Steven Maurice McKinley, 23, of Athens, Georgia, is going away for 25 years after opening fire on an undercover ATF special agent during a botched robbery turned attempted murder. The sentence, handed down by Senior U.S. District Judge C. Ashley Royal, caps a violent 2014 incident where McKinley shot the agent in the back, shattered his jaw, and tried to steal his service weapon after luring him into a trap.
The setup began on September 30, 2014, when the ATF launched an undercover operation targeting illegal gun and drug sales in Athens. Posing as a buyer, the agent arranged to purchase an AK-47 or SKS-style rifle and marijuana from McKinley for $800. The deal was set to go down in a convenience store parking lot, but McKinley redirected the agent to a nearby dirt road—ground zero for the ambush.
McKinley wasn’t alone. Javonta Terrell Darden arrived on foot with a duffel bag, which he dropped near the vehicle. Inside: sticks and wood, not the promised weapons or drugs. That’s when the agent realized it wasn’t a sale—it was a robbery. Darden pulled a silver .25 caliber handgun, racked the slide, and ordered the agent to the ground while McKinley began rifling through the agent’s pockets and car.
As Darden held the agent at gunpoint and demanded McKinley “get it all,” the agent broke free, drew his Glock 27 .40 caliber service weapon, and fired multiple rounds. Darden was hit, charged the agent, and died in a violent struggle. Forensic analysis later confirmed the gun Darden used had a primer strike—his weapon misfired as he pulled the trigger.
While Darden lay dead, McKinley attacked. He slammed the agent in the head with the agent’s own firearm, seized control of the weapon, and gave chase as the agent fled toward the convenience store. McKinley aimed and fired—once. The bullet entered the agent’s right shoulder, fragmented through his body, and lodged in his jaw, breaking it. The assault was deliberate, brutal, and nearly fatal.
McKinley pleaded guilty on August 12, 2016, to Attempt to Kill a Federal Officer and Discharging a Firearm During and in Relation to a Federal Crime of Violence. Under terms of his plea, he admitted the entire scheme: the fake sale, the plan to rob the agent at gunpoint, and his decision to shoot the agent in the back as he ran for his life. The 25-year sentence reflects the gravity of attacking a federal agent in the line of duty—a crime that doesn’t just target a man, but the law itself.
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Key Facts
- State: Georgia
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Violent Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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