SAVANNAH — A Waycross man was among nine defendants facing federal charges including illegal possession of firearms after separate indictments by a grand jury in the Southern District of Georgia were released Friday, January 13.
Tyrique Marquez Mills, 25, was charged with Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon in the indictment.
The indicted cases are being investigated as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods in collaboration with federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, including the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the FBI, to reduce violent crime with measures that include targeting convicted felons who illegally carry guns.
“Convicted felons illegally carrying firearms are significantly involved in violent crime plaguing our communities,” said David H. Estes, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. “With our law enforcement partners, we will continue to make our streets safer by putting such people behind bars.”
In the past four years, more than 800 defendants have been federally charged in the Southern District of Georgia for illegal firearms offenses — most often for possessing a firearm after conviction for a previous felony, Estes said. Recent federal legislation increases the maximum penalty for illegal possession of a firearm by a convicted felon to 15 years, up from 10, for those found in possession after June 25, 2022.
Under federal law, it is illegal for an individual to possess a firearm if he or she falls into one of nine prohibited categories including being a felon; illegal alien; or unlawful user of a controlled substance. Further, it is unlawful to possess a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense or violent crime.
It is also illegal to purchase — or even to attempt to purchase — firearms if the buyer is a prohibited person or illegally purchasing a firearm on behalf of others. Lying on ATF Form 4473, which is used to lawfully purchase a firearm, also is a federal offense.
Also Friday, the Atlanta Field Office of the FBI released an update to Operation Ghost Busted that seeks information on nine individuals who remain at large following the release of indictments Wednesday, January 11 in the case.
The suspects are charged with drug trafficking conspiracy tied to the Ghost Face Gangsters criminal street gang that has operated in the Southeast. The FBI said the nine should be considered armed and dangerous.
Among the nine being sought are Tonya C. Cox, Ashley Deen, Juan C. Everette, Michael A. Provenzano, Jimmy A. Reynolds, Samantha S. Russell, Christopher J. Thompson and David D. Young.
If you have any information concerning these individuals, please contact the FBI’s Atlanta Field Office at (770) 216-3000. You also may also contact your local FBI office, or you can submit a tip online at tips.fbi.gov.
