Multiple defendants prosecuted on federal firearms, drug charges

SAVANNAH, GA: Newly returned indictments in the Southern District of Georgia include felony charges for illegal firearms possession and drug distribution, while additional defendants have been sentenced to federal prison or await further proceedings after pleading guilty to federal gun charges.

"As illegally possessed firearms proliferate in our community, our office continues to hold accountable those who threaten the safety of our neighborhoods" said Jill E. Steinberg, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. "We commend the efforts of our local, state, and federal law enforcement partners in investigating these criminal activities."

The cases are prosecuted 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 possess guns.

Those indicted in September include:

• Daniel Blount Cates, 50, of Waynesboro, Ga., charged with Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon, and two counts of Possession of an Unregistered Firearm, referring to a machine gun and a firearm equipped with a silencer. Cates, who was sentenced in federal court to probation on an illegal gambling charge in 2021, was sentenced in June to 15 months in prison after U.S. District Court Judge J. Randal Hall ruled that Cates had violated the terms of his probation by possessing firearms.
• Ray Charles Canady III, 51, of Augusta, charged with Interference with Commerce by Robbery; Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Crime of Violence; and Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon;
• Willie James Norton, 36, of Baxley, 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;
• Phillip Moore, 29, of Savannah, charged with Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon;
• Scottie Eugene Bryant, 48, of Grovetown, charged with Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon;
• Jack Anthony Bragg, 44, of Statesboro, Ga., charged with Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon; and,
• Jacorey D. Lockett, 30, of Savannah, charged with Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon.

Also previously indicted:

• Daniel Jamal Robertson, 33, of Brooklet, Ga., charged with Possession with Intent to Distribute Controlled Substances, referring to an isomer of Ephylone, also known as bath salts; Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime; and Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon;

All indicted defendants are considered innocent unless and until proven guilty.

Defendants recently adjudicated on federal firearms charges include:

• Arthur Eugene Cannon, 41, of Savannah, was sentenced to 120 months in prison and fined $1,000 after pleading guilty to Possession of a Stolen Firearm. Savannah Chatham Counter Narcotics Team investigators determined that Cannon illegally possessed a stolen pistol discovered during a drug trafficking investigation. A co-defendant, Thomas Allen Gordon, 56, of Savannah, was sentenced to 70 months in prison and fined $1,500 after pleading guilty to Possession of Methamphetamine and Fentanyl with Intent to Distribute.
• Daquan Minor, 32, of Savannah, was sentenced to 120 months in prison after pleading guilty to Possession of a Stolen Firearm. Savannah police officers found a stolen pistol in Minor's vehicle during a traffic stop. Minor previously was convicted of felony offenses including illegal gun possession and drug trafficking.
• Marqus Jamal Flanders, 38, of Brunswick, sentenced to 112 months in prison after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. In February 2023, Glynn County police found a pistol in Flanders' possession after an attempted traffic stop led to a motorcycle and foot chase. Flanders was on probation on state felony charges at the time of his arrest.
• Daveon Daniels, 25, of Grovetown, Ga., was sentenced to 46 months in prison and fined $1,500 after pleading guilty to Illegal Possession of a Machine Gun. Columbia County sheriff's deputies were investigating a homicide when they determined that Daniels possessed a firearm, equipped with a "Glock switch" to convert it to fully automatic fire.
• Zanuck Lorenzo Berry, 43, of Martinez, Ga., was sentenced to 87 months in prison and fined $1,500 after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Drug Enforcement Administration agents searched Berry's home in January 2023 as part of a drug trafficking investigation and found an assault-style rifle, two semiautomatic "ghost gun" pistols, a third handgun, and a shotgun.
• Jamario D. Owens, 24, of Savannah, was sentenced to 49 months in prison after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Savannah police officers found Owens in possession of a handgun while investigating a reported disturbance.
• Phillip Smith, 49, of Augusta, was sentenced to 156 months in prison and fined $2,500, and Brian Hilliard, 40, of Augusta, was sentenced to 108 months in prison and fined $1,500, after both pled guilty to Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and to Distribute Methamphetamine, and Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon, while Glen Taylor, 45, of Beech Island, S.C., was sentenced to 37 months in prison and fined $1,500 and Joshua Wasden, 36, of Thomson, Ga., was sentenced to 120 months in prison and fined $2,000 after both pled guilty to the conspiracy charge. Five co-defendants, including Edward Jake Walters, 29, of Grovetown; Dustin Bayles, 36, of Thomson, Ga.; Linda Campbell, 53, of Augusta; Gary Holcomb, 59, of Martinez; and Destiny Poole, 23, of Grovetown, await sentencing after pleading guilty to the drug conspiracy charge. All were charged in USA v. Walters et al., an indictmentalleging an Augusta-area drug trafficking conspiracy. A tenth defendant, Donnie Skillman, 46, of Augusta, awaits further proceedings and is considered innocent unless and until proven guilty.

• Unique Haynes, 26, of Jacksonville, Fla., was sentenced to 120 months in prison after pleading guilty to Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and to Distribute Methamphetamine, Cocaine and Fentanyl, and Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. A co-defendant, Eric Massey, 29, also of Jacksonville, was sentenced to 48 months in prison after pleading guilty to Illegal Use of a Communication Facility. Haynes and Massey were charged in Augusta following an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Richmond County Sheriff's Office, with assistance from the Georgia State Patrol.
• Benjamin Priester, 56, of Pooler, Ga., was sentenced to 92 months in prison after pleading guilty to Possession of a Stolen Firearm. Savannah police officers found a pistol in Priester's possession during a traffic stop and later determined Priester knew the gun had been stolen.

• Robert Antonio Green, 26, of Savannah, was sentenced to 60 months in prison and fined $1,500 after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. A probation officer from the Georgia Department of Community Supervision found a handgun in Green's possession during a meeting with Green.
• Michael Jerome Germany, 50, of Grovetown, Ga., was sentenced to 37 months in prison and fined $1,000 after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Grovetown police officers found a pistol in Germany's vehicle during a traffic stop.
• Jarrett Lamar Knight, 45, of Savannah, was sentenced 15 months in prison after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. As described in the plea agreement, Knight was a convicted felon when he sold a shotgun to a confidential informant during an ATF investigation.
• Thomas J. Fazio II, 41, of Grovetown, Ga, was sentenced to five years' probation and fined $2,500 after pleading guilty to Possession of an Unregistered Firearm. In May 2023, Homeland Security Investigations and Customs and Border Protection intercepted suspected firearms silencers being shipped to Fazio, a U.S. Army Staff Sergeant. During a search of Fazio's residence, investigators found an unregistered firearm silencer.
• David Kreiss, 49, of Twin City, Ga., awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to Possession of Firearms by a Convicted Felon. Twin City police found Kreiss in possession of a rifle and four shotguns while investigating a domestic disturbance.

• Andrey Denorris Blockett, 37, of Augusta, awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Georgia State Patrol troopers found Blockett in possession of a pistol with a loaded high-capacity magazine after Blockett fled on an off-road vehicle from a vehicle license check.
• Lial Stephens, 28, of Pooler, Ga., awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to two counts of Interference with Commerce by Robbery. Stephens pointed a pistol at a Garden City, Ga., convenience store clerk during robberies in September and November 2023.
• Richard Bruce Salyer Jr., 49, of Forsyth, Ga., awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Chatham County police officers found a pistol in Salyer's waistband while investigating a report of a stolen vehicle in November 2023. Salyer has two prior convictions for illegally possessing firearms, and at the time of his arrest was an escapee from the Jefferson County, Ga., Correctional Institute.
• Anthony Orlando Jones, 34, of Augusta, awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Richmond County deputies and the U.S. Marshals found Jones in possession of a semiautomatic pistol in November 2023 while serving him with an arrest warrant on a state felony charge.
• Barry Christopher Carpenter, 43, of Gainesville, Ga., awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Carpenter was arrested on state charges in Columbia County during a burglary investigation.
• Eddie Lee Tolbert, 39, of Augusta, awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Grovetown police found a pistol in Tolbert's possession during a traffic stop.
• Deleon Alexander Jackson, 23, of Augusta, awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Richmond County deputies found Jackson in possession of a rifle while investigating a reported disturbance at an Augusta store.

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

Public link

Please use the above public link if you want to share this noodl on another website.