A newly unsealed federal indictment alleges dozens of defendants, many of them in prison, participated in an extensive drug trafficking operation spanning several South Georgia communities.
The indictment in USA v. Brinson, et al., names 37 individuals in the Coffee, Atkinson, and Bacon County area as conspirators, charging them with Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and to Distribute Cocaine, Methamphetamine, Oxycodone, and Marijuana, said Tara M. Lyons, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. Conviction on the charge carries a maximum penalty of up to life in prison for most defendants, along with substantial financial penalties and a period of supervised release upon completion of any prison term.
There is no parole 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.”
As described in the indictment, the defendants are alleged to have participated in a conspiracy to import and distribute large amounts of illegal drugs in the Douglas, Georgia, community and surrounding counties. Much of the conspiracy was directed from inside Georgia state prisons using contraband cell phones. The 60-count indictment includes the seizure of 21 illegally possessed firearms and more than $17,000.
Those named in the indictment include:
- 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 contain only charges; defendants are presumed innocent unless and 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 took place under the umbrella of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program that has been successful in bringing together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer.
The case also was investigated under the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF). OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach.
Agencies conducting the investigation include 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 case is being prosecuted for the United States by Southern District of Georgia Assistant U.S. Attorneys Bradley R. Thompson and Joshua K. Davis.