the collection and distribution of these images is so important,” said Special Agent in Charge Katrina W. Berger, who oversees Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) operations in Georgia and Alabama. “This defendant will now face the consequences for his actions thanks to the great work done by HSI and its law enforcement partners.”

The case was investigated under the Department of Justice Project Safe Childhood initiative by Homeland Security Investigations, 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/.

SAVANNAH, GA:  Six defendants are among those facing federal charges including drug trafficking and 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), the FBI and the Drug Enforcement Administration, to reduce violent crime with measures that include targeting convicted felons who illegally carry guns.

“Our aggressive stance toward those who illegally possess firearms is a key part of our effort to reduce violent crime in the Southern District,” said David H. Estes, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. “Identifying and removing illegally possessed guns from our streets automatically makes our communities safer.”  

In the past four years, more than 755 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 May 2022 term of the U.S. District Court grand jury include:

• Davonta Johnson, 31, of Hinesville, Ga., charged with Possession with Intent to Distribute Cocaine; Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime; and Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person, relating to a prior conviction for domestic violence;
• Melvin Jamarcus Lanier, 42, of Statesboro, charged with Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon; Possession of Cocaine with Intent to Distribute; and Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime;
• Quentin Van Walker, 34, of Dublin, Ga., charged with Distribution of Heroin; Possession of Stolen Firearms; Attempt to Possess with Intent to Distribute Fentanyl; and Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking crime;
• James Wayne Cooper Jr., 37, of Waynesboro, Ga., charged with Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon;
• Jeffrey J. Haynes, 30, of Savannah, charged with Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon; and,
• Johnathan Nathaniel Heyward, 28, of Savannah, charged with Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon.

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

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

• Derek Hayes, 51, of Savannah, was sentenced to 120 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release after pleading guilty to Possession of Stolen Firearms. Savannah Police officers arrested Hayes after finding two pistols in his vehicle during an October 2020 traffic stop, and later determined the pistols had been stolen. Hayes has a 20-year history of arrests and convictions for violent crimes.
• Lannie Howard Morris III, 38, of Twin City, Ga., was sentenced to 110 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release and fined $1,500 after pleading guilty to two counts of Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Morris escaped police after a December 2020 attempted traffic stop and chase, and then was arrested Jan. 26, 2021, by deputies from the Emanual County Sheriff’s Office after another brief chase. Multiple firearms were found in both vehicles after the incidents, along with drugs and other paraphernalia. At the time of his arrest, Morris was on parole from a previous state felony conviction. 
• Larry Bennett Jr., 25, of Savannah, was sentenced to 44 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 Bennett in January 2020 when they found him in possession of two pistols during a traffic stop.
• Asim Simmons Jr., 22, of Savannah, 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. Savannah Police officers arrested Simmons in January 2021 after a traffic stop when they found him in possession of a loaded pistol. At the time of his arrest, Simmons was on parole from a prior conviction for robbery.
• Joseph Deon Cuyler, 29, of Wrightsville, Ga., 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. The U.S. Marshals Service and Wrightsville Police arrested Cuyler April 15, 2021, on an outstanding felony warrant and found him in possession of a handgun.
• Vesenta Cornelius Watson, 46, of Augusta, awaits sentencing 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.   
• Thomas Kevin Robinson, 41, of Savannah, awaits sentencing 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.   
• Pernell D. Scott, 33, of Hephzibah, Ga., awaits sentencing 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.
• Akil Shawron Brown, 21, of Savannah, awaits sentencing 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.
• Michael Jordan Sharp, 30, of Augusta, awaits sentencing 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. 
• Deon McWhorter, 36, of Brunswick, awaits sentencing 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.
• Shaquille Green, a/k/a “OC,” a/k/a “Scrill Rip Chop,” 28, of Savannah, awaits sentencing 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.
• Timothy Mario Mitchell, 24, 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 arrested Mitchell in August 2020 after a brief chase when a pistol fell from the waistband of Mitchell’s shorts.   
• Joe Welcome, 34, of Pooler, Ga., awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. During a September 2020 traffic stop, Savannah Police officers found two bags belonging to Welcome in a vehicle in which he was a passenger. One bag contained a loaded pistol, while the other held ammunition.

Agencies investigating these cases include the ATF, the FBI, the DEA, the Savannah Police Department, the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office, the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office, and the McDuffie 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 Jeremiah L. Johnson, John P. Harper III, and Marcela C. Mateo, and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Darron J. Hubbard, 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.

SAVANNAH, GA:  A former Garden City, Ga., clinic owner and CEO has been sentenced to federal prison after admitting she laundered money in connection with a notorious “pill mill” doctor who illegally dispensed massive amounts of drugs.

Jamesetta Whipple-Duncan, 59, of Savannah, was sentenced to 60 months in prison after pleading guilty in U.S. District Court to one count of Money Laundering, said David H. Estes, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. U.S. District Court Judge Lisa Godbey Wood also ordered Whipple-Duncan to pay $86,074 in restitution and to serve three years of supervised release after completion of her prison sentence. There is no parole in the federal system.

“This sentence holds accountable yet another instrumental figure who helped pour gasoline on the raging fire of the opioid addiction crisis,” said U.S. Attorney Estes. “Along with our law enforcement partners, we will continue to bring to justice those who exacerbate drug addictions in our community, whether they stand or street corners or dress in lab coats.”

As described in the plea agreement and other court documents, Whipple, as owner of the now-closed Georgia Laboratory Diagnostics LLC, in Garden City, Ga., was an employer of Dr. Frank Bynes Jr., 69, of Savannah. Bynes was sentenced in February 2020 to 240 months in prison and ordered to pay $615,145 in restitution to Medicare, Medicaid and Tricare after being found guilty by a federal jury on 13 counts of Unlawful Dispensation of Controlled Substances and three counts of Health Care Fraud.

For Whipple-Duncan’s role, she owned and operated the clinic, hired Dr. Bynes, and then profited as her clinic provided Bynes with a base of operation from which he illegally distributed controlled substances, including highly addictive opioids and drug cocktails favored by addicts. Whipple-Duncan controlled the finances of the clinic, which largely consisted of cash from the clinic’s patients. Whipple-Duncan used that cash to continue operations of the clinic, and to finance expenditures for herself, including a Mercedes-Benz sedan, a Hummer H2, a Can-Am Spyder, and a Polaris Slingshot.

“Denying deceitful medical providers the opportunity to improperly prescribe highly-addictive pills is a key priority for the DEA,” said Robert J. Murphy, the Special Agent in Charge of the Atlanta Field Division of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. “This investigation was a success thanks to collaboration with local law enforcement.”

“In the midst of this country’s prescription opioid epidemic, it is the FBI’s goal to work with our law enforcement partners to prosecute anyone who recklessly overprescribes pharmaceutical pills, especially for non-medical reasons,” said Keri Farley, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “Whipple-Duncan’s actions directly contributed to the opioid crisis in our community and for that she is being held accountable.”  

“Aiding in the illegal prescription of large amounts of drugs both undermines critical measures to address the opioid crisis and also puts patients at serious risk of overdose and other forms of physical harm,” said Tamala Miles, Special Agent in Charge at the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “HHS-OIG will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to hold accountable bad actors who exploit opioid addiction for personal financial gain.”

“The opioid addiction crisis in this country deeply affects the military members as well as their families,” stated Special Agent in Charge Cynthia A. Bruce, Department of Defense Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), Southeast Field Office. “The selfishness of Whipple-Duncan represents another reprehensible side of this crisis where greed outweighs the humanity towards those struggling with addiction. DCIS will continue to work closely with our investigative partners to hold those responsible who advance the opioid crisis for their own personal gain.”   

The case was investigated by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General, the FBI, the Defense Criminal Investigative Service, and an investigator with the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Whipple-Duncan is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jonathan A. Porter and Patrick J. Schwedler.

BRUNSWICK, GA:  The supplier to a Telfair County drug trafficking ring was sentenced to more than 14 years in prison for his role in distributing methamphetamine and other illegal drugs in south Georgia.

James Lamount Graham, 49, of Jacksonville, Ga., was sentenced to 170 months in prison, with no parole in the federal system, for his role in a significant drug trafficking conspiracy, said David H. Estes, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. U.S. District Court Judge Lisa Godbey Wood also fined Graham $5,000 and ordered him to serve five years of supervised release after completion of his prison term.

Graham also must pay a $3,600 special assessment – $100 for each of the 36 counts for which he was found guilty.

“It is a priority in the Southern District to identify and eradicate drug trafficking operations and the misery they spread through our communities,” said U.S. Attorney Estes. “Significant prison time will hold James Graham accountable while making the Telfair County area safer.”

As spelled out in evidence and testimony presented during Graham’s trial in November 2021, agents from the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration obtained telephone wiretap orders starting in April 2018 as part of Operation Rat Trap II, the continuation of an investigation that identified networks involved in the unlawful distribution of drugs including methamphetamine and cocaine in Telfair, Coffee, Bacon, Jeff Davis, and Appling counties. 

After a three-day trial in November 2021, a U.S. District Court jury found Graham guilty of Conspiracy to Possess and Distribute Controlled Substances; two counts of Distribution of 50 Grams or More of Methamphetamine; and 33 counts of Use of Communication Facility, a charge that refers to the use of telephones to facilitate the conspiracy. Eight co-defendants in the conspiracy previously were sentenced to terms of up to 216 months in prison after pleading guilty to federal charges.

“The final sentencing in this case ends an exhaustive investigation that shut down a drug operation responsible for peddling dangerous drugs throughout the streets of middle Georgia and elsewhere,” said the Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration’s Atlanta Field Division, Robert J. Murphy. “DEA would like to thank its law enforcement partners whose meticulous work made this investigation a success. The citizens of the impacted areas should know that DEA is committed to removing dangerous drugs from their community and prosecuting the drug dealers who peddle this poison.”  

“Illegal drugs have no place in Georgia. They are dangerous and threaten the safety of our communities,” said Vic Reynolds, Director of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation. “We will continue to work diligently along with our local and federal partners to investigate and dismantle drug trafficking organizations.”

Operation Rat Trap II 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.

The DEA Savannah Office and the GBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys John Harper and Karl Knoche prosecuted the case for the United States.

SAVANNAH, GA: A Coffee County man has been sentenced to more than a decade in federal prison after admitting he shared images of child sexual exploitation.

Clarence Eugene Barr, 33, of Broxton, Ga., was sentenced to 150 months in prison after pleading guilty to Distribution of Child Pornography, said David H. Estes, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. U.S. District Court Judge R. Stan Baker also ordered Barr to register as a sex offender and to serve 10 years of supervised release after completion of his prison term.

There is no parole in the federal system.

“Sharing images of sexually violated children is a despicable crime that repeatedly re-victimizes the vulnerable,” said U.S. Attorney Estes. “Our law enforcement partners provide exceptional work in taking these predators off the streets, and Clarence Eugene Barr is now being held accountable.”

As described in court documents and testimony, an FBI investigation determined that Barr had access to hundreds of images of child sexual exploitation and shared some of them in a chatroom where he also discussed accessing children for victimization. Barr was arrested in May 2021.

“Barr will spend the next 12 ½ years of his life in prison, which should send a strong message to anyone who even contemplates viewing or sharing images of a vulnerable child,” said Keri Farley, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “The FBI will spare no resource to protect our children by identifying and apprehending predators who commit such repulsive crimes.” 

The case was investigated by the FBI and prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorney Tania D. Groover.

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

SAVANNAH, GA:  Nearly 100 dogs were rescued as a result of an investigation into animal fighting in three Georgia counties.

The investigation, led by the U.S. Department of Agriculture Office of Inspector General, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Laurens County Sheriff’s Office, culminated in the execution of seven search warrants in Laurens, Johnson, and Washington counties, with a total of 96 dogs rescued, said David H. Estes, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. The animals rescued in the operation are in the custody of the USDA for evaluation.

The continuing investigation, with the assistance of personnel from the Laurens County Sheriff’s Office, the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office, and the Washington County Sheriff’s Office, targets animal fighting operations in the Southern District and beyond.

MACON, GA:  Thirteen defendants have been sentenced to terms of up to 15 years in prison after an extensive operation that targeted a middle Georgia drug trafficking conspiracy.

Eight men and four women were indicted in February 2021 under Operation Breaking the Bond, an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force investigation centered in the Bibb County area, said David H. Estes, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Georgia was recused from the case, which was prosecuted by the Southern District of Georgia U.S. Attorney’s Office. All 12 of the indicted defendants entered guilty pleas to felony charges related to the conspiracy, and a 13th pled guilty to perjury related to the case.

Middle District of Georgia Judge Marc T. Treadwell sentenced the operation’s lead defendant, Prentice Bond, a/k/a “P,” a/k/a “Peze,” 36, of Macon, to 180 months in prison, followed by five years of supervised release, after Bond pled guilty to Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and to Distribute Cocaine, Crack Cocaine, and Marijuana, and Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime.

After sentencing all 12 defendants in the conspiracy, Judge Treadwell also sentenced Tommie Lanardo Holloway, a/k/a “Kane,” 36, of Kathleen, Ga., to 15 months in prison after Holloway pled guilty to Perjury, admitting that he lied during a hearing in District Court when he claimed ownership of four firearms found in Bond’s residence when he knew Bond owned and possessed the guns.  

“Operation Breaking the Bond is an outstanding example of a complex, meticulous investigation aimed at identifying and eliminating drug trafficking and the violent criminal activity it spawns,” said U.S. Attorney Estes. “Our office was honored to serve on behalf of the citizens of the Middle District of Georgia to take these felons off the streets.”

As described in court documents and testimony, Operation Breaking the Bond started in mid-2019 to target sources of illegal drugs brought into and distributed in the Macon area. The investigation led to a series of searches in which large amounts of cocaine, crack cocaine, oxycodone, and marijuana were seized, along with nearly $97,000 in cash, a machine for pressing kilo-sized “bricks” of cocaine, money counters, scales, and drug packaging materials. Investigators also seized 39 illegally possessed firearms, ranging from pistols and shotguns to assault-style rifles.

In addition to Bond, defendants who pled guilty in the case and have been sentenced include:

• Travis Robinson, a/k/a “T-Roc,” 46, of Fairburn, Ga., sentenced to 80 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;
• Xavier Cross, a/k/a “Ro,” a/k/a “Kairo,” 46, or Macon, sentenced to 100 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, Crack Cocaine, and Marijuana; and Possession of Firearms by a Convicted Felon;
• Charles Seang, 29, of Lilburn, Ga., sentenced to 37 months in prison followed by two years of supervised release after pleading guilty to Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and to Distribute Marijuana;
• Chester Hall, a/k/a “Cheeseburger,” a/k/a “Cheese,” 41, of Macon, sentenced to 60 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, Crack Cocaine, and Marijuana;
• Geneva Harvey, 40, of Macon, sentenced to 57 months in prison followed by two years of supervised release after pleading guilty to Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and to Distribute Cocaine, Crack Cocaine, and Marijuana;
• Shaneka Jackson, 44, of Macon, sentenced to 12 months plus one day in prison followed by one year of supervised release after pleading guilty to Misprision of a Felony;
• Rodreco Jones, a/k/a “Freako,” a/k/a “Rico,” 40, of Macon, sentenced to 84 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release after pleading guilty to Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and to Distribute 50 Kilograms or More of Marijuana;
• Earnest Milline, a/k/a “Rome,” a/k/a “Jerome,” 63, of Macon, sentenced to 24 months in prison after pleading guilty to Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and to Distribute Cocaine, Crack Cocaine, and Marijuana;
• Morgan Allison, 23, of Macon, sentenced to 14 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release after pleading guilty Possession with Intent to Distribute Cocaine;
• George Leverett, 29, Macon, was sentenced to two years of probation after pleading guilty to Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute, and to Distribute, Cocaine, Crack Cocaine, and Marijuana; and,
• Tawana Daniels, 41, of Fairburn, Ga., was sentenced to three years of probation after pleading guilty to Misprision of a Felony.

“The convictions of those poison peddlers convicted as a result of Operation Breaking the Bond will have an impact on the drug trade in Middle Georgia,” said Bibb County Sheriff David J. Davis. “These convictions should be a message to anyone thinking of engaging in drug trafficking that they will be made to face justice. We can all be proud of the hard work of the investigators and prosecutors to put these criminals behind bars.”

“This poly-drug distribution network was responsible for distributing a vast amount of illegal drugs to countless numbers of drug users,” said Robert J. Murphy, the Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Field Division. “Thanks to the dedicated efforts between DEA and its law enforcement partners, these defendants will spend well-deserved time in prison.”

“As this exhaustive investigation comes to a close, the FBI would like to thank our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners for all of their hard work and commitment to ending this drug trafficking conspiracy,” said Keri Farley, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “With the removal of drugs, weapons, and 13 defendants from the streets, the citizens of Bibb County will be immediately safer.”

“Illegal drugs and illegally possessed firearms have no place in Georgia. They are dangerous and threaten the safety of our communities,” said Vic Reynolds, Director of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation. “We will continue to work diligently along with our local and federal partners to investigate and dismantle drug trafficking organizations.” 

The operation was conducted by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, the FBI, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, the Bibb County Sheriff’s Office Narcotics Unit, the Peach County Sheriff’s Office, the Braselton Police Department and the Union City Police Department, with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the U.S. Marshals Service, and prosecuted for the United States by Southern District of Georgia Assistant U.S. Attorneys Noah J. Abrams and OCDETF Coordinator Marcela C. Mateo.

The case was investigated under the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces 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 North Carolina man has been sentenced to additional time in prison after being convicted of lying during a prior sentencing for conspiring to steal trade secrets from aircraft manufacturing companies.

Craig German, 60, of Kernersville, N.C., was sentenced to 20 months in prison for Perjury and False Statements to a Government Agency, in addition to the 70-month prison term he already was serving after pleading guilty in February 2020 to Conspiracy to Steal Trade Secrets, said David H. Estes, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. U.S. District Court Judge also fined R. Stan Baker also ordered German to pay a fine of $1,500.

“Craig German and his co-conspirators admitted engaging in illegal and deceptive practices to steal information from private businesses, and then German lied while being sentenced for those crimes,” said U.S. Attorney Estes. “Substantial time behind bars will hold him accountable for his dishonesty.”

German, Gilbert Basaldua, 63, of Hilton Head, S.C., and others were indicted in May 2019 to charges that they conspired to steal proprietary information from aircraft companies for which they worked inside and outside the Southern District, and then used that information to speed the design and regulatory review process for a competing aircraft company.

During his sentencing hearing in 2020, German lied when he testified under oath and denied having copied more than 15,000 proprietary engineering drawings and documents onto a removable storage device while he was employed at an aircraft manufacturing company. German also lied to the FBI during a voluntary meeting when he emphatically denied transferring more than 15,000 proprietary engineering drawings and documents to a removable storage device.

German’s co-defendant awaits sentencing. After two days of trial in September 2021, Basaldua pled guilty to Conspiracy to Steal Trade Secrets and Interstate Transportation of Stolen Property. He faces up to 10 years in prison on each charge, along with substantial financial penalties.

“False testimony undermines the justice process and can have dire consequences on the integrity of the justice system,” said Philip Wislar, Acting Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “Hopefully this additional sentence demonstrates how seriously the FBI takes perjury and deters other from attempting to deceive the justice system in the future.”

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

SAVANNAH, GA:  An illegal alien has been sentenced to a decade in federal prison after pleading guilty to luring a teen into participating in sexual activity.

Alejandro Pedroza-Romero, a/k/a “Zuleyka Luna,” a/k/a “Alex Luna,” 37, a citizen of Mexico illegally present in the United States who resided in Garden City, Ga., was sentenced to 120 months in prison after pleading guilty to Coercion and Enticement, said David H. Estes, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. After completion of his prison term Pedroza-Romero will be subject to deportation.

There is no parole in the federal system.

“Alejandro Pedroza-Romero flaunted the sovereignty of the United States by illegally entering, and then preyed on vulnerable victims on American soil,” said U.S. Attorney Estes. “Putting him behind bars automatically protects children from this predator.”

As described in court documents and testimony, Pedroza-Romero came to the attention of the Thunderbolt, Ga., Police Department in January 2021 when a minor victim reported Pedroza-Romero paid the victim for sexual acts. FBI agents later interviewed and arrested Pedroza-Romero after analyzing multiple electronic communications between Pedroza-Romero and the minor victim.

“This case is a perfect example of how partnerships between the FBI and our local law enforcement agencies are vital in protecting our citizens and in particular, children, our most vulnerable citizens,” said Keri Farley, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “The severity of this sentence is the greatest message we can send to anyone who would seek to take advantage of a child in this way.”

The case was investigated by the FBI and the Thunderbolt Police Department, and prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jennifer J. Kirkland and Project Safe Childhood Coordinator Tara M. Lyons, with assistance from Assistant U.S. Attorney Noah J. Abrams.

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 U.S. Army soldier in training at Fort Gordon awaits sentencing after admitting he distributed child pornography.

Joshua Gamble, 29, of Fort Gordon, pled guilty to Distribution of Child Pornography, said David H. Estes, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. The guilty plea subjects Gamble to a statutory minimum penalty of five years in prison, up to 20 years, along with substantial financial penalties and restitution, registration as a sex offender, and a significant period of supervised release after completion of his prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.

“Our vigilant law enforcement partners continue to identify and intercept online predators who engage in online exploitation of children,” said U.S. Attorney Estes. “We will be unrelenting in pursuing those who would victimize the most vulnerable among us.”

FBI agents investigating illegal distribution of child pornography via an Internet chat application arrested Gamble in in October on a complaint based on activity that took place on Aug. 10 and 11, 2021.

“A child is re-victimized every time pornographic images of that child are shared,” said Philip Wislar, Acting Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “The FBI is always prepared to do everything in our power, with a sense of urgency, to protect innocent children from being exploited by predators.”

The case is being 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:  A Richmond County man has been sentenced to federal prison after admitting to possession of child pornography.

Robert Paul Synenberg, 23, of Augusta, was sentenced to 42 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 Synenberg to pay a $1,000 fine, to register as a sex offender, and to serve 20 years of supervised release after completion of his prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.

“Viewing images of child sexual exploitation inflicts perpetual harm on young victims,” said U.S. Attorney Estes. “Our office and our law enforcement partners will be relentless in shutting down online predators.”

The FBI located and arrested Synenberg in December 2020 while investigating a cyber tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, and found images of child sexual exploitation on electronic devices in his possession.

“Our message to predators who prey on children is that you cannot hide behind the anonymity of the internet,” said Philip Wislar, Acting Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “The FBI will make it a top priority to continue investigating these difficult cases to make an impact in our communities to thwart predatory behavior.”

The case was investigated by the FBI, and prosecuted for the United States by Southern District of Georgia 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/.

STATESBORO. GA:  A Liberty County woman’s federal trial on child exploitation charges ended early when she entered a guilty plea before the case went to the jury.

Sharon Elizabeth Keegan, 30, of Midway, Ga., faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in prison, up to 30 years, after pleading guilty to Production of Child Pornography, said David H. Estes, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. Her husband, John Paul Joseph Keegan, 31, of Midway, Ga., also faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in prison, up to 30 years, after previously pleading guilty to Production of Child Pornography and Possession of Child Pornography. The pleas also subject the defendants to statutory penalties including substantial fines and restitution, registration as sex offenders, and a period of supervised release after completion of their prison terms.

There is no parole in the federal system.

“Our law enforcement partners did outstanding work in building this investigation to hold these reprehensible predators accountable,” said U.S. Attorney Estes. “Our office will be relentless in pursuing those who would victimize our most vulnerable citizens.”

Sharon Keegan was in the third day of trial in U.S. District Court in Statesboro, Ga., when she agreed to change her plea on the charge to guilty as the defense had begun presenting their case. 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.

“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”

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

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 is being 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:  The leader of a south Georgia drug trafficking operation has been sentenced to federal prison, while the final defendant in the investigation awaits sentencing after all entered guilty pleas in U.S. District Court.

Nickson Joseph, a/k/a “Cujo,” 57, of Brunswick, was sentenced to 110 months in prison after pleading guilty to Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute, and to Distribute, Heroin and Alprazolam, said David H. Estes, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. U.S. District Court Judge Lisa Godbey Wood also fined Joseph $1,500 and ordered him to serve three years of supervised release after completion of his prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.

“The investigation and prosecution in Operation Jump’s Start is an outstanding example of the successful partnership between local, state, and federal agencies in coordinating the fight against drug trafficking organizations,” said U.S. Attorney Estes. “We are committed to collaborating with our law enforcement partners to make our streets safer by identifying and prosecuting criminal conspiracies.”

Operation Jump’s Start, an investigation under the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF), took aim at the distribution of heroin, fentanyl, cocaine and other drugs in south Georgia. It began in 2019 when a source for the Glynn County Sheriff's Office identified illegal drug distributors in the Glynn, Camden, and McIntosh County area.

With assistance from other law enforcement agencies, including the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI), Glynn County Sheriff’s Office investigators conducted controlled purchases of drugs, searched homes and vehicles, and charged seven defendants, identifying Joseph as the main distributor. Four others named in the conspiracy have been sentenced after pleading guilty. The remaining defendant, Kirk Westberry, 30, of Brunswick, is scheduled for sentencing in May after pleading guilty to Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine.

“We look forward to a continued working relationship between the Glynn County Sheriff’s Office and other agencies,” said Neal Jump, Sheriff of Glynn County. “Our commitment is to take the drugs off the street and lock up the ones doing harm to our citizens.” 

“Operation Jump’s Start was a tremendous success as it nabbed the ringleader of a once-thriving drug trafficking organization and several of his associates,” said Robert J. Murphy, the Special Agent in Charge of the Atlanta Field Division of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. “This criminal organization has reached its final chapter, and its members will now spend well-deserved time in prison.”

“Illegal drugs have no place in Georgia,” said Vic Reynolds, Director of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation. “They are dangerous and threaten the safety of our communities. We will continue to work diligently along with our local and federal partners to investigate and dismantle drug trafficking organizations.”

Operation Jump’s Start was investigated under the umbrella of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces, which 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 Glynn County Sheriff’s Office, the DEA, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the GBI, the Georgia State Patrol, the Glynn County Police Department, the Brunswick Police Department, and the Darien Police Department, and prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Noah J. Abrams and OCDETF Coordinator Marcela C. Mateo.

AUGUSTA, GA:  An Augusta man and his daughter await sentencing after admitting they filed fraudulently inflated tax returns on behalf of clients.

Ezra Hatcher Sr., 68, and Sherry Hatcher, 42, both of Augusta, pled guilty in U.S. District Court in advance of a trial scheduled for U.S. District Court, said David H. Estes, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. Ezra Hatcher pled guilty to Conspiracy to Defraud the United States, while Sherry Hatcher pled guilty to Aiding and Assisting in the Filing of a False Tax Return.

“When citizens seek professional assistance in navigating our nation’s often-complex tax system, professional preparers provide substantial help in completing these necessary tasks,” said U.S. Attorney Estes. “We and our law enforcement partners will not tolerate the illegal acts of preparers who violate their fiduciary duty as a means to enrich themselves.”

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

The guilty plea subjects Ezra Hatcher to a possible statutory penalty of up to five years in prison, and he agrees to pay restitution of $69,682. Sherry Hatcher’s guilty plea subjects her to a possible statutory penalty of up to three years in prison, and she agrees to pay restitution of $4,141. In addition, each defendant is permanently prohibited from preparing or filing federal tax returns for anyone other than themselves.

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:  Seven people have been indicted on charges related to a major methamphetamine-trafficking organization blamed for at least one overdose death.

As described in the newly unsealed indictment in USA v. Wheatley et. al, the investigation in Operation Wheat Fields dates back to early 2018 and includes allegations of trafficking in large amounts of methamphetamine, heroin, and marijuana, along with multiple firearms charges, said David H. Estes, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. The conspiracy charge levied against each of the defendants carries a maximum statutory penalty of up to life in prison, and there is no parole in the federal system.

“Our office continues the relentless pursuit of drug trafficking operations and eliminating the violent crime these enterprises generate,” said U.S. Attorney Estes. “In collaboration with our law enforcement partners, these investigations and prosecutions will make our communities 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 Augusta area.  The investigation led to multiple searches of residences and hotel rooms.

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

• Jayson Dwayne Wheatley, 41, 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, 50 Grams or More of Methamphetamine, and an Amount of Heroin and Marijuana; Distribution of Heroin; Possession of 50 Grams or More of Methamphetamine with Intent to Distribute; six counts of Use of a Communications Facility, relating to the use of Facebook Messenger and a cellphone to facilitate the conspiracy; and Possession of Ammunition by a Convicted Felon;
• Jeffrey Mitchell Granade, 48, of Evans, 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, 50 Grams or More of Methamphetamine, and an Amount of Heroin and Marijuana; Possession of 500 Grams or More of a Mixture Containing a Detectable Amount of Methamphetamine; Possession of Firearms in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime; and Possession of Firearms by a Convicted Felon;
• Steven Curtis Newman, 55, of Martinez, 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, 50 Grams or More of Methamphetamine, and an Amount of Heroin and Marijuana; and Possession of 500 Grams or More of a Mixture Containing a Detectable Amount of Methamphetamine;
• Richard Travis Bargeron, 41, of Augusta, currently an inmate at the Coffee County Correctional Facility, 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, 50 Grams or More of Methamphetamine, and an Amount of Heroin and Marijuana; Possession of 500 Grams or More of a Mixture Containing a Detectable Amount of Methamphetamine; Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime; and Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon;
• Alvin Wayne Snellgrove, 63, of Evans, 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, 50 Grams or More of Methamphetamine, and an Amount of Heroin and Marijuana; Possession of Methamphetamine with Intent to Distribute; and two counts of Use of a Communication Facility;
• Heather Nicole Disher, 42, 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, 50 Grams or More of Methamphetamine, and an Amount of Heroin and Marijuana; Possession of Methamphetamine; and three counts of Use of a Communications Facility; and,
• Dana Alexander Rau, 48, 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, 50 Grams or More of Methamphetamine, and an Amount of Heroin and Marijuana; Possession of Methamphetamine; Use of a Communications Facility, relating to the use of a cell phone to facilitate the conspiracy; and Possession of a Firearm by a User of Illegal Drugs.

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

The case was investigated under the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) 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 Richmond County Sheriff’s Office; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration; the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office; and the Swainsboro Police Department, and is being prosecuted for the United States by Southern District of Georgia Assistant U.S. Attorney and Criminal Division Chief Patricia G. Rhodes.

AUGUSTA, GA:  Four defendants are awaiting sentencing after admitting they participated in an operation that used pill presses to package and distribute illegal drugs.

Albert Bynoe, a/k/a “Chino,” a/k/a “Bossman Chino,” 35, of Decatur, Ga., awaits sentencing 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. The guilty plea subjects Bynoe to a statutory sentence of up to 20 years in prison, along with substantial financial penalties, followed by a period of supervised release after completion of any prison term.

There is no parole in the federal system.

“Our law enforcement partners did exceptional work in identifying and intercepting foreign shipments of materials used to manufacture pills containing illegal drugs,” said U.S. Attorney Estes. “Our office is committed to prosecuting makers and distributors of illegal substances that threaten the health and safety of our communities.”

Bynoe’s mother, Cynthia Dessaure-Outlaw, 58, of Grovetown, Ga., awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to Unlawful Transport of Drug Paraphernalia. Two other defendants, Darnee Cooper, a/k/a “Lafayette,” a/k/a “Lafayette Bandz,” 34, of Columbia, S.C., and Nicholas Butler, 42, of Augusta, await sentencing after pleading guilty to Possession of Methamphetamine with Intent to Distribute.

As described in court documents and proceedings, the investigation began in 2018 when U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents flagged a shipment addressed to Dessaure-Outlaw that contained, among other items, molds for a commercial pill press. Dessaure-Outlaw voluntarily forfeited the materials. In 2020, investigators from the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration flagged a shipment of a pill press sent to Dessaure-Outlaw’s Grovetown address, and located three prior shipments that had been sent to a Columbia, S.C. address in Bynoe’s name along with large amounts of powdered binding agents used to manufacture pills.

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. All four defendants pled guilty.

Sentencing for the four defendants has not yet been scheduled.

“As part of safeguarding our borders from serious health and security threats, Customs and Border Protection Savannah continues its strong collaboration with our Southern District law enforcement partners.” said, Scott Huntly, Assistant Port Director for CBP Savannah.

“Our mission at DEA is to disrupt, dismantle, and destroy drug trafficking organizations – and this illegal pill pressing operation is no different,” said Robert J. Murphy, the Special Agent in Charge of the Atlanta Field Division of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. “Thanks to the collective efforts of our law enforcement partners, these criminals will be held accountable."

“We are committed to working with our partners to get dangerous drugs out of our communities,” said Vic Reynolds, 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:  Four people have been charged with participating in COVID-19 relief fraud schemes, and three of them have already pled guilty.

The defendants all are charged via Informations 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 guilty pleas subject the defendants to statutory sentences of up to 30 years in prison, along with substantial amounts of restitution and fines, followed by a period of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.

“Congress approved significant funding to assist small businesses during the early shutdowns and financial challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic,” said U.S. Attorney Estes. “With our law enforcement partners, we will identify and hold accountable those who misuse this funding to satisfy their own greed at the expense of taxpayers.”

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. Three defendants admitted exploiting these programs for their own financial gain, while a fourth awaits further court proceedings. All of the defendants admitted or are accused of seeking relief payments through false and fraudulent representations regarding their businesses, real or fictitious, in order to receive Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL) and/or Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans.

The defendants include:

• Shakeena Hamilton, 34, of McRae, Ga., awaiting sentencing after pleading guilty to Conspiracy to Commit an Offense Against the U.S. Government. In pleading guilty to the COVID-19 fraud charge, Hamilton admitted helping others to fraudulently apply for PPP relief, with her actions responsible for the government disbursing more than $2.3 million to banks for other conspirators. Hamilton, who received kickbacks from the co-conspirators in return for her assistance, gained more than $300,000 from the scheme. 
• Anissa Carr, 22, of Hinesville, Ga., and her husband, Montrez Burns, 24, also of Hinesville, each await sentencing after pleading guilty to Wire Fraud. Each defendant admitted fraudulently seeking and securing tens of thousands of dollars in PPP funding for fictitious businesses.
• Anatoly Rybin, 41, of Richmond Hill, Ga., has been charged via Information with False Statement on a Loan Application in relation to an application to the SBA for an EIDL loan for which received $110,300. He awaits further court proceedings. 

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

“The Office of Inspector General stands beside the nation’s small businesses by securing and safeguarding SBA programs that support and uplift them through difficult times,” said SBA OIG’s Special Agent in Charge Amaleka McCall-Brathwaite. “OIG remains committed to rooting out bad actors and protecting the integrity of SBA programs. I want to thank the U.S. Department of Justice and our law enforcement partners for their dedication and pursuit of justice.”

“As a partner with the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force, we will not allow individuals to prey on the CARES Act programs created to assist American citizens during this national emergency,” said Resident Agent-in-Charge Todd Outlaw of the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Division's Major Procurement Atlanta Fraud Resident Agency. “These guilty pleas are a testament of our dedication and partnership with other federal agencies to ensure critical benefit programs are protected.”

“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.”

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.

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

SAVANNAH, GA:  A Liberty County drug trafficker has been sentenced to nearly a decade in federal prison.

Rae Winn-Young, 39, of Hinesville, Ga., was sentenced to 110 months in prison after pleading guilty to Possession with Intent to Distribute Cocaine, said David H. Estes, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. U.S. District Court Judge Lisa Godbey Wood also ordered Winn-Young to serve three years of supervised release after completion of his prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.

“Repeat felons like Rae Winn-Young are example of the small number of criminals who commit a disproportionate number of crimes in our communities,” said U.S. Attorney Estes. “Our office is committed to identifying these offenders and holding them accountable as we work to make our communities safer.”

As described in court documents and testimony, deputies from the Liberty County Sheriff’s Office in 2018 began investigating Winn-Young’s involvement in trafficking cocaine and other illegal drugs in the Hinesville area. Hinesville Police officers joined the investigation, and in a search in March 2019 of Winn-Young’s residence, investigators found large amounts of drugs, cash, and a stolen firearm. Winn-Young later was indicted on federal drug trafficking charges, and still faces state charges related to the case.

Winn-Young has multiple prior felony convictions for illegal drug possession or sale.

“This investigation and conviction would not have been possible without the hard work from our state and local partners,” said Beau Kolodka, Assistant Special Agent in Charge of the Atlanta Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. “This sentence guarantees that this armed, multi-convicted felon has been removed from the streets of our community for many years to come.”

The case was investigated by the Liberty County Sheriff’s Office and the Hinesville Police Department, with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the U.S. Marshals Service, and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation. It was prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorney Marcela C. Mateo. 

AUGUSTA, GA:  A Warren County man has been indicted on charges including illegally possession a machine gun and trafficking methamphetamine.

Kevin Shawn McGahee, 47, of Stapleton, Ga, is charged in a newly unsealed indictment with Possession with Intent to Distribute Five or More Grams of Methamphetamine; Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime; Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon; and Illegal Possession of a Machine Gun, said David H. Estes, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. The charges subject McGahee to a maximum statutory penalty of up to life in prison, and there is no parole in the federal system.

“We are committed to working with our law enforcement partners to identify and intercept the sources of illegal drugs in our communities, and to remove firearms from those who are prohibited from owning them,” said U.S. Attorney Estes.

McGahee was indicted by a U.S. District Court grand jury during its April term, and entered a plea of not guilty to the charges before U.S. District Court Magistrate Brian K. Epps during arraignment Friday morning. He is free on bond while awaiting further proceedings.

McGahee’s indictment followed a recent 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 which agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives verified allows the weapon to fire multiple bullets with each trigger pull.

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

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.

Agencies investigating the case include the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bureau of Alcohol, Firearms, Tobacco, and Explosives, the Warren County Sheriff’s Office, and the McDuffie County Sheriff’s Office. The case is being prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeremiah L. Johnson.

BRUNSWICK, GA.: A guilty plea abruptly ended the trial of an illegal alien who participated in a conspiracy to kill a whistleblower who exposed a multi-million-dollar scheme to fraudulently employee undocumented workers.

Higinio Perez-Bravo, 52, of Savannah, pled guilty to Conspiracy to Commit Murder-For-Hire, ending his trial in U.S. District Court as the third day was about to begin, said David H. Estes, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. The guilty plea subjects Perez-Bravo to a mandatory penalty of life in prison, and there is no parole in the federal system.

“Higinio Perez-Bravo took part in a plan that forever silenced a courageous whistleblower,” said U.S. Attorney Estes. “Perez-Bravo acted as the getaway driver to help a murderer elude justice, but he could not escape the overwhelming evidence of his own guilt. I applaud law enforcement’s efforts and the assistance of Eliud Montoya’s family in holding this defendant accountable.”

The guilty plea of Perez-Bravo follows that of Pablo Rangel-Rubio, 53, a citizen of Mexico illegally present in the United States who resided in Rincon, Ga. In March, Rangel-Rubio pled guilty to Conspiracy to Conceal, Harbor and Shield Illegal Aliens; Conspiracy to Commit Money Laundering; three counts of Money Laundering; and one count of Aiding and Abetting the Retaliation Against a Witness. He awaits a negotiated sentence of 600 months in prison, while his brother, Juan-Rangel Rubio, 45, of Rincon, also a citizen of Mexico illegally present in the United States, awaits trial on related charges and is considered innocent unless and until proven guilty.

As reflected in court records and evidence presented to the jury, Perez-Bravo was paid $20,000 for the use of his vehicles and for acting as the getaway driver in the murder of Eliud Montoya, a United States citizen who blew the whistle on a scheme of hiring and mistreating illegal aliens. Pablo Rangel-Rubio, himself an illegal alien from Mexico, worked as a supervisor at Wolf Tree. He routed the illegal aliens’ paychecks to himself, and, as a result of this scheme, he admitted that 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 by Pablo Rangel-Rubio. He 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, among other actions. 

“Perez-Bravo and his conspirators have shown that they will go to any lengths to not only make, but also protect their ill-gotten gains to include savagely murdering a whistleblower who was trying to stop their scheme. He will now face the consequences of his unconscionable actions,” said Special Agent in Charge Katrina W. Berger, who oversees Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) operations in Georgia and Alabama. “This plea not only prevents these workers from being exploited further, but also I hope it encourages other workers being exploited to speak up because HSI and its law enforcement partners are listening.”

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. Attorney Tania D. Groover.

A co-owner of a group of eight Georgia bars pleaded guilty today to tax evasion. 

According to court documents and statements made in court, William Britt engaged in a scheme to evade taxes owed to the IRS on income from bars he and others owned. Although each establishment had a nominal sole owner, in reality the bars all had a group of co-owners, including Britt, with varying percentages of ownership. Britt held an ownership interest in entities such as Chrysha Inc., which operated a bar in Statesboro, and BGRG Inc., which operated a bar and a restaurant in Milledgeville. Britt, along with the other true owners, shared in the bars’ profits in proportion to their respective ownership percentages.

Britt provided false information to an accountant for the preparation of tax returns related to some of the businesses. Specifically, Britt misrepresented the businesses’ true ownership, understated the bars’ income and omitted cash distributions to the owners. This conduct caused Britt and other owners of the bars to file false tax returns with the IRS by paying less than their actual income tax liabilities. Through his guilty plea, Britt admitted to willfully underreporting his income on his 2014 individual tax return.

Last month, James Stafford, who was nominally the sole owner of Chrysha Inc. and BGRG Inc., also pleaded guilty to tax evasion as part of the same scheme.

Britt will be sentenced at a later date and faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison. He also faces a period of supervised release, restitution and monetary penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney David Estes for the Southern District of Georgia made the announcement.

IRS-Criminal Investigation and the FBI are investigating the case.

Assistant Chief David Zisserson and Trial Attorney Casey Smith of the Tax Division, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Georgia, are prosecuting the case.

SAVANNAH, GA:   Six defendants are among those facing federal charges including drug trafficking and 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 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), the FBI and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, to reduce violent crime with measures that include targeting convicted felons who illegally carry guns.

“It is a priority of our office to collaborate with our law enforcement partners to target those whose illegal possession of firearms threatens the safety of our communities,” said David H. Estes, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. “We won’t tolerate violent criminal activity in the Southern District.”  

In the past four years, more than 750 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 April 2022 term of the U.S. District Court grand jury include:

• Juan Eloy Quintanilla, 29, of Willacoochee, Ga., charged with Distribution of Hydrocodone and Methamphetamine; Possession with Intent to Distribute Five or More Grams of Methamphetamine; Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime; and Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon;
• Rashejon B. Curry, 28, of Savannah, charged with Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon; Possession with Intent to Distribute Cocaine and Marijuana; and Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime;
• Nequan O’Neal Roberson, 22, of Augusta, charged with Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon;
• Charles Barnes, 50, of Savannah, charged with Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon;
• Kareem M. Harris, 38, of Savannah, charged with Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon; and,
• James Hoffman, 37, of Savannah, charged with Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon.

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

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

• Charles Aimee Fields Jr., a/k/a “Slim,” 33, of Savannah, was sentenced to 72 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release after pleading guilty to Distribution of Crack Cocaine, and Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Fields is among 14 defendants indicted in September 2021 for their roles in operating an open-air drug market in an area of Savannah called “The Dips.”
• Demont Latrell Gresham, 33, of Washington, Ga., was sentenced 34 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Gresham ran from Wilkes County Sheriff’s Deputies and Georgia State Patrol troopers in July 2020 when they attempted to arrest him on an outstanding warrant, and officers found a rifle in his vehicle. He was arrested in August 2020 when located by Wilkes County deputies.
• Ashley Lanier Powell, 39, of Pulaski, Ga., was sentenced to 18 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release and fined $1,500 after being found guilty at trial Nov. 8, 2021, for Possession of a Firearm by a User of Illegal Drugs, and Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person. Powell, who was on probation for a conviction of domestic violence, was arrested in May 2019 in Twin City, Ga., after a police officer saw two firearms in Powell’s vehicle. 
• Charles Kevin Matthews, 50, of Carlton, Ga., was sentenced to 30 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. Matthews was on parole for a prior state conviction when investigators found a pistol in his possession during a search of his girlfriend’s residence.
• James Ricardo Harris, 29, of Augusta, was sentenced to 26 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. Harris was arrested in May 2019 when Columbia County Sheriff’s deputies found him in possession of a pistol during a traffic stop.
• Keyon Quinton Adams, 28, of Augusta, awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. U.S. Marshals serving warrants for Adams’ arrest on Florida charges found him in possession of a pistol when they took him into custody in October 2021 in Martinez.
• Phillip Allen Loughry, 41, of Baxley, Ga., awaits sentencing 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.
• Ricardo DeAngelo Norman, 33, of Augusta, awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by an Unlawful Drug User. Norman was charged in the October 2021 indictment in Operation Washout, an investigation into a cocaine-trafficking ring in the greater Burke County area. 
• Fredrick Connell Blount, 38, of Augusta, awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Blount was arrested after a traffic stop in August 2020 when Richmond County Sheriff’s deputies found a pistol in the vehicle Blount was driving.
• De’Montre Murray, 22, of Columbia, S.C., awaits sentencing 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.
• Jamie Lee Cogan, 37, of Thomson, Ga., awaits sentencing 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.
• Antoine Ladson, 33, of Brunswick, awaits sentencing 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.
• Treyon Antonio Williams, 30, of Savannah, awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to Possession of a Stolen Firearm. Savannah Police officers investigating reports of gunshots in February 2021 arrested Williams on an outstanding felony warrant after finding a pistol in his pocket.

Agencies investigating these cases include the ATF, the FBI, the DEA, the Savannah Police Department, the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office, the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office, and the McDuffie 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 Jeremiah L. Johnson, Steven H. Lee, Marcela C. Mateo, Patricia G. Rhodes, and Henry W. Syms Jr., 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 on the lawful purchasing of firearms, please see: https://www.atf.gov/qa-category/atf-form-4473.

STATESBORO, GA:  A man who referred to himself and his girlfriend as a “modern-day Bonnie and Clyde” has been indicted on multiple federal charges for the unlawful use of information gleaned in thefts from mailboxes, while his girlfriend awaits sentencing after admitting to a related charge.

Michael H. Boatright, 33, of Chesterfield, S.C., is charged with Conspiracy to Commit Mail, Wire, and Bank Fraud; three counts of Theft of Mail; and one count of Aggravated Identity Theft, said David H. Estes, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. Stephanie Michelle Lea Napier, 29, also of Chesterfield, awaits sentencing after pleading guilty in March to an Information charging her with Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud.

“These charges demonstrate the dedication of our law enforcement partners in identifying and tracking down activities that started with swiping mail from mailboxes and led all the way to identity theft and financial fraud,” said U.S. Attorney Estes. “Those determined to be responsible for such illegal activities will be held accountable.”

As described in the indictment returned during the April 2022 term of the U.S. District Court Grand Jury, Boatwright and Napier called themselves the “Modern Day Bonnie and Clyde” in a period from about November 2020 to June 2021, as they were alleged to have driven 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 take over victims’ bank accounts.

The indictment alleges the two stole, or attempted to steal, “hundreds of thousands of dollars from their many victims, and caused substantial non-monetary harm and headaches for countless victims.” At least four victims referenced in the indictment are residents of the Statesboro, Ga., area, and agents from the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the U.S. Secret Service have identified more than 100 potential victims in the three-state area, with actual and attempted financial losses of more than $500,000.

U.S. Attorney Estes applauded the work of the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, the Bulloch County Sheriff’s Office, and the Statesboro Police Department, which contributed to the federal investigation.

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

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, and prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan A. Porter.

SAVANNAH, GA:  A Chatham County insurance company owner has been sentenced to federal prison for lying in bankruptcy court and his tax returns.

Jaques Andres Frym, 53, of Pooler, Ga., was sentenced to eight months in prison followed by three years of supervised release after pleading guilty to False Oath in Relation to a Bankruptcy Proceeding, and Filing a False Tax-Related Document, said David H. Estes, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. U.S. District Court Judge Lisa Godbey Wood also ordered Frym to pay a fine of $30,000, and restitution of $112,042.12.

“The integrity of our bankruptcy courts and tax systems depend on honest, forthright presentations from citizens,” said U.S. Attorney Estes. “Jacques Frym violated that trust by lying to the court and on his tax documents, and is being held accountable.”

As described in court documents and testimony, from 2005 to 2021 Frym was the owner and agent of numerous business entities engaged in the sale of insurance. In 2015, Frym caused the creation of an entity named Federal Employee Benefits with his wife listed as the sole owner.

In 2016, Frym filed for bankruptcy to discharge $5 million in debt, and under oath claimed he performed no work for FEB “when, in fact, he knew that he sold, and was the primary individual responsible for selling, insurance contracts on behalf of FEB.”

In addition, Frym admitted that in 2018 he significantly underreported his income when filing his personal tax returns.

The case was investigated by Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigations, and prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorneys John P. Harper III and Asset Recovery Unit Chief Xavier A. Cunningham.