Carr Announces Expansion of Gang Prosecution Unit to Macon

Attorney General Chris Carr, joined by Senate President Pro Tempore John F. Kennedy and Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) Director Chris Hosey, this week announced the hire of veteran prosecutor Ashton Jordan and seasoned investigator Nathan Shoate as part of an upcoming expansion of the Attorney General’s Gang Prosecution Unit. Starting July 1, 2024, Jordan and Shoate will oversee the Unit’s regional efforts in Macon-Bibb County, with funding provided in the state’s FY 2025 budget signed by Governor Brian Kemp in May 2024. Jordan serves as Senior Assistant District Attorney in the Griffin Judicial Circuit, and Shoate is a Senior Criminal Investigator with the Major Crimes Unit in the Fulton County District Attorney’s Office. In addition to Macon, the Attorney General will expand his Gang Prosecution Unit to include new prosecutors and investigators in Columbus and Southeast Georgia. This Unit is currently based in Atlanta, Albany and Augusta.

“Since creating our Gang Prosecution Unit nearly two years ago, we have seen unprecedented success in putting away some of Georgia’s most dangerous criminals,” said Attorney General Chris Carr. “Now we’re expanding our efforts to include a new regional team in Macon-Bibb County, so we can work more closely and effectively with all levels of law enforcement to combat violent crime and keep Georgians safe. We’re grateful for Governor Brian Kemp, President Pro Tempore John Kennedy, and our partners in the General Assembly for supporting our efforts since day one and continuing to prioritize the fight against gang activity in our state.”

In July 2022, with the support of Governor Brian Kemp, Senate President Pro Tempore John F. Kennedy, and other leaders in the General Assembly, Attorney General Chris Carr created Georgia’s first statewide Gang Prosecution Unit. In nearly two years, this Unit has secured more than 40 convictions and indicted nearly 140 individuals in Athens-Clarke, Barrow, Bryan, Clayton, Cobb, DeKalb, Dougherty, Fulton, Gwinnett, Laurens, Muscogee, Richmond and Thomas counties.

“Macon’s Gang Prosecution Unit will follow the example set by others in cities across the state to take the fight to criminal street gangs,” said Governor Brian Kemp. “With hundreds of arrests already made, we know these units are an important part of our work to keep all our communities safe. That’s why we made funding for this unit in Macon a priority and will keep working with partners like Attorney General Carr and the legislature to further strengthen public safety.”

“Violent crimes and gang activity jeopardize the safety, well-being, and quality of life for all Georgians. No matter where they live, every resident deserves to feel secure in their community,” said Senate President Pro Tempore John. F. Kennedy. “Back in 2022, I had the privilege of carrying the legislation to create the Gang Prosecution Unit in the Senate. This week, I was honored to witness the expansion of this crucial task force into Macon, thanks to the General Assembly’s appropriation of nearly one million dollars. I extend my deepest gratitude to Governor Kemp, Lt. Governor Burt Jones, Attorney General Chris Carr, Speaker Jon Burns, Sheriff Davis, and other local leaders for their unwavering commitment to keeping middle Georgians safe. Together, we stand united in the fight against gang violence in our state.”

“The success of investigations in Macon, Middle Georgia, and across the state have been due to our tremendous local, state, and federal partnerships,” said GBI Director Chris Hosey. “We stand shoulder-to-shoulder to address gangs and their illegal activities across the state. Together, we will continue to aggressively pursue those who commit these violent acts to keep Georgia and its citizens safe.”

One of Governor Brian Kemp’s early priorities in office, the GBI’s Gang Task Force partners with local, state, and federal law enforcement to address gangs in the community and their associated criminal activity, including acts of violence and the narcotics trade.

Last year, the GBI worked with Macon-Bibb County Mayor Lester Miller, Bibb County Sheriff David Davis, and Bibb County officials to secure a facility in Macon to serve as the new headquarters for its Middle Georgia Gang Task Force.

The Middle Georgia Gang Task Force was the second multijurisdictional unit of its kind to be established in the state. Since its creation one year ago, the GBI’s Middle Georgia Gang Task Force has initiated more than 200 gang-related cases involving acts of homicide, drug distribution, aggravated assault, theft, and dog fighting. These cases were carried out in Bibb, Baldwin, Jefferson, Laurens, Peach, Twiggs and Washington counties. During this same time period, the Middle Georgia Gang Task Force has arrested 158 individuals and seized 72 firearms and a range of narcotics totaling over $1.5 million, including cocaine, crack cocaine, methamphetamines, THC, fentanyl, prescription pills, and MDMA.

The state’s FY 2025 budget, signed by Governor Brian Kemp, includes funds for the GBI to establish a Gang Task Force in Muscogee County as well.

New Hires for the Attorney General’s Gang Prosecution Unit

Ashton Jordan will serve as the Gang Prosecution Unit’s Assistant Attorney General for Macon-Bibb County. She has served as Senior Assistant District Attorney in the Griffin Judicial Circuit since 2015. In this role, Jordan prosecutes all violations of the Georgia RICO Act and gang-related homicides in Fayette, Spalding, Upson, and Pike counties. She has successfully prosecuted more than 75 gang cases, including a 46-defendant RICO case involving the national, state, and local leaders of the Rollin 20s Neighborhood Bloods following “Operation Caged Doves,” an investigation conducted by the GBI’s Gang Task Force. Jordan has also successfully tried to verdict 13 cases which resulted in life sentences, two of which were gang-related homicides, in addition to serious violent felony offenses. She was named Assistant District Attorney of the Year for the Griffin Judicial Circuit in 2020. Jordan earned her bachelor’s degree in Communication Studies from Mercer University and her J.D. from the Stetson University College of Law, where she graduated cum laude.

Nathan Shoate will serve as the Gang Prosecution Unit’s Criminal Investigator for Macon-Bibb County. He has served as Senior Criminal Investigator with the Major Crimes Unit in the Fulton County District Attorney’s Office since 2023. In this role, Shoate has handled a range of investigative efforts for major cases, including the prosecution of criminal street gang “YFN.” Prior to joining the Fulton County District Attorney’s Office, he worked with the United States Federal Air Marshal Service for 20 years. Shoate was promoted to Senior Federal Air Marshall in 2007, where he was deployed to protect airline passengers and crews, prevent threats against the U.S. aviation domain, and identify individuals or events known to pose, or suspected of posing, a risk of terrorism or a threat to safety. He has completed multiple tours of duty with the U.S. Secret Service, worked with the FBI organized crime and drug enforcement task force, and served as a Federal Air Marshal Training Instructor with the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center. Shoate was an officer with the Beloit Police Department in Wisconsin from 1994 until 2002, and he is an active member of the Georgia Gang Investigators Association.

Both hires will take effect on July 1, 2024.