Mikellen Clements, Kemith Calvin, and Laytayah Gross have been charged with firearms trafficking and conspiracy to commit firearms trafficking, according to a March 16 announcement from the U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Georgia. Clements faces additional charges of making false statements during firearms purchases and aiding and abetting those offenses.
The case is significant because it involves allegations of illegal gun purchases in Georgia that resulted in weapons being trafficked to the Maryland and Washington, D.C. area, where some were later recovered by law enforcement in connection with suspected drug activity and drive-by shootings. The indictment alleges that at least 68 firearms were straw purchased from federally licensed dealers in Georgia between May 2023 and August 2024, with at least 15 recovered by police in Maryland or D.C.
“These defendants allegedly coordinated dozens of fraudulent gun purchases in Georgia and directly or indirectly put guns in the hands of out-of-state criminals,” said U.S Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. “The Department of Justice is committed to fighting violent crime across the country and will continue to aggressively pursue and prosecute the gun traffickers who facilitate it.”
ATF Assistant Special Agent in Charge Ryan Todd said, “This case highlights the critical partnership between federal and local law enforcement agencies. Together, we are working tirelessly to dismantle trafficking networks that threaten the safety of our neighborhoods.”
In one instance cited by prosecutors, a Micro Draco pistol allegedly purchased at Clements’s direction was found loaded with 17 rounds on a juvenile at a Maryland high school in May 2025. Gross and Calvin pleaded not guilty earlier this month; Clements remains detained on local charges in Washington, D.C., pending arraignment before a federal magistrate judge.
The U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Georgia serves as the principal federal law enforcement agency for a region covering approximately 7.5 million residents across north Georgia mountains, Atlanta suburbs, and borders with Alabama and the Carolinas according to its official website. The office prioritizes prosecution of threats such as terrorism, human trafficking, civil rights violations, enforces federal criminal laws, represents the United States in civil matters, collaborates with law enforcement to protect public safety, coordinates cases with nationwide or international dimensions according to its official website, and is led by Theodore S. Hertzberg according to its official website.
Members of the public are reminded that an indictment contains only charges; all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.
