Department of Justice

SAVANNAH, GA: Newly returned indictments in the Southern District of Georgia include felony charges for illegal firearms possession and drug distribution, while additional defendants have been sentenced to federal prison or await further proceedings after pleading guilty to federal gun charges. 

“Reducing violent crime in our communities requires a collaborative effort with our law enforcement partners to remove illegally possessed firearms from our streets,” said Jill E. Steinberg, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. “Active prosecution of these cases also discourages others from illegally using guns.”

The cases are prosecuted as part of 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 with measures that include targeting convicted felons who illegally possess guns.

Those indicted during the April term of the U.S. District Court Grand Jury include:

• Lial Stephens, 28, of Pooler, Ga., charged with two counts of Interference with Commerce by Robbery, and two counts of Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Crime of Violence. The charges stem from armed robberies in September and November of 2023 at a Garden City, Ga., convenience store.
• Cornelius Denzel Butler, a/k/a “Juice,” 30, of Baxley, Ga., charged with Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine, Cocaine, Crack Cocaine, and Marijuana, and Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime;
• Raquan Williams, 23, of Savannah, charged with False Statement During the Purchase of a Firearm, and Illegal Receipt of a Firearm by a Person Under Indictment;
• Keith Javon Johnson, 31, of Savannah, charged with Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition by a Convicted Felon;
• Richard Bruce Salyer Jr., 48, of Forsyth, Ga., charged with Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon; and,
• Eddie Robertson, 30, of Savannah, charged with Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon.

In addition, O’kere Shields, 22, of Savannah, charged with Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon in a recently unsealed indictment.

All indicted defendants are considered innocent unless and until proven guilty.

Defendants recently adjudicated on federal firearms charges include:

• Jacques B. Pope, 32, of Savannah, was sentenced to 120 months in prison after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Savannah police officers investigating gunshots in a public area determined Pope possessed a pistol. Pope previously was convicted on federal firearms charges.
• Karron L. Shuman, 36, of Savannah, was sentenced to 86 months in prison after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Savannah police found a pistol in Shuman’s vehicle during a traffic stop.
• Dennis Mitchell, 51, of Brunswick, Ga., was sentenced to 37 months in prison after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Brunswick police officers found Mitchell in possession of a gun during a traffic stop.  
• Jakobian Sentell Jones, 25, of Warrenton, Ga., awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon, and Possession with Intent to Distribute Cocaine and Methamphetamine. Georgia State Patrol troopers found Jones in possession of a revolver during a traffic stop, and in possession of cocaine and methamphetamine during a subsequent search.
• Zanuck Lorenzo Berry, 43, of Martinez, Ga., awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Drug Enforcement Administration agents searched Berry’s home in January 2023 as part of a drug trafficking investigation and found an assault-style rifle, two semiautomatic “ghost gun” pistols, a third handgun, and a shotgun.
• Othnell Christian Ferguson, 27, of Pembroke, Ga., awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Statesboro police officers determined Ferguson possessed a pistol during a foot chase following a February 2023 traffic stop.

• Robert Antonio Green, 26, of Savannah, awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. A probation officer from the Georgia Department of Community Supervision found a handgun in Green’s possession during a probation class.
• Desirae Heinsler, 38, of Eastman, Ga., awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to False Statement During the Purchase of a Firearm. After officers from the Rochester (NY) Police Department recovered multiple illegally possessed firearms, the investigation determined the guns originally were purchased in Georgia by Heinsler who provided false information to a licensed firearms dealer in Jeff Davis County.
• Tamarcus Antonio Heard, 37, of Washington, Ga., awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. A Georgia State Patrol trooper found Heard in possession of a pistol during a traffic stop.
• Michael Jerome Germany, 50, of Grovetown, Ga., awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Grovetown police officers found a pistol in Germany’s vehicle during a traffic stop.
• Arthur Eugene Cannon, 41, of Savannah, awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to Possession of a Stolen Firearm. Savannah Chatham Counter Narcotics Team investigators determined that Cannon illegally possessed a stolen pistol discovered during a drug trafficking investigation. A co-defendant, Thomas Allen Gordon, 56, of Savannah, awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to Possession of Methamphetamine and Fentanyl with Intent to Distribute.   
• Jarrett Lamar Knight, 45, of Savannah, awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. As described in the plea agreement, Knight was a convicted felon when he sold a shotgun to a confidential informant during an ATF investigation.  
• Matthew Lacey, 26, of Savannah, awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Savannah police officers arrested Lacey on warrants from an April 2023 domestic violence incident and found him in possession of a handgun.

The cases are being prosecuted for the United States by the Southern District of Georgia U.S. Attorney’s Office.

Under federal law, it is illegal for an individual to possess a firearm if he or she falls into one of nine prohibited categories including being a felon; illegal alien; or unlawful user of a controlled substance. Further, it is unlawful to possess a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense or violent crime. It is also illegal to purchase – or even to attempt to purchase – firearms if the buyer is a prohibited person or illegally purchasing a firearm on behalf of others. Lying on ATF Form 4473, which is used to lawfully purchase a firearm, also is a federal offense.

For more information from the ATF on the lawful purchasing of firearms, please see: https://www.atf.gov/qa-category/atfw-form-4473

Contact

Barry L. Paschal, Public Affairs Officer: 912-652-4422