A member of the Macon Mafia has been sentenced to federal prison for illegal firearm possession. Nekoase Antwan Vinson, aged 41, was ordered to serve 107 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release. U.S. District Judge Marc Treadwell handed down the sentence on May 12 after Vinson pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm by a convicted felon earlier this year.
Vinson's previous supervised release was revoked due to his past conviction for conspiracy to distribute cocaine base in West Virginia, resulting in an additional 36 months imprisonment. There is no parole available in the federal system.
"A man lost his life as a result of a gang-related shooting where convicted felons illegally possessed rapid-fire guns capable of killing many people," stated Acting U.S. Attorney C. Shanelle Booker. "Our office will use every federal resource available to lawfully hold repeat felons accountable for illegally arming themselves and endangering our community."
Bibb County Sheriff David Davis commented, "This case is a tragic example of the mayhem that results when criminal gang members with illegally possessed firearms try to settle scores in public." He added that it is fortunate Vinson will not be able to cause harm for nearly nine years.
Court documents revealed that Vinson and Joshua Teone Curry were present during a violent incident at a gas station on Napier Avenue in Macon on July 20, 2024. Surveillance footage showed Curry firing at unknown individuals with an automatic pistol while Vinson brandished an AR-style rifle. Both men fled the scene together.
On August 23, law enforcement executed a search warrant leading to their arrest and seizure of multiple firearms from a location they controlled. Among the items found were various Macon Mafia memorabilia and weapons hidden beneath a mattress.
The investigation was part of Operation Take Back America, an initiative aiming to combat illegal immigration and transnational crime through resources from Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN). The case involved efforts from the Department of Homeland Security Investigations and Bibb County Sheriff's Office, with Criminal Chief Leah E. McEwen prosecuting for the Government.
