Three Savannah men received federal prison sentences for drug- and firearm-related charges, according to a July 17 announcement by Margaret E. “Meg” Heap, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia.
Lafayette Wright Jr., 38, was sentenced to 190 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release after pleading guilty to possession with intent to distribute and distribution of heroin. According to court documents, in June 2024 Wright attempted to mail a package containing nearly two kilograms of heroin from Phoenix to Port Wentworth, Georgia. The U.S. Postal Inspection Service intercepted the package and identified Wright through fingerprints and surveillance images.
Aquille Omar Johnson, 32, was sentenced to 120 months in prison and a $1,200 fine followed by three years of supervised release after pleading guilty to possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and possession with intent to distribute cocaine. In March 2024, Savannah Police executed search and arrest warrants at Johnson’s residence where he fled but discarded a Glock .40 caliber pistol during his escape attempt. Officers recovered another firearm—a Bonito 12-gauge shotgun—ammunition, and over four hundred grams of cocaine from his room.
James Adkins, 28, received a sentence of 21 months in prison along with a $1,200 fine and three years’ supervised release after pleading guilty to possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. In July 2025 police responded to reports of shoplifting at an area supermarket; Adkins matched the suspect description but fled on foot before discarding a Ruger nine-millimeter pistol prior to surrendering.
There is no parole in the federal system; under federal law it is illegal for previously convicted felons to possess firearms or ammunition.
“These sentences demonstrate the commitment this office and our law enforcement partners take to safeguard our communities,” Heap said. “Drugs and guns are a threat to neighborhoods far and wide; and those who endanger the public will face significant consequences for their crimes.”
The U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms & Explosives (ATF), and Savannah Police Department assisted in these investigations; prosecution was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Bradley R. Thompson, John P. Harper III, Ryan E. Bondura, L. Alexander Hamner, and Makeia R. Jonese for the Southern District of Georgia.
The U.S Attorney’s Office prosecutes federal crimes—including those involving drugs or firearms—and manages civil litigation on behalf of the United States as part of its work under the Department of Justice; it employs about seventy attorneys plus support staff across its headquarters in Savannah as well as its Augusta branch office while promoting community safety through initiatives such as Project Safe Neighborhoods, according to its official website.