Wheeler Grand Jury Returns 30 Indictments
The January 2024 term of the Wheeler County Grand Jury returned 30 true bills of indictment including two cases with multiple offenses at the Wheeler Correctional Facility (WCF) in Alamo.
Chasity Brookes Steele of Swainsboro, was charged with 11 offenses stemming from an incident February 14, 2023, at WCF. Steele was charged with one count of possession of a concontinued from page
trolled substance (oxycodone) with intent to distribute; two counts of furnishing prohibited items to inmates; one count of crossing guard lines with drugs; five counts of violation of the Street Gang Terrorism and Prevention Act; one count of illegal use of a communication facility; and one count of obstruction of an officer.
The indictment charged and accused Steele of “being associated with the Bloods, a criminal street gang,” and further accused that she “did unlawfully participate in criminal gang activity in the commission of the offense of furnishing prohibited items to inmates…by bringing prohibited items to Wheeler Correctional Facility where she was employed, packaged and concealed for distribution therein with the intent to increase her status in said gang.” She was also accused of receiving cash payments for her assistance “in moving contraband for gang associates inside the prison where she was employed.”
Keisha Steverson of Alamo, a public safety officer at WCF, was indicted on 10 counts, stemming from an incident on February 22, 2023, at the prison. Steverson was indicted on two counts of possession of marijuana with intent to distribute; one count of furnishing prohibited items to inmates; one count of possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony; one count of crossing guard lines with a weapon; one count of crossing guard lines with drugs; one count of crossing guard lines with intoxicating liquor; two counts of violation of the oath by a public safety officer; and one count of illegal use of a communication facility.
The Grand Jury also handed down indictments on a number of drug cases, including two incidents involving Joshua James Dyal and Annette Marie Floyd, both of Alamo. Dyal and Floyd were indicted on charges related to incidents on January 27 and 30, 2023, in which they were charged with trafficking in methamphetamine (Dyal two counts, Floyd one count). Dyal was also indicted on one count of possession of a Schedule II controlled substance, one count of possession of methamphetamine, one count of driving while license suspended, and one count of failure to maintain lane.
Dyal and Floyd were also indicted on charges stemming from an arrest on October 20, 2023. In the second incident, they were charged with one count of trafficking in illegal drugs and one count of possession of methamphetamines with intent to distribute.
Other indictments included: Nyque Martinez Price of Mount Vernon, one count of fleeing or attempting to elude an officer, one count of driving with license suspended, one count of possession of marijuana, less than an ounce, one count of speeding (115 mph in a 55 mph zone), and one count of open container in an incident occurring June 30, 2018.
Chelsea Jean Ashley of Rentz, in an incident occurring between January 31, 2021 and October 25, 2022: four counts of transaction card fraud, and one count of theft by taking.
Charles Jeffery Smith of Statesboro, one count of theft by deception (felony) for an incident occurring between February 25, 2022 and April 2, 2022, in which Smith is accused of depriving a victim of $10,000 in unfulfilled services on a vehicle.
Desmond Jermaine Bell, Jr., Glenwood, one count of possession of a firearm by a first offender probationer, one count of criminal trespass, in an incident occurring July 29, 2022.
Brittney Clements of Alamo, and Lelia Renee Bell of Scotland, were both charged in an incident occurring on December 16 and 17, 2022 at Circle K involving the theft of lottery tickets, cash, and merchandise. Clements and Bell were indicted on one count each of theft by taking, a felony. Clements, an employee of Circle K, was indicted on an additional count of theft by taking.
Jamal Vernard Sims of Glenwood, one count criminal damage to property in the second degree from incidents occurring January 19-20, 2023.
Zachary Allen Houston of Lumber City two counts of fleeing or attempt to elude an officer, one count of driving under the influence of alcohol, one count of reckless driving, one count of failure to stop at a stop sign, one count of failure to maintain lane, and one count of open container in an incident occurring on February 27, 2023.
Jody Lynn Merritt and Kenneth Tillman Turner, both of Glenwood, in an incident on March 20, 2023: one count of possession of methamphetamines (both), one count of hindering the apprehension and punishment of a criminal (Merritt), and one count of obstruction of an officer, a misdemeanor, (both). Michael Joshua Horne, Eastman, an employee at Circle K, in an incident occurring between March 21 and 22, 2023: three counts of theft by taking (felony).
Kyran Marquis Arnold of McRae-Helena, one count of computer pornography in an incident on April 3, 2023.
Tina Deloris Connell and Shelby Denise Faulkner, both of Glenwood, charged individually and as parties concerned in the commission of a crime, in an incident occurring between April 13 and 14, 2023: one count of possession of methamphetamines (both), one count of driving under the influence o less safe drug (Connell), one count of failure to maintain lane (Connell), one count of possession of drug-related objects (both).
Shanequa Daryelle Jones of Coolidge, one count of furnishing prohibited items to inmates on April 16, 2023.
Jalaree Loreil Bates, of Alamo and Glenwood, one count of possession of marijuana (more than one ounce), in an arrest occurring May 1, 2023.
Cynthia Branch Perdue of McRae-Helena, one count of possession of methamphetamines, one count of driving under the influence of a controlled substance, one count of driving under the influence of less safe drugs, and one count of failure to maintain lane in an incident on May 16, 2023.
Matthew James Francis of Glenwood, one count of possession of methamphetamines, one count of expired tag, one count of no proof of insurance, following an arrest on June 7, 2023.
Gorsieur Tyrone Bryant and Devin Bryant, both of Glenwood, one count of financial transaction theft, and two counts of financial fraud, in an incident on June 11, 2023.
Robert Alan Dee, Sr., of Glenwood, one count of sexual exploitation of children, in an incident on July 12, 2023.
Daquwon Antonia Price of Stone Mountain, an inmate at the WCF, two counts of unlawful acts of violence in a penal institution, two counts of unlawful acts of obstruction of an officer (felony), one count of obstruction of an officer (misdemeanor) in an incident on August 8, 2023.
Shannon D. Taylor and Lodus Theral Tharpe, both of Glenwood, one count of theft by taking, a felony, (Tharpe) and one count of theft by receiving stolen property (both), in an incident occurring between August 12, 2023 and September 2, 2023.
Aaron Columbus Roberson of McRae-Helena, two counts of theft by receiving a shotgun and revolver, in an incident on August 20, 2023.
Wanda Denise Heard of Forest Park, one count of furnishing prohibited items to inmates at the Wheeler Correctional Facility on August 27, 2023.
Michael Jerome Thomas of Vidalia, one count of possession of methamphetamines, one count of possession of drug-related objects, in an incident on September 2, 2023. Rebecca Lynn Vann of Alamo, one count of obstruction of an officer (felony), one count of criminal damage to property in the second degree, and one count of disorderly conduct for an incident on October 6, 2023.
John Keith Lafavor, Glenwood, one count of terroristic threats (felony), on October 10, 2023. William Vincent Niell of Milan, one count of terroristic threats (felony) and one count of driving while license suspended on December 2, 2023. Wesley Jacob Moore of Vidalia, in an incident occurring between December 2 and 3, 2003, one count illegal use of communications facility to introduce methamphetamine and fentanyl into the Wheeler County Jail.
Those indicted will be processed through the Wheeler County Superior Court, next entering formal pleas to charges brought against them.
The Wheeler County Grand Jury meets twice annually, in January or July.
