Twelve defendants are among those facing federal charges including illegal possession of firearms and drug charges after separate indictments by a grand jury in the Southern District of Georgia, while recent actions in U.S. District Court include guilty pleas and criminal sentences related to illegal gun possession.
The indicted cases are being investigated as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods in collaboration with federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, including the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the FBI, to reduce violent crime with measures that include targeting convicted felons who illegally carry guns.
“Getting guns out of the hands of criminals is an essential element of the fight against violent crime and the disruption of our neighborhoods,” said Jill E. Steinberg, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. “We commend the hard work of our law enforcement officers as they continue to identify and apprehend those who illegally possess firearms.”
In the past four years, more than 800 defendants have been federally charged in the Southern District of Georgia for illegal firearms offenses – most often for possessing a firearm after conviction for a previous felony. Federal law increased the maximum penalty for illegal possession of a firearm by a convicted felon to 15 years, up from 10, for those found in possession after June 25, 2022.
Defendants named in federal indictments from the March 2023 term of the U.S. District Court grand jury include:
- Jovonn Courtney Stokes, 26, of Springfield, Ga., charged with three counts of Interference with Commerce by Robbery and three counts of Possession of a Firearm During a Crime of Violence for a string of armed robberies of Chatham County convenience stores in November and December 2022.
- Stacey Vincent, 45, and Felicia Sherrod, 54, both of Douglas, Ga., each charged with Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute, and to Distribute, 50 Grams or More of Methamphetamine, and Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine. Vincent also is charged with Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon.
- Tavarres L. Freeman Jr., 22, of Augusta, charged with Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon.
- Todd Joseph Harbuck, 47, of Augusta, charged with Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon, and Possession of a Stolen Firearm.
- Daquan Minor, 32, of Savannah, charged with Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon.
- Calvin Polite, 35, of Savannah, charged with Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon.
- Arthur Singleton, 46, of Savannah, charged with Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon, and Possession of Ammunition by a Convicted Felon.
- Desirae Heinsler, 37, of Eastman, Ga., charged with six counts of making false statements during the purchase of firearms.
- Stephan DeWaine Jackson, 27, of Brunswick, Ga., charged with Possession with Intent to Distribute Crack; Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime; and Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon.
- Alvin York, 47, of Swainsboro, Ga., charged with Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon.
- Kenneth Oliver Riley, 60, of Savannah, charged with Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon.
Criminal indictments contain only charges; defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Additional defendants recently have been adjudicated on federal charges that include illegal firearms possession:
- Seth Patrick Anderson, a/k/a “Shane Anderson,” a/k/a “AB,” 37, of Hinesville, Ga., was sentenced to 63 months in prison after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Long County sheriff’s deputies arrested Anderson in October 2021 at a license checkpoint after finding a pistol in the vehicle he was driving. Anderson is a member of the Aryan Brotherhood white supremacist street gang.
- Reginald DeMarco Smith, a/k/a “Gunslinger,” 49, of Augusta, was sentenced to 60 months in prison and fined $2,500 after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime. Smith sped away from an attempted traffic stop in February 2021 by a Richmond County Sheriff’s deputy, then abandoned his vehicle and ran into the woods. Investigators found a loaded pistol, a significant amount of drugs, and more than $18,000 in cash at the scene, and Smith was located and arrested nine months later. Smith has multiple prior felony convictions for drug trafficking offenses and was on federal supervised release at the time of his arrest.
- Diallow Akpan Johnson, a/k/a “Kevin Williams,” 50, of Savannah, was sentenced to 60 months in prison after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime. Savannah Police officers were called to Johnson’s apartment in January 2021 to investigate a report of domestic violence and found a pistol and drugs in the residence.
- Tareem Burgess, 39, of Hephzibah, Ga., was sentenced to 60 months in prison and fined $1,500 after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Richmond County Sheriff’s deputies arrested Burgess after a traffic stop in August 2020 when they found a pistol in his vehicle. Burgess has prior convictions for robbery and family violence.
- Dwight Eady, 40, of Milan, Ga., was sentenced to 54 months in prison after pleading guilty to Possession of Ammunition by a Convicted Felon. Eady was arrested in September 2020 after running from a Georgia State Patrol traffic stop in Telfair County. Telfair County Sheriff’s deputies and a Georgia Department of Natural Resources warden later found Eady in a wooded area, along with drugs, ammunition and a semi-automatic pistol. Eady has prior federal and state felony convictions for drug trafficking.
- Rondell Smith, a/k/a “Rondal Smith,” 27, of Hephzibah, was sentenced to 42 months in prison and fined $1,500 after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Richmond County Sheriff’s deputies arrested Smith in February 2022 after finding a pistol in his vehicle during a traffic stop. At the time of his arrest, Smith was on supervised release from a 2017 federal conviction for Possession of a Stolen Firearm.
- Joshua Jerome Russell, 27, of Swainsboro, Ga., was sentenced to 13 months in prison after pleading guilty to Discharging a Firearm in a School Zone. A Johnson County Sheriff’s office investigator arrested Russell in August 2022 after seeing Russell exit his vehicle at a Johnson County High School football game, point a pistol in the air and fire multiple times, causing a panic at the stadium.
- Amir Dontell Foreman, 27, of Augusta, awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Richmond County Sheriff’s deputies arrested Foreman in August 2022 after finding a pistol in his vehicle during a traffic stop as part of Operation Grace.
- Kevon Quantae Davis, 23, of Augusta, awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Richmond County Sheriff’s deputies arrested Davis in January 2022 as part of Operation Grace, a gang-focused investigation in coordination with the FBI. A member of the Bolt Alley Drive Boyz street gang, Davis dropped a pistol while running on foot from deputies.
- Reco Casey, a/k/a “Rico,” 33, of Augusta, awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. In September 2021, Richmond County Sheriff’s deputies found a pistol in the vehicle where Casey was a passenger. Casey was on state felony probation at the time of his arrest.
- Nicholas Robinson, 22, of Savannah, awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Savannah Police officers arrested Robinson in March 2022 after finding two pistols in Robinson’s pockets while investigating a domestic disturbance at a motel.
- Ricky Maurice Johnson, 35, of Swainsboro, Ga., awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Johnson was arrested in June 2022 after a car and foot chase by Georgia State Patrol troopers and Savannah Police officers.
- Kenneth Sallen, 42, of Savannah, awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Sallen was arrested in July 2022 when Pooler Police officers found a pistol in Sallen’s waistband during a traffic stop. Sallen previously was convicted of armed robbery and was on probation for a firearms charge at the time of his arrest.
- Taipai La’Don Brewer, 43, of Augusta, awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Richmond County Sheriff’s deputies arrested Brewer in July 2022 after finding a pistol and drugs in his car during a traffic stop as part of the Operation Grace investigation of gang-related crimes in the Augusta area.
- Terrance Webster Dunn, 32, of Augusta, awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. A previously convicted felon, Dunn was arrested in October 2022 when Richmond County Sheriff’s deputies found him riding a bike in a shopping center parking lot, taking photos of himself with a pistol in his waistband.
Agencies investigating these cases include the ATF, the FBI, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, the Savannah Police Department, the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office, and the Georgia State Patrol.
The cases are being prosecuted for the United States by the Southern District of Georgia U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Under federal law, it is illegal for an individual to possess a firearm if he or she falls into one of nine prohibited categories including being a felon; illegal alien; or unlawful user of a controlled substance. Further, it is unlawful to possess a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense or violent crime. It is also illegal to purchase – or even to attempt to purchase – firearms if the buyer is a prohibited person or illegally purchasing a firearm on behalf of others. Lying on ATF Form 4473, which is used to lawfully purchase a firearm, also is a federal offense.
For more information from the ATF on the lawful purchasing of firearms, please see: https://www.atf.gov/qa-category/atfw-form-4473
