SAVANNAH, GA: Earlier this week, as part of numerous ongoing investigations being conducted by the ATF and FBI in partnership with local law enforcement, a federal grand jury sitting in Savannah charged the following 12 Savannah-area defendants with a variety of firearms offenses and violent crimes:
Marvin Aikens, 36, of Savannah, charged with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon
Charles Barratta, 38, of Bloomingdale, charged with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and possession of a stolen firearm
Ivory Carter, 31, of Savannah, charged with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon
Ommie Christian, 22, of Glennville, charged with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon
Ricky Green, 26, of Savannah, charged with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon
Javar Kemp, 22, of Savannah, charged with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking
Thom Luu, 30, of Savannah, charged with possession of a firearm by an unlawful user of a controlled substance
Gregory Plair, 32, of Savannah, charged with conspiring and attempting to commit robbery affecting interstate commerce, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, and brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence
Nathaniel Pugh, 35, of Savannah, charged with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking
Joshua Scott, 21, of Savannah, charged with conspiring and attempting to commit robbery affecting interstate commerce and brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence
Bryan Thompson, 26, of Savannah, charged with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon
Kyjuan Williams, 21, of Savannah, charged with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon
The indictments returned this week are the first to be filed in the Southern District of Georgia since President Trump’s February 9, 2017 Executive Order forming a Task Force on Crime Reduction and Public Safety. On March 8, 2017, Attorney General Jeff Sessions instructed the 94 United States Attorney’s Offices across the country to aggressively combat violent crime by identifying offenders responsible for significant violent crime, assessing whether an immediate and suitable penalty will result from a state prosecution, and, if the decision is made to pursue a federal indictment, utilizing the substantial tools available under federal law to ensure an appropriate sanction.
Among the 12 defendants indicted earlier this week are three Savannah residents identified by local law enforcement as being affiliated with the Gangster Disciples gang. Each of those suspected gang members will be prosecuted in federal court while their state cases are pending.
Defendants Plair and Scott face a maximum of 20 years in prison for attempting and conspiring to rob a Brinks armored car. Any federal defendant charged with unlawful possession of a firearm, possession of a stolen firearm, or possession of a short-barreled shotgun faces a sentence of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. However, any of those defendants who has been convicted of at least three violent felonies or serious drug offenses faces a mandatory minimum sentence of at least 15 years’ imprisonment. Additionally, Defendants Kemp, Plair, Pugh, and Scott each face a consecutive sentence of at least five years in prison for possessing a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking or brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence. Parole has been abolished in the federal system.
U.S. Attorney Edward Tarver emphasized that the indictments are only accusations and are not evidence of guilt. Each defendant is entitled to a fair trial, during which it will be the Government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
Assistant United States Attorneys Carlton R. Bourne, Jr., Theodore S. Hertzberg, Anica C. Jones, Matthew A. Josephson, Jennifer J. Kirkland, Scarlett S. Nokes, and Jennifer G. Solari are prosecuting the cases on behalf of the United States. For additional information, please contact First Assistant United States Attorney James D. Durham at (912) 201-2547.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
