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 during the July term of the U.S. District Court Grand Jury include:

• Cordell Cobb, 23, of Midville, Ga., charged with 10 counts of Interference with Commerce by Robbery, and eight counts of Use of a Firearm During a Crime of Violence. The indictment alleges Cobb robbed convenience stores, a restaurant, and a Dollar General between January to June, 2023, in Bulloch, Burke, Emanuel, Chatham, Ware, Glascock, and Jenkins counties.
• Corinthian Lamar Colonel, 26, of Savannah, charged with Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime; Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon; and Possession of Marijuana with Intent to Distribute;
• Tommy Lee Porter, 55, of Augusta, charged with Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon; Possession of Heroin with Intent to Distribute; Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime; and Possession of Methamphetamine;
• Stanley Hall, 22, of Savannah, charged with Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon;
• Ronald Milton, 72, of Savannah, charged with Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon;
• Maleak J. Parrish, 24, of Savannah, charged with Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon; and,
• Darrell DeMarcus Golden, 31, of Lakeland, Ga., charged with Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon.

Also previously indicted:

• Rashawn Byrd, 35, of Savannah, charged with Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon, Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine, and Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime; and,
• Willie Dunbar, 45, of Villa Rica, Ga., charged with Possession of a Machine Gun.

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

Defendants recently adjudicated on federal firearms charges include:

• Matthew Lacey, 26, of Savannah, was sentenced to 188 months in prison after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Savannah police officers arrested Lacey on warrants from an April 2023 domestic violence incident and found him in possession of a handgun. Lacey has multiple prior convictions for violent felonies, including assault and illegal gun possession.
• Kenneth Oliver Riley, 60, of Savannah, was sentenced to 57 months in prison after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Savannah Police officers found a revolver in Riley's pocket while investigating a shooting.
• Joe Welcome, 34, of Reidsville, Ga., was sentenced to 51 months in prison after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Welcome was a passenger in a stolen vehicle stopped by Savannah police officers who determined Welcome was in possession of a pistol.
• Christopher D. Lovett, 44, of Waynesboro, Ga., was sentenced to 46 months in prison and fined$1,500 after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. During an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Burke County Sheriff's Office, investigators found a pistol in Lovett's possession.
• Brian Wesley Dean, 45, of Bloomingdale, Ga., was sentenced to 30 months in prison after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Pooler police officers found a pistol in Dean's possession during a traffic stop.
• Daiyuonte Reed, 31, of Oak Bluffs, Mass., was sentenced to three years' probation and fined $1,500 after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Savannah police officers found a pistol in Reed's possession while investigating a disturbance at a Savannah restaurant.
• Perez Staples, 40, of Glennville, Ga., awaits sentenced after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Long County sheriff's deputies found a pistol in Staples' vehicle during a traffic stop.

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

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