More than 40 associates of the infamous Ghost Face Gangsters felony avenue gang have been indicted on federal prices associated to drug trafficking and firearms possession all through jap Georgia and past, according to a U.S. Department of Justice news release.
A 93-page, 83-count federal grand jury indictment unsealed Nov. 16 in U.S. District Court in Savannah lists the costs in opposition to 43 males and ladies for a mess of offenses involving trafficking methamphetamine, cocaine and heroin. Federal, state and native businesses cooperated within the investigation dubbed Operation Vanilla Gorilla.
The indictment alleges that the narcotics-trafficking conspiracy started as early as 2015 and continued till the current, working in Bryan, Chatham, Effingham, Emmanuel, Evans and Tattnall counties, within the Southern District of Georgia and elsewhere. Members of the conspiracy related to the Ghost Face Gangsters, a violent, white supremacist avenue gang operated largely from inside prisons, and with different felony avenue gangs to help within the distribution of managed substances, for defense, and to advertise a local weather of concern, the launch stated.
Operation Vanilla Gorilla represents one of the most important takedowns of Ghost Face Gangsters associates thus far, and follows the March 2018 arrests of 23 gang members within the Northern District of Georgia on federal prices, and a number of arrests in October 2018 on state prices in Spalding County, Georgia.
Charges in opposition to the defendants in Operation Vanilla Gorilla embrace:
- 25 counts alleging the possession of managed substances with intent to distribute;
- 18 counts alleging the illegal distribution of managed substances;
- 25 counts alleging prohibited individuals (drug customers and/or felons) in possession of firearms and/or ammunition;
- One depend alleging the illegal possession of a prohibited weapon – a sawed-off rifle;
- One depend alleging the possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial quantity;
- 10 counts alleging the possession of managed substances, together with methamphetamine, heroin, crack cocaine, marijuana, and prescription capsules; and,
- 2 counts alleging the possession of counterfeit forex.
The indictment additionally seeks the forfeiture of 23 firearms that have been seized throughout this operation.
The following defendants have been indicted, all of them dealing with potential sentences of as much as life in jail:
- David McCloskey, 47, a/okay/a “Larchmont,” of Augusta, Ga.;
- Mike Penfield, 54, Pooler, Ga.;
- Nick Penfield, a/okay/a/ “Picnic,” 22, Pooler, Ga.;
- Cody Penfield, 28, Savannah, Ga.;
- Adam Cushman, a/okay/a “Cush,” 39, Savannah, Ga.;
- Devon Aines, a/okay/a “Devon Johnson,” 32, Garden City, Ga.;
- Trevor Aines, a/okay/a “Sticks,” 29, Garden City, Ga.;
- Avery Wiggins, 43, Guyton, Ga.;
- Tyler Shuman, 25, Pembroke, Ga.;
- Aaron McCarthy, a/okay/a “Mustang Aaron,” 40, Pooler, Ga.;
- Darren J. Driggers, a/okay/a “eBay,” a/okay/a “DJ,” 26, Bloomingdale, Ga.;
- Crystal Wilson, 36, Bloomingdale, Ga.;
- Cody Eubanks, 26, Pooler, Ga.;
- Robert Fuller, a/okay/a “Robbie,” 39, Richmond Hill, Ga.;
- Baby Dwayne Garrison, 55, Bloomingdale, Ga.;
- Jennifer J. Grooms, 36, Ellabell, Ga.;
- Marcus Logan-Greco, 28, Richmond Hill, Ga.;
- Brandon Chapman, 25, Savannah, Ga.;
- Ronald A. Smith, 39, Newington, Ga.;
- Kenneth I. Jenks, a/okay/a “Juno,” 40, Savannah, Ga.;
- Daniel Fleming, a/okay/a “Baby Boy,” 32, Savannah, Ga.;
- Andrew P. Campos, a/okay/a “Chubs,” 28, Richmond Hill, Ga.;
- Rodney Rose, 39, Bloomingdale, Ga.;
- Cody Tracy, a/okay/a “Cojack,” 33, Guyton, Ga.;
- Joshua Mcnelly, 25, Savannah, Ga.;
- Cynthia Miracle, 48, Ellabell, Ga.;
- Dillon Myrick, a/okay/a “Country Crack,” 31, Savannah, Ga.;
- Amberly Knight, a/okay/a “Tina Tinker,” 26, Savannah, Ga.;
- Keri Ann-Marie Lewis, 28, Savannah, Ga.;
- Waylon Jesse Hodges, 41, Pembroke, Ga.;
- Christine Loggins, 43, Rockledge, Ga.;
- William Frank Davis, a/okay/a “Nitty,” 31, Guyton, Ga.;
- Joseph Britt Carter, a/okay/a “Crack,” 29, Savannah, Ga.;
- Maurice L. Graham, a/okay/a “Moe,” 45, Savannah, Ga.;
- Meagan M. James, a/okay/a “Meagan M. Cooke,” “Amanda Gail Page,” and “MJ,” 35, Alto, Ga.;
- Shawn Hadden, a/okay/a “Shorty,” 42, Bloomingdale, Ga.;
- Christopher Hendrix, a/okay/a “Hot Boy,” “Irish,” and “Conor Murphy,” 40, Helena, Ga.;
- Elizabeth Kitchens, a/okay/a “Liz,” 38, Tybee Island, Ga.;
- Kerri Neely, 27, Savannah, Ga.;
- David Rahn, 41, Savannah, Ga.;
- Miranda Burnsed, a/okay/a “Miranda Harralson,” 32, Pembroke, Ga.;
- Patrick Kennally, a/okay/a “Shifty,” 39, Bloomingdale, Ga.; and,
- Kimberlin Johnson, 24, Rincon, Ga.
Of the 43 defendants charged, 41 at the moment are in custody awaiting additional courtroom proceedings.