DOJ
Southwest Georgian Sentenced to Prison for Teenage Sextortion Crime
VALDOSTA, Ga. – A South Georgia resident was sentenced to fifteen years in prison for attempting to sextort an Ohio teenager he met over Snapchat, threatening her for explicit images. Cenobio Olguin, Jr., 24, of Lenox, Georgia, was sentenced to serve fifteen years in prison to be followed by ten years of supervised release by…
Read MoreSouthwest Georgia Repeat Offender Sentenced for Illegal Gun Possession
ALBANY, Ga. – A Moultrie, Georgia, resident with prior felony convictions was sentenced to prison for illegally possessing four firearms discovered during an investigation into armed drug trafficking in the community. Johnny Will Murray, Jr., 41, of Moultrie, was sentenced to serve 120 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release…
Read MoreValdosta Repeat Offender Faces a Max of Life in Prison for Illegally Possessing a Firearm After Firing Shots in Store
A Southwest Georgia man with a lengthy criminal history who was arrested after firing a round between customers standing inside a Valdosta, Georgia, convenience store is facing up to life in prison for illegally possessing a firearm. Eric Jerome Tooley, 46, of Hahira, Georgia, pleaded guilty to one count of possession of a firearm by…
Read MoreMulti-State ATM “Jackpotting” Ring Busted, Valdosta and Hahira ATM’s among those hit.
A group of Venezuelan nationals involved in a series of ATM “jackpotting” thefts across Georgia and additional states have pleaded guilty to federal charges. Hector Alejandro Alvarado Alvarez, 22, of Venezuela, and Cesar Augusto Gil Sanchez, 22, of Venezuela, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud on Jan. 7 and face…
Read MoreCareer Offender Sentenced to Prison for Meth Distribution in Thomasville
VALDOSTA, Ga. – A convicted felon with a lengthy criminal past in South and Central Georgia was sentenced as a federal career offender to serve more than 21 years in prison for possessing with the intent to distribute kilograms of methamphetamine. Charles Reid, Jr., 40, of Cairo, Georgia, was sentenced as a federal career offender…
Read MoreSouth Florida Congresswoman Charged with Stealing $5 Million in FEMA Funds and Making Illegal Campaign Contributions
MIAMI – A federal grand jury in Miami has returned an indictment charging Congresswoman Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick and several co-defendants with stealing federal disaster funds, laundering the proceeds, and using the money to support her 2021 congressional campaign. According to the indictment, Cherfilus-McCormick, 46, and her brother Edwin Cherfilus, 51, both of Miramar, worked through their…
Read MoreArmed Career Criminal Brandon Michael Slachta Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison for Illegal Gun Possession
ALBANY, Ga. – A repeat felon with a violent criminal past was sentenced to serve 15 years in prison for illegally possessing a firearm resulting from an Operation Take Back America investigation. Brandon Michael Slachta, 36, of Albany, was sentenced as an armed career criminal to serve 180 months in prison to be followed by…
Read MoreSouthwest Georgia Man Pleads Guilty to Distributing Child Sexual Abuse Material
Defendant Worked at a University and Volunteered with Youth Organizations ALBANY, Ga. – A Southwest Georgia man, who volunteered with local youth and worked on a college campus, admitted in federal court to distributing child sexual abuse material (CSAM) online and is facing up to 20 years in prison for his crime. Andrew Brent Darbyshire,…
Read MoreGeorgia Inmates Allegedly Directed the Distribution of China-Sourced Drugs from Prison
A newly unsealed federal indictment charges six people, including two Georgia inmates and two Chinese nationals, with allegedly distributing synthetic controlled substances, including fentanyl, sourced from China into the Middle District of Georgia. A federal grand jury returned the indictment on May 14, 2025, and it was unsealed on Aug. 7. The indictment charges the…
Read MoreSouth Georgia Drug Trafficking Organization Defendants Found Guilty at Trial
Second Trial of South Georgia DTO Members Found Guilty of Federal Crimes VALDOSTA, Ga. – Three co-conspirators involved in an armed drug trafficking organization (DTO) based out of Cook County, Georgia, were found guilty at trial this week of federal drug and weapons charges, the second federal trial of members of this criminal organization. Calvin…
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