Terry Key, Methamphetamine Trafficking, Georgia 2024

Terry Key, 33, of Jesup, Ga., is staring down a potential life sentence after being indicted on multiple federal charges, including Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine, Distribution of Methamphetamine, Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime, and Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. The charges stem from a January raid on his motel room by the Jesup Police Department, where officers recovered both drugs and firearms.

Key isn’t alone. He’s one of nine convicted felons recently indicted across Georgia for illegally possessing firearms, part of the Justice Department’s aggressive Project Guardian initiative. U.S. Attorney Bobby L. Christine made it clear: “Identifying and removing gun criminals from our communities is a key component of Project Guardian.” The crackdown signals a renewed federal push to disrupt the flow of illegal guns and target repeat offenders.

Among the others charged: Reginald Terry, 37, also of Jesup, who was found with heroin, MDMA, cocaine, and an arsenal including a pistol, an SKS rifle, and an AR-15 during a November 2019 motel room search. Terry faces up to life in prison on charges that include Possession of a Stolen Firearm and possession in furtherance of drug trafficking.

Augusta became a hotspot in the sweep. Khallid Marquese Wright, 24, was stopped by Richmond County Sheriff’s deputies in February and found with a firearm. John Thomas Barnes III, 32, had a pistol in his car during a traffic stop in March. Kinsey Lanier Jackson, 50, was caught with a gun in his pocket during another routine stop. All are prohibited felons, and each faces up to 10 years behind bars.

Other Augusta-area defendants include Shaquaries Alexis Kimble, 25, discovered with a pistol during an investigation into a stolen weapon; Zachary Brent Sadler, 27, who tried to reclaim a pawned handgun only to be denied by a federal background check; and Damien Lamont Wimberly, 40, found with a firearm at a traffic checkpoint. Each is charged with Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon.

Larry Jackson III, 30, of Savannah, rounds out the list. He was apprehended in July 2019 by Savannah Police after reports of gunfire led officers to find him in possession of a pistol. Like the others, Jackson is a prohibited person, and the charge carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison. The coordinated takedown highlights the federal government’s strategy: trace, charge, and lock up felons who keep guns in circulation on the streets.

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