A recently unsealed federal indictment has accused numerous individuals, with a majority of them already incarcerated, of engaging in an extensive drug trafficking operation that extended across multiple communities in South Georgia.
The Acting U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia, Tara M. Lyons, revealed that the indictment in USA v. Brinson, et al., has implicated 37 individuals in the Coffee, Atkinson, and Bacon County area as conspirators. These individuals have been charged with Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and to Distribute Cocaine, Methamphetamine, Oxycodone, and Marijuana. If convicted, most defendants could face a maximum penalty of life imprisonment, in addition to significant financial penalties. Furthermore, they may be subject to a period of supervised release upon completing their prison term.
Parole does not exist in the federal system.
“This operation makes it clear that rural communities aren’t immune from the scourge of drug trafficking,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Lyons. “We applaud the diligent work of our law enforcement partners in this investigation.”
The indictment portrays the defendants as active participants in a conspiracy to import and distribute illegal drugs on a large scale within the Douglas, Georgia community and its neighboring counties. The execution of this conspiracy was predominantly orchestrated from inside Georgia state prisons, utilizing contraband cell phones. Notably, the indictment encompasses a total of 60 charges and reveals the confiscation of 21 unlawfully possessed firearms, as well as a sum exceeding $17,000.
The individuals mentioned in the indictment are:
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- Litarus Brinson, a/k/a “Ben Brokebefore,” 26, an inmate at the Jenkins Correctional Center;
- Christopher Brockington, a/k/a “Chris Brock,” 44, of Douglas;
- Keevon Bussey, a/k/a “Guado Gettinguap Gomez,” 26, of Douglas;
- Stacey Daniels, 32, of Douglas;
- Kenneth Davis, 62, being held in the Coffee County Jail;
- T’Kiya Eady, 24, of Lagrange, Georgia;
- Patrick Ellis, 42, of Atlanta;
- Anthony Gaskin Jr., 35, of Pearson, Georgia;
- Dacia Gaskins, a/k/a “Sheree Gaskins,” 31, of Douglas, a former Georgia state corrections officer;
- Ernest Goodman, 42, an inmate of the Ware County Jail;
- Christopher Hawkins, a/k/a “Rayshon Hawkins,” 30, of Douglas;
- Qudarious Hawkins, a/k/a “Don Esclobar,” 25, of Douglas;
- Breanna Henderson, 34, of Douglas;
- Corey Hill, 34, of Ambrose, Georgia;
- Demarcus Holland, 32, of Douglas;
- Wanda Hollinger, 57, of Douglas;
- Zarionna Holloway, a/k/a “Channel Parker,” 23, of Douglas;
- Roger Jenkins, 27, a/k/a “Glee Jenkins,” a/k/a “WMG Glee,” of Alma, Georgia;
- Marquan Jenkins, a/k/a “Anna Brooke,” a/k/a “Mary Thompson,” 30, an inmate at Macon State Prison;
- Richard Jewell, 51, of Douglas;
- Aaron Kahn, 49, of Douglas;
- James Lander, 35, Douglas;
- Jeffrey Maxwell, a/k/a “EBK Kokaine,” 28, an inmate of Wilcox State Prison;
- Darien McDaniel, 35, of Waycross, Georgia;
- Antarious McTear, 30, of Douglas;
- Adrian Munford, a/k/a “Jugg King,” 41, of Waycross
- Ferlonzo Newton, a/k/a “Lonzie Newton,” a/k/a “Kell Newton,” 28, of Douglas;
- Reginald Powell, a/k/a “Yetti Glock,” 36, of Douglas;
- Patricia Raven, a/k/a “Ms. Pat,” 65, of Valdosta, Georgia;
- Marcus Reynolds, a/k/a “Marc Marc,” 44, an inmate at Georgia Diagnostic and Classification Prison;
- James Robinson, 33, an inmate at Telfair State Prison;
- Sedarrien Smith, a/k/a “Slug Da Menace,” 24, of Douglas;
- Billy Toombs Jr., 32, of Douglas;
- Dequatte Tucker, a/k/a “Deshawn Tucker,” a/k/a “Esco,” a/k/a “Freeband Esco,” 33, an inmate at Wheeler Correctional Facility;
- Travis Tucker, 33, of Douglas;
- Assyria Watts, a/k/a “Jefe Cain,” 29, of Douglas; and,
- Brian Wright, 48, of Alma, Georgia.
Criminal indictments consist solely of charges, and it is important to remember that defendants are considered innocent until proven guilty.
“The FBI and our law enforcement partners were able to achieve today’s arrests and seizures because all of us never stopped working together, combining our resources, and advocating for a safer place to live for everyone in this community,” said FBI Atlanta Assistant Special Agent in Charge Brian Ozden. “And we will not rest until we bring back to our community a sense of security and law and order that is so greatly needed.”
“This operation was only successful because of the collaborative effort of the various agencies,” said Coffee County Sheriff Fred T. Cole. “As the sheriff, it is my mission to eliminate the spread of illegal drugs in our community. This operation highlights the importance of community safety and the lasting effects it has on our community.”
This investigation was conducted as part of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) program. PSN has proven effective in fostering collaboration among law enforcement agencies at all levels to combat violent crime and enhance the safety of our communities.
The Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) also conducted an investigation into this case. OCDETF employs a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach to identify, disrupt, and dismantle the most significant criminal organizations that pose a threat to the United States.
The investigation is being conducted by various agencies, including the FBI, the Coffee County Sheriff’s Office Drug Unit, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation Southeast Regional Drug Enforcement Office, the Georgia State Patrol, the Georgia Department of Community Supervision, the Douglas Police Department, the Bacon County Sheriff’s Office, the Atkinson County Sheriff’s Office, the Waycross Police Department, the Marion County (Florida) Sheriff’s Office, and the Jacksonville (Florida) County Sheriff’s Office. The United States is prosecuting the case with the assistance of Southern District of Georgia Assistant U.S. Attorneys Bradley R. Thompson and Joshua K. Davis.