Augusta Duo Jailed for Guns & Drugs

AUGUSTA, GA – Two repeat offenders are off the streets of Augusta after receiving substantial federal prison sentences for crimes including illegal firearm possession and drug trafficking. The sentences, handed down by U.S. District Court Chief Judge J. Randal Hall, signal a continued crackdown on violent criminals in the Southern District of Georgia.

Shakur Wafi Abdullah, a/k/a Antonio Griffin, 37, of Augusta, will spend 70 months behind bars after pleading guilty to Possession with Intent to Distribute Cocaine and Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Jesse Daniel Roberts, 51, also of Augusta, received a 57-month sentence for Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Both men will also serve three years of supervised release upon completion of their prison terms – a grim reality in a system without parole.

“Our streets are safer when repeat offenders with illegally possessed firearms are taken off our streets, and our office will continue to make them a high priority for prosecution,” stated U.S. Attorney Bobby L. Christine. “In accordance with the U.S. Attorney General’s priorities announced as part of Project Guardian, our law enforcement partners likewise are committed to protecting our citizens from gun criminals.”

Court documents reveal that Abdullah’s downfall began in February 2019, following a vehicle crash on Peach Orchard Road. Witnesses observed him attempting to conceal items from the wreckage behind a business. A subsequent search by Richmond County Sheriff’s deputies uncovered a bundle containing packages of cocaine and a pistol – a weapon Abdullah readily admitted was his. The conviction is particularly damning given Abdullah’s prior record: he had previously served 11 years of an 18-year sentence on a state charge of aggravated assault.

Roberts, recently released on parole from state prison, faced a similar fate. In August 2019, agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and officers from the Georgia Department of Supervision (DCS) conducted a routine probation visit to Roberts’ motel room. The visit turned up an AR-15 rifle and ammunition, instantly violating the terms of his release and landing him back in the system.

“These defendants have no business carrying firearms, given their previous criminal conduct,” said Beau Kolodka, Assistant Special Agent in Charge of the Atlanta Field Division of the ATF. “These sentences have made the Augusta area safer.” The investigation was a collaborative effort between the ATF, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, the DCS, and the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office. The prosecution was handled by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Edwin Caban and Assistant U.S. Attorney Hank Syms. The message is clear: in the Southern District of Georgia, possessing illegal firearms as a convicted felon will lead to serious federal consequences.