Deon Brown, Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon, Georgia 2021

SAVANNAH, GA – Twenty or more defendants are facing federal prison time, or are awaiting sentencing, after being convicted of illegal firearms offenses in the Southern District of Georgia. The crackdown, fueled by the ATF and a coalition of state and local agencies under the banner of ‘Project Safe Neighborhoods,’ is aimed squarely at taking guns off the streets and away from those already prohibited from possessing them – namely, convicted felons.

U.S. Attorney Jill E. Steinberg, speaking from her Savannah office, stated the effort is about “removing guns from the hands of violent criminals and convicted felons” to bolster community safety. But the numbers paint a stark picture of a revolving door of justice. Over the past four years, more than 830 defendants have been federally prosecuted in the district for illegal firearms offenses, the vast majority charged with possessing a firearm after a prior felony conviction – a crime carrying a maximum sentence of 15 years, with no possibility of parole.

Among those recently sentenced, Deon Brown, 31, of Augusta, received a hefty 130 months in prison and a $1,500 fine after pleading guilty to Possession with Intent to Distribute Heroin, Cocaine, Crack Cocaine, and Methamphetamine, *and* Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Agents from the Georgia Bureau of Investigation and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration raided Brown’s home in August 2021, uncovering a stash of drugs and multiple handguns in his vehicle. Brown, unsurprisingly, already had prior convictions for both drug and gun offenses.

The cases continue to pile up. Christopher Fitzgerald Jones, 35, of Augusta, is headed to prison for 120 months, plus a $1,500 fine, after admitting to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Richmond County Sheriff’s deputies arrested Jones in October 2021 while executing a warrant related to a series of domestic disputes. Jones was packing a pistol at the time and boasts a “substantial criminal history” that includes violence and previous illegal gun charges, according to court documents. Jamar Lavelle Alexander, 35, of Crawfordville, Ga., will spend 63 months behind bars and pay $1,500 after pleading guilty to the same charge. Deputies found Alexander passed out behind the wheel of his car, a loaded pistol resting in his lap, in November 2020. He’d previously faced state weapons possession charges.

The sentences aren’t limited to repeat offenders dealing drugs. Windsor Hodge, 64, of Martinez, Ga., received a 60-month sentence after authorities searched his residence in January 2022 and found a staggering 13 firearms. Hodge’s prior conviction? Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime. Dontrell Kydreek Mathis, 30, of Augusta, will also serve 60 months and pay $1,000 for Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Richmond County deputies chased Mathis in August 2022, finding two pistols in his vehicle after a foot pursuit. And finally, Christopher Donnell Crumbley, 34, of Waynesboro, was sentenced to 84 months in prison and fined $1,500 after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon following an arrest on outstanding warrants by Burke County Sheriff’s deputies.

While Steinberg touts the program’s success, critics point to the high rate of recidivism among these defendants, raising questions about the effectiveness of long prison sentences in addressing the root causes of gun violence. The Grimy Times will continue to track these cases and investigate the systemic issues fueling the cycle of crime in the Southern District of Georgia.

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