SAVANNAH, GA: Four people have been charged in the Southern District of Georgia with felonies including illegal firearm possession, while other defendants have been sentenced to federal prison or await further trial after pleading guilty to, among other federal charges, illegal firearm possession.
Cases are being prosecuted through Project Safe Neighborhoods in collaboration with federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, including the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the FBI, to reduce violent crime through measures that include targeting convicted felons who illegally carry guns.
“Working with our law enforcement partners, we are committed to keeping our communities safe,” said Jill E. Steinberg, US Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. “Removing guns from the hands of violent criminals and convicted criminals makes us all safer.”
In the last four years, more than 835 defendants have been charged with illegal firearms offenses statewide in the Southern District of Georgia – most often for possession of a firearm after being convicted of a previous crime. These charges are punishable by up to 15 years in prison, and there is no suspended sentence in the federal system.
The indictments during the July session of the US District Court grand jury include:
- Marqus Jamal Flanders, 37, of Brunswick, charged with possession with intent to distribute crack cocaine, methamphetamine, fentanyl and MDMA; possession of a firearm in aid of a drug trafficking crime; and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon;
- Jonathan Duncan, 38, of Savannah, charged with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon;
- Jacques B. Pope, 31, of Savannah, charged with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon; And,
- Chester Morgan, 53, of Savannah, is charged with gun possession by a convicted felon.
Defendants recently convicted on federal firearms violation charges include:
- Marshall Lee Cushman, 39, of Augusta, was sentenced to 180 months in prison and a $1,500 fine after pleading guilty to possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. A Georgia Bureau of Investigation agent retrieved a rifle from an apartment building in Avera, Georgia, in September 2021, and Cushman admitted leaving the gun there. Cushman has been convicted of multiple felonies.
- Taipai La’Don Brewer, 43, of Augusta, was sentenced to 37 months in prison and a $1,000 fine after pleading guilty to possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Richmond County sheriff’s deputies arrested Brewer in July 2022 after he found a handgun and drugs in his car during a traffic stop as part of the Operation Grace investigation into gang crimes in the Augusta area.
- Trevor Elijah Walker, 24, of Augusta, was sentenced to 36 months in prison and a $1,500 fine after pleading guilty to possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Richmond County Sheriff’s Deputy were attempting to issue warrants for Walker’s arrest in November 2019 when he ran away, dropping a pistol in the process.
- Terrance Webster Dunn, 32, of Augusta, was sentenced to 63 months in prison after pleading guilty to possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Dunn was arrested in October 2022 when Richmond County sheriff’s deputies were investigating a report of a man riding a bicycle in a mall parking lot, taking photos of himself while holding a pistol, and finding Dunn with a pistol in his waistband. Dunn was on release under federal supervision at the time of his arrest based on a previous conviction for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
- Lear A. Williams, 33, of Savannah, was sentenced to 54 months in prison after pleading guilty to possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon. Savannah police officers were investigating reports of a man selling drugs in September 2022 when they found a handgun and ammunition in Williams’ possession.
- Carl Williams, 52, of Savannah, was sentenced to 31 months in prison and a $4,500 fine after pleading guilty to possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Investigators with the Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division searched Williams’ home as part of an investigation into stolen military equipment and found three semi-automatic pistols in Williams’ possession. Williams previously pleaded guilty and was convicted in a U.S. District Court in Connecticut of conspiracy to traffic in stolen government property for receiving and reselling sights and night vision devices stolen from the U.S. Navy.
- Devonte Malik Jorame, 25, of Aiken, SC, was sentenced to 28 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release and 40 hours of community service after pleading guilty to possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Richmond County Sheriff’s Deputy arrested Jorame in June 2022 after he found a handgun in his vehicle during an Operation Grace traffic stop. Jorame has a criminal record for domestic violence and gun possession.
- James Travon Walker, 22, of Savannah, was sentenced to 40 months in prison after pleading guilty to possession of a stolen firearm. Chatham County police officers arrested Walker while responding to a report of a vehicle break-in and found a backpack belonging to Walker, which contained two pistols stolen from the vehicle.
- Donald D. Walker, 28, of Hinesville, Georgia, was sentenced to 18 months in prison after pleading guilty to misrepresentation in an attempted firearm purchase. Walker denied that charges had been brought against him when he signed forms required to purchase a gun at a Hinesville gun store. Walker’s criminal record includes convictions for assault and domestic violence.
- Kerry Akeem Milledge, 37, of Savannah, is awaiting sentencing after pleading guilty to possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Milledge was charged by Savannah Police Department in March 2022 after a car was stopped where officers found multiple firearms, drugs and cash inside the vehicle. Milledge has multiple previous convictions in connection with guns and drugs. A passenger in the vehicle, Antron Ozier Charles, 19, of Pooler, Georgia, was sentenced to five years probation after pleading guilty to possession with intent to distribute marijuana.
- Johnny Harris, 23, of Savannah, is awaiting sentencing after pleading guilty to possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. He was arrested in October 2022 by Savannah police officers investigating reports of shooting near Frazier Homes and found that Harris possessed an assault pistol while fleeing the area. Harris had previously been convicted of illegal gun possession.
- Danny Swinney, 29, of Buford, Georgia, is awaiting sentencing after pleading guilty to misrepresentation when purchasing a firearm. As described in court, Swinney admitted to acting as a straw buyer to purchase five handguns and a shotgun at a Camden County pawn shop. These guns were recovered days later in New Jersey.
Agencies investigating these cases include the ATF, the FBI, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, the Savannah Police Department, the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office, and the Georgia State Patrol.
The cases are being prosecuted for the United States by the US Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Georgia.
Under federal law, it is illegal for a person to possess a firearm if they fall into one of nine prohibited categories, including: criminal; illegal alien; or unlawful use of a controlled substance. In addition, possession of a firearm to carry a drug trafficking offense or a violent crime is unlawful. It is also illegal to purchase, or even attempt to purchase, firearms if the purchaser is a prohibited person or is purchasing a firearm illegally on behalf of others. Lying on ATF Form 4473, which is used to lawfully purchase a firearm, is also a federal felony.
For more information from the ATF on lawfully purchasing firearms, visit: https://www.atf.gov/qa-category/atfw-form-4473
