Five Gang Members Indicted by Toombs County Grand Jury

The Toombs County Grand Jury convened on January 26 and returned 23 true bills of indictment – including one which indicted five street gang members with several charges. According to the indictment, Johnathan Ashley Bobbitt, Nicholas Vee Carroll, Quentin Jordan, Jr., Derrick Maurice Mann, and Charlie Jamar McKinney are all associated with the “Gangster Disciples,” a street gang which originated in Chicago, and has now spread to least 35 states. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, this gang has been known for its lawlessness and violence since the 1970s.

The alleged gang members were first arrested after being accused of assaulting a man on March 6, 2023, in Lyons with a brick-like object, which frac- continued from page

tured the man’s spine and injured his eye. Upon investigating the incident, the Lyons Police Department and Georgia Bureau of Investigation learned of the men’s gang affiliation, resulting in an additional charge for the offense. The indicted men now face several charges, including one count of street gang activity, two counts of aggravated battery, and one count of aggravated assault.

In addition to this, the Toombs County Grand Jury also indicted Antron Mayrice Williams, who is accused of shooting Christopher Powell, 47, of Vidalia, in the leg on September 23, 2023.

According to the Vidalia Police Department, while on patrol on the night of September 23, officers heard multiple gunshots ringing out from the area surrounding Epstein Street and Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard. Upon arrival, officers heard yelling from the 600 block of Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard. Officers quickly traveled to the scene where they found Powell suffering from a single gunshot wound to the leg. Because of the severity of his injury, Powell was transported by ambulance to the AirEvac Lifeteam 91 base in Vidalia, then immediately flown to Memorial Health University Medical Center in Savannah.

Williams was arrested for the shooting on September 25, 2023, and was initially charged with aggravated assault, aggravated battery, the possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime, theft by receiving stolen property, reckless driving, driving while license suspended, and obstruction of an officer. Upon further investigation, some charges were dropped, resulting in an indictment for charges of aggravated assault, aggravated battery, the possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime, and theft by receiving stolen property.

A true bill of indictment was also returned to charge Peyton Navy Carroll and Extavious Tyion Hill with eight counts of entering an automobile, which the Toombs County Sheriff’s Office (TCSO) reported as occurring December 11-12, 2022.

According to the TCSO, Carroll and Hill were two of four individuals arrested in January 2024, who are suspected of breaking into vehicles since the initial December 2022 break-ins. Officers said that persons of interest were identified in December 2022, but there was not enough evidence to make the arrest. Later, in June 2023, there were several more incidents of vehicles being broken into throughout the Normantown, Johnson Corner, and New Branch communities. Investigators suspected that the same individuals responsible for the December 2022 thefts were involved in the June 2023 break-ins, as the same type of items were missing – multiple firearms, credit cards, cash, and other miscellaneous items.

The suspects were identified and enough evidence was collected to charge Carroll, Hill, Airielle Gomez, and Ireland Gomez with the crime. Only Carroll and Hill were listed in the indictment.

Yakedra Sparakel Porter was indicted a true bill for six counts of criminal damage to property in the second degree, six counts of criminal attempt to commit a felony, and one count of entering an automobile. According to the indictment, Porter is suspected of breaking into several Kia and Hyundai vehicles sitting on dealership lots in Vidalia, and a few personal vehicles owned by individuals, on October 4, 2023.

Another indictment in the list of true bills charged Ronnie Lee Kight with arson in the first degree and theft by taking. According to the true bill, Kight is suspected of setting fire to a residence at 123 White Cemetery Road in Lyons, which damaged the home, and of stealing from the property.

Other indictments included: • Andrew Eric Morris and Steven Anthony Willis – burglary in the second degree (both); possession of methamphetamine (Morris) • Lindsey Tremaine Joiner AKA Lindsey Joiner Polk – terroristic threats • Terry Lee Garner – criminal attempt to commit entering an automobile • Christopher Walker Buice – burglary in the second degree • Dominick Jimmy Thomas – rape, two counts of aggravated child molestation, incest, child molestation • Chad Kendrick Mo bley – aggravated child molestation, two counts of child molestation • Hunter Lance Spill ers – exploitation of an elderly person • Angela Ann Moser – executing fictitious checks • Joseph Michael Par tin – theft by taking, burglary in the second degree • Walter Joey Drew – five Ccounts of sexual exploitation of children, five counts of invasion of privacy • Christopher M. McKinney – two counts of sale of cocaine • Joseph Michael Par –

tin – theft by taking • Steven Kalani Dann – aggravated assault (FV), cruelty to children in the first Ddegree, possession of cocaine • Michael Bryan John son, Jr. – two counts of aggravated child molestation, aggravated sexual battery, enticing a child for indecent purposes, statutory rape, child molestation, aggravated assault, possession of a firearm by a first offender probationer, criminal attempt to commit a felony, theft by taking • Duane OGis Heckel – terroristic threats • William Eric Hum mel – rape, aggravated sodomy • Christian Ryan Moore – financial transaction card theft, six counts of financial transaction card fraud • Larry Jay Moore, Jr. – financial transaction card theft, 11 counts of financial transaction card fraud Those indicted will now begin the process of issuing a formal plea to determine their next steps within the judicial process, whether it is a trial or sentencing hearing.