Tahj Rankine, a member of the GoodFellas street gang, was sentenced on Apr. 29 to ten years in prison for his role in a February 2021 drive-by shooting that injured an innocent bystander in southwest Atlanta.
The case highlights ongoing efforts by federal and local authorities to address violent gang activity and protect public safety. The U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Georgia serves as the principal federal law enforcement agency in the district, according to the official website.
"Tahj Rankine drove a vehicle while fellow gang members shot out of it, maiming an innocent bystander," said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. "Our Homeland Security Task Force will continue to target gangsters who disregard public safety and drive violence in our community." Hertzberg holds the position of United States Attorney for the Northern District of Georgia, according to the official website.
Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva said, "Gang shootings in public places are all too common. The defendant and his gang terrorized customers at a gas station, unleashing more than 30 rounds, endangering innocent victims and even hitting a car containing children. Violent gang activity that imperils innocent lives has no place in our communities. It must be rooted out entirely." Marlo Graham, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta added: "Drive-by shootings endanger entire communities, not just intended targets... The FBI, alongside our partners on the Homeland Security Task Force, will continue to prioritize dismantling violent gangs like GoodFellas and holding those who fuel this kind of reckless violence accountable."
Court documents state that Rankine drove himself and other armed GoodFellas members through a gas station parking lot where they discharged dozens of rounds toward another group they believed were rival gang members; an innocent bystander was struck by gunfire during this incident.
The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Georgia enforces federal criminal laws—including cases with nationwide or international dimensions—and represents the United States in civil matters while collaborating with law enforcement agencies to protect public safety across its region serving approximately 7.5 million residents from north Georgia mountains through Atlanta suburbs and bordering Alabama and both Carolinas; these priorities include prosecuting threats such as terrorism, human trafficking and civil rights violations as reported by their official website.
This prosecution is part of broader initiatives under Executive Order 14159 aimed at eliminating criminal cartels and transnational gangs operating within United States borders.
