Cases range from posession of illegal drugs to child exploitation
Six people were sentenced in Pierce County Superior Court last week.
All of the pleas were taken in court last week before Superior Court Judge Jeff Kight of the Waycross Judicial Circuit.
Waycross Judicial Circuit District Attorney Marilyn Bennett’s office prosecuted the cases.
Those sentenced included:
• Eric Leon Cooper II, 52, of Blackshear, pled guilty to incest charges from allegations that began in 2019 and continued through 2023, possessing more than four grams of methamphetamine, felony marijuana, and drug related objects. Cooper was ordered to serve 25 years in prison, followed by 30 years on probation.
Bennett thanked the Pierce County Sheriff's Office for investigating the case.
• Victoria Sierra Riggins, 29, of Blackshear, pled guilty to possessing fentanyl, methamphetamine and alprazolam, possessing fentanyl with the intent to distribute it near a housing project, drugs not in original container and possession of drug related objects.
Riggins was ordered to serve seven years in prison, followed by 13 years on probation.
Cooper
Riggins
• James Ronnie Rowland II, of Blackshear, 46, pled guilty to sexual exploitation of children. Rowland was sentenced to five years in prison, followed by 10 years on probation. While on probation, he cannot use a device with internet, such as a computer or cell phone. He will also have to register as a sex offender.
Rowland distributed explicit images and videos of minors in 2023.
Investigators with both the Pierce County Sheriff's Office and Blackhear Police Department investigated the case.
• Jake Rashad McDowell, 32, of Blackshear, pled guilty to fleeing and attempting to elude a Pierce County deputy in January of 2023 and possessing marijuana. He was ordered to serve five years in prison, followed by 20 years on probation.
• Jamar Jordan James, 34, of Blackshear, admitted to violating the terms of his probation and was revoked to serve the balance of his sentence in prison which expires in 2032.
James was on probation for possession of methamphetamine with the intent to distribute from a 2022 sentence.
• Chase Robert McRae, 25, of Blackshear, was ordered to serve three years in prison for violating curfew restrictions and requirements of the sex offender registry to notify the sheriff prior to changing his residence.
McRae was on probation stemming from a 2018 conviction of statutory rape and child molestation.
Bennett would like to thank the local law enforcement agencies that played a role in investigating these crimes. She also thanked members of her staff, including assistant district attorney Mark Anthony, for diligently prosecuting these cases.
Rowland
McDowell
James
McRae
