Street Gang Crackdown’s Legal Costs Increase
Aggressive use of the state’s RICO law to curb gang crime has increased the cost of prosecuting, and defending, accused individuals. The Attorney General’s Gang Prosecution Unit based in Atlanta, with regional, satellite prosecutors and investigators in Albany and Augusta is seeking another $807,000 to expand with new units in Macon, Columbus, and Savannah. Georgia […]
Officials Step Up Anti-Gang Activity in Georgia
Currently, the people who work in a nondescript Macon building monitor vehicle traffic in the area. Soon, they will monitor gang criminal activity instead. “Anywhere there is the ability to make money, criminal street gangs are going to have a hand in it,” said Georgia Bureau of Investigation Special Agent Ken Howard. “You’re going to […]
Lawmakers Mull Tougher Gang Law
Republican lawmakers who are determined to take a bite out of crime dusted off the mandatory minimum principles when they introduced Senate Bill 44. Senate Bill 44, introduced by state Sen. Bo Hatchett, R-Cornelia, also mandates minimum sentences for gang offenses currently on the books in Georgia. It would allow prosecutors and judges to consider […]
Key Suspect Charged in Mall of America Shooting
A 17-year-old Decatur boy now faces serious criminal charges for his alleged role in the Mall of America shooting that happened two days before Christmas in 2022. As the mall was crowded with last-minute shoppers, a group of teenagers got into a fight at Nordstrom’s. The conflict escalated until one teen pulled out a gun […]
Authorities Crack Down on Gang Activity
A Lumpkin man, who now faces about a half-dozen criminal charges, is the latest person to get caught in a massive gang activity crackdown that stretches across most of Georgia. The investigation began after Lumpkin Police officers conducted a traffic stop involving the man and a minor. According to the GBI, the man briefly attempted […]
