Jovonn Courtney Stokes, Armed Robbery & Firearms Charges, Georgia 2022

Twelve defendants are facing federal charges in Georgia, including crimes of armed robbery and illegal firearms possession. The charges stem from a grand jury indictment in the Southern District of Georgia.

The indicted cases are part of Project Safe Neighborhoods, a collaborative effort between federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies to reduce violent crime. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the FBI are among the agencies involved in the investigation.

According to the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia, Jill E. Steinberg, getting guns out of the hands of criminals is an essential element in the fight against violent crime and the disruption of neighborhoods. Steinberg commended the hard work of law enforcement officers in identifying and apprehending those who illegally possess firearms.

In the past four years, over 800 defendants have been federally charged in the Southern District of Georgia for illegal firearms offenses, with most charges related to possessing a firearm after conviction for a previous felony. Federal law increased the maximum penalty for illegal possession of a firearm by a convicted felon to 15 years, up from 10, for those found in possession after June 25, 2022.

The defendants named in the federal indictments include:

• Jovonn Courtney Stokes, 26, of Springfield, Ga., charged with three counts of Interference with Commerce by Robbery and three counts of Possession of a Firearm During a Crime of Violence for a string of armed robberies of Chatham County convenience stores in November and December 2022.
• Stacey Vincent, 45, and Felicia Sherrod, 54, both of Douglas, Ga., each charged with Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute, and to Distribute, 50 Grams or More of Methamphetamine, and Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine. Vincent also is charged with Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon.
• Tavarres L. Freeman Jr., 22, of Augusta, charged with Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon.
• Todd Joseph Harbuck, 47, of Augusta, charged with Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon, and Possession of a Stolen Firearm.
• Daquan Minor, 32, of Savannah, charged with Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon.
• Calvin Polite, 35, of Savannah, charged with Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon.
• Arthur Singleton, 46, of Savannah, charged with Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon, and Possession of Ammunition by a Convicted Felon.
• Desirae Heinsler, 37, of Eastman, Ga., charged with six counts of making false statements during the purchase of firearms.
• Stephan DeWaine Jackson, 27, of Brunswick, Ga., charged with Possession with Intent to Distribute Crack; Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime; and Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon.
• Alvin York, 47, of Swainsboro, Ga., charged with Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon.
• Kenneth Oliver Riley, 60, of Savannah, charged with Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon.

Criminal indictments contain only charges; defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

In addition to the indicted cases, several defendants have recently been adjudicated on federal charges related to illegal firearms possession. These include:

• Seth Patrick Anderson, a/k/a “Shane Anderson,” a/k/a “AB,” 37, of Hinesville, Ga., was sentenced to 63 months in prison after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Long County sheriff’s deputies arrested Anderson in October 2021 at a license checkpoint after finding a pistol in the vehicle he was driving. Anderson is a member of the Aryan Brotherhood white supremacist street gang.
• Reginald DeMarco Smith, a/k/a “Gunslinger,” 49, of Augusta, was sentenced to 57 months in prison after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Richmond County deputies arrested Smith in November 2022 after finding a pistol in his vehicle. Smith is a convicted felon with a history of gun-related crimes.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdga/pr/twelve-indicted-federal-charges-crimes-including-drugs-and-illegal-firearms-possession