Carr’s Gang Prosecution Unit Marks Four Years of Record Success

Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr’s Gang Prosecution Unit is marking four years of record success, with more than 140 convictions secured across the state since its inception on July 1, 2022. The majority of these cases involve shootings, both fatal and non-fatal, with one victim as young as three years old.

“In just four years, our Gang Prosecution Unit has achieved historic results – taking down some of the most violent offenders in our state and removing deadly and dangerous drugs from our streets,” said Attorney General Chris Carr. “It’s exactly why we created this Unit in the first place, so we could bring strong cases that ultimately lead to safer communities. Behind every conviction is a family who has been impacted by gang violence or lost a loved one due to senseless crime. They’re the reason we’re fighting each day, and we will continue to send a strong message that gang activity won’t be tolerated anywhere in Georgia.”

“For the last four years, the Gang Prosecution Unit has taken the fight directly to violent criminals terrorizing communities across our state,” said Governor Brian Kemp. “What started as a single unit in Metro Atlanta has now expanded to nearly every corner of the state, making it loud and clear that gang violence will not be tolerated in Georgia. I commend Attorney General Chris Carr, Chief Prosecutor Cara Convery, and their teams for their tireless commitment to ending gang violence and strengthening public safety in Georgia.”

Background

In July 2022, with the support of Governor Brian Kemp and members of the General Assembly, Attorney General Chris Carr created Georgia’s first statewide Gang Prosecution Unit. The creation of the Unit was made possible by the passage of HB 1134, which provides the Attorney General’s Office with concurrent jurisdiction to prosecute gang activity statewide, and initial funding provided in the State’s FY 2023 budget.

The Gang Prosecution Unit started with the hire of just one Chief Prosecutor, Cara Convery, who leads the team and one main office in Atlanta. It has since expanded to include satellite offices in Albany, Augusta, Columbus, Macon, Southeast Georgia and Savannah, with regional prosecutors and investigators who work with local, state, and federal law enforcement to build cases across the state.

The Gang Prosecution Unit is housed in the Attorney General’s Prosecution Division, which also includes Carr’s Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit, his Organized Retail Crime Unit, and his White Collar and Cyber Crime Unit.

Individual Case Highlights 

Since it began its historic work, Carr’s Gang Prosecution Unit has investigated and prosecuted cases in Athens-Clarke, Barrow, Bibb, Bryan, Chatham, Clayton, Cobb, Coffee, DeKalb, Dougherty, Fulton, Gwinnett, Laurens, Lowndes, Muscogee, Richmond, Spalding, Thomas, Upson and Washington counties. 

This includes the following prosecutions:

• The conviction of 15 members of the Outcast Motorcycle Gang and the recovery of more than 100 firearms following a large-scale multi-agency investigation in Bryan County. This case marked the largest motorcycle gang indictment in state history, with additional evidence demonstrating that the defendants engaged in criminal activity in other jurisdictions, including Chatham County, Crisp County, Douglas County, Glynn County, Liberty County, McIntosh County, Richmond County, Colleton County (South Carolina), and Fort Bragg (North Carolina).
• The conviction of 16 members of the 1-8 Trey Gangster Bloods following a large-scale investigation into violent crimes, drug trafficking, and gang recruitment as directed from inside and outside of prison. This includes the conviction of Jamar Ramsay, the statewide leader of the gang who was already serving a life sentence at Hays State Prison in Georgia, and Brantavious Sims, who was subsequently sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole for the murder of Lane Bullard in April 2022.
• The conviction of Kionta Parks, who was sentenced to life in prison plus five years for the murder of 11-year-old Asijah Jones, who was shot and killed while asleep in her bed in Spalding County on March 13, 2023.
• The indictment of 11 individuals in Macon-Bibb County following an extensive investigation into the sale and distribution of illicit drugs and firearms in the Middle Georgia area. The defendants are alleged to be members of the Macon Mafia, the largest criminal street gang in Macon. This investigation also resulted in the recovery of Cocaine, Meth, Fentanyl, several handguns, cash, and other drugs.
• The conviction of three members of PDE, a local criminal street gang in DeKalb County. The defendants engaged in criminal gang activity and committed various weapons offenses in furtherance of the gang. One of those convicted, Darius Scott, was sentenced to 95 years in prison.

Stats & Community Impact

Athens-Clarke County: Carr’s Gang Prosecution Unit has partnered with the Athens-Clarke County Police Department to address a long running conflict between the Red Tape Gang (RTG) and Everybody Eats (EBE). This conflict dates back to 2021 and has claimed the lives of several individuals throughout the Athens community, including three-year-old Kyron Santino Zarco Smith, 19-year-old Brynarius Smith, 19-year-old Alijah Nelson, and 24-year-old Ja’Vanni McDavid. So far, Carr’s team has secured 20 convictions in Athens alone, with several other individuals still facing charges. Murder and violent crime in Athens have since decreased dramatically, with total shootings down by more than 50 percent last year when compared to 2022. 

Dougherty County: Carr’s Gang Prosecution Unit has worked with the Albany Police Department to secure nearly 20 convictions in Dougherty County alone. This includes three men who were convicted for the murder of 30-year-old Kartavious Jones, who was shot and killed on Oct. 9, 2018. All three defendants were sentenced to life in prison. Carr is currently prosecuting one individual in connection with two shootings that took place at Albany State University’s Homecoming festivities on Oct. 19, 2024. He is also separately prosecuting three individuals in connection with the death of 24-year-old Ricky Williams, who was beaten and passed away as a result of his injuries on Jan. 4, 2026.

Laurens County: Carr’s Gang Prosecution Unit has worked with the Dublin Police Department, the Lauren’s County Sheriff’s Office, and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation to secure 13 convictions in Laurens County alone, all involving a local gang known as Money Power Loyalty (MPL). This includes the founder and three leaders of the gang. Two of those convicted were sentenced to life plus 410 years for the murder of 24-year-old Sacred Brown and 23-year-old Miyori Ellington.

Muscogee County: Carr’s Gang Prosecution Unit has worked with the Columbus Police Department and the Muscogee County Sheriff’s Office to secure five murder convictions and eight gang convictions in Columbus alone. This includes the convictions of Rodderick Glanton, Homer Upshaw and Terrance Upshaw, who were each sentenced to life in prison for the murder of 17-year-old Jesse Ransom and 18-year-old Saiveon Pugh. Both Ransom and Pugh were shot and killed during a drive-by on June 14, 2021. Carr is currently prosecuting seven individuals in connection with an assault that took place at the Muscogee County Jail on Oct. 4, 2025.

Richmond County: Carr’s Gang Prosecution Unit has partnered with the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office to prosecute more than 45 defendants in Richmond County alone. This includes a massive 333-count indictment charging 30 individuals in connection with the distribution of illegal drugs and other acts of violence that have occurred throughout the area. As part of this investigation, Carr’s team worked with local, state, and federal law enforcement to seize 15 pounds of fentanyl – enough to kill 3.5 million Georgians.