19 Defendants Charged in Columbus Armed Drug Trafficking Conspiracy

COLUMBUS, Ga. - Five indictments unsealed this afternoon charge 19 defendants in alleged armed drug trafficking conspiracies and substantive drug distribution activities with ties to Zohannon, a hybrid criminal street gang in Columbus, resulting from Operation Sweet Silence, an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) operation.

According to the indictments and other court documents and statements made in court, federal and local law enforcement conducted Operation Sweet Silence from Aug. 2022 until May 2024, an investigation into the alleged illegal activities of the Zohannon criminal street gang involving alleged armed drug trafficking. As part of the investigation, law enforcement recovered fentanyl, methamphetamine and other controlled substances, along with firearms, including a machine gun and Glock switches, which are used to convert firearms into machine guns.

Federal search and arrest warrants were executed in Columbus on Thursday, Sept. 12, resulting from newly unsealed federal indictments:

USA v. Dawson, No. 4:24-cr-00023

Dequindre Dawson, 32, of Columbus, is charged with two counts of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, one count of possession of a firearm by a prohibited person, two counts of possession with intent to distribute cocaine and two counts of possession with intent to distribute marijuana. If convicted, Dawson faces a maximum sentence 20 years in prison to be followed by at least three years of supervised release and a $1,000,000 fine.

USA v. Williams, No. 4:24-cr-00020

Jhy'Keith Williams aka "Keith Keith," 23, of Columbus, is charged with one count of illegal possession of a machine gun. If convicted, Williams faces a maximum sentence of ten years in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine.

USA v Mullins, et al, No. 4:24-cr-00019

Tommie Mullins, Jr. aka "TJ" aka "Bo" aka "Mini," 30, of Columbus, is charged with one count of conspiracy to possess controlled substances with intent to distribute and one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. If convicted, Mullins faces a maximum of life imprisonment;

Anthony Champion, 45, of Columbus, is charged with one count of conspiracy to possess controlled substances with intent to distribute. If convicted, Champion faces a maximum of life imprisonment;

Trenton Clemons, 47, of Columbus, is charged with one count of conspiracy to possess controlled substances with intent to distribute and one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. If convicted, Clemons faces a maximum of life imprisonment;

Christopher Hill, 35, of Columbus, is charged with one count of conspiracy to possess controlled substances with intent to distribute. If convicted, Hill faces a maximum of life imprisonment;

Darius Jenkins, 23, of Columbus, is charged with one count of conspiracy to possess controlled substances with intent to distribute. If convicted, Jenkins faces a maximum of life imprisonment;

Javonta Paden, 24, of Columbus, is charged with one count of conspiracy to possess controlled substances with intent to distribute. If convicted, Paden faces a maximum of life imprisonment;

Adrian Palmer aka AP, 24, of Columbus, is charged with one count of conspiracy to possess controlled substances with intent to distribute, one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, one count of possession with intent to distribute marijuana and one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. If convicted, Palmer faces a maximum of life imprisonment;

Adrian Pleasants, 28, of Columbus, is charged with one count of conspiracy to possess controlled substances with intent to distribute. If convicted, Pleasants faces a maximum of life imprisonment;

Trenton Thomas aka "Bubble," 24, of Columbus, is charged with one count of conspiracy to possess controlled substances with intent to distribute and two counts of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. If convicted, Thomas faces a maximum of life imprisonment; and

Corey Turner aka "Lito" aka "Lito Red," 32, of Columbus, is charged with one count of conspiracy to possess controlled substances with intent to distribute, one count of possession with intent to distribute cocaine and one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. If convicted, Turner faces a maximum of life imprisonment.

USA v. Carter, No. 4:24-cr-00017

Jantzen Carter, 39, of Waverly Hall, Georgia, is charged with one count of possession with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine. If convicted, Carter faces a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.

USA v. Brown, No. 4:24-cr-00015

Fernando Brown aka "Nino," 31, of Columbus, is charged with one count of conspiracy to possess controlled substances with intent to distribute, two counts of possession with intent to distribute cocaine, one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, two counts of possession with intent to distribute marijuana, two counts of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime and one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. If convicted, Brown faces a maximum sentence of life imprisonment;

Undrae Hayes aka "Skizite," 36, of Columbus, is charged with one count of conspiracy to possess controlled substances with intent to distribute and one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. If convicted, Hayes faces a maximum sentence of life imprisonment;

Jeffrey Kimbrough aka "YSN Trap," 28, of Columbus, is charged with one count of conspiracy to possess controlled substances with intent to distribute. If convicted, Kimbrough faces a maximum sentence of life imprisonment;

Hykeem Lomax aka "Peso," 32, of Columbus, is charged with one count of conspiracy to possess controlled substances with intent to distribute, one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, one count of possession with intent to distribute cocaine, one count of possession with intent to distribute marijuana and one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. If convicted, Lomax faces a maximum sentence of life imprisonment;

Davontay Richardson, 27, of Columbus, is charged with one count of conspiracy to possess controlled substances with intent to distribute. If convicted, Richardson faces a maximum sentence of life imprisonment; and

Malik Williams aka "YSN Bird," 26, of Columbus, is charged with one count of conspiracy to possess controlled substances with intent to distribute and one count of possession with intent to distribute cocaine. If convicted, Williams faces a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.

The defendants are in custody and initial appearances are expected to occur before U.S. Magistrate Judge Charles Weigle on Sept. 12 and Sept. 13.

This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven and multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.

The case was investigated by FBI, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the Muscogee County Sheriff's Office with critical assistance from the Harris County Sheriff's Office; the Russell County, Alabama, Sheriff's Office; the Coweta County Sheriff's Office; the Sacramento County, California, Sheriff's Office; and the Muscogee County District Attorney's Office.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Williams of the Middle District of Georgia and Trial Attorney Matthew P. Mattis of the U.S. Department of Justice's Violent Crime and Racketeering Section are prosecuting the case for the Government.

An indictment is only an allegation of criminal conduct, and all defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty in a court of law beyond a reasonable doubt.

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