AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – Five CSRA suspects have been charged with misdemeanor illegal possession of firearms, according to authorities.

Recently returned indictments in the Southern District of Georgia include felony charges for illegal possession of firearms, while other defendants have been sentenced to federal prison or are awaiting further proceedings after pleading guilty to federal gun-related charges.

“As we continue to see the proliferation of illegal weapons converted to fully automatic fire, we applaud our law enforcement partners for taking action to contain this threat to our neighborhoods,” said Jill E. Steinberg , U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. “Keeping guns out of the hands of criminals remains a priority for our office. »

Cases are prosecuted as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods in collaboration with federal, state and local law enforcement, 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 possess firearms.

Those charged in November include:

• Antonio Rodriquez Holmes III30, of Augusta, was charged with unlawful possession of a machine gun, possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
• Luke Bunyun Jr., 46, of Waynesboro, charged with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon
• Lemar Neil Robinson, 35, of Savannah, was charged with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.

Also charged in newly unsealed indictment Charlie Sapp57, of Savannah, charged with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.

All defendants are considered innocent until proven guilty.

Defendants recently tried on federal firearms charges include:

• Keyeon Demar Tykeim Smith, 23, of Augusta, was sentenced to 15 months in prison and fined $1,000 after pleading guilty to receiving a firearm from an indicted person. Richmond County deputies found a pistol in Smith’s possession while he was serving an arrest warrant.
• BrodrickKyle Merritt, 42, of Augusta, is awaiting sentencing after pleading guilty to possession of a firearm by a convicted felon as a career armed felon. Richmond County deputies found a pistol in Merritt’s possession during a traffic stop. Merritt was on probation for state charges when he was arrested and faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in prison.
• Scottie Eugene Bryant48, of Grovetown, awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Grovetown police officers searched Bryant’s residence and seized several firearms in April 2023.
• Richard Bruce Salyer Jr., 49, of Forsyth, Georgia, was sentenced to 170 months in prison after pleading guilty to possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Chatham County police officers found a pistol in Salyer’s waistband while investigating a report of a stolen vehicle in November 2023. Salyer had two prior convictions for illegal firearm possession and, at the time of his arrest, he was an escapee from Jefferson County, Georgia. Correctional Institute.
• David Kreiss, 49, of Twin City, Georgia, was sentenced to 88 months in prison after pleading guilty to possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Twin City police found Kreiss in possession of a rifle and four shotguns while investigating a domestic dispute.
• Kavon Smalls, 29, of Savannah, was sentenced to 42 months in prison after pleading guilty to possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Savannah police found a gun after chasing Smalls as he fled from a vehicle that crashed during an attempted traffic stop.
• Maleak J. Parrish, 24, of Savannah, awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Savannah police found a pistol in Parrish’s possession during a traffic stop.
• Raquan Williams, 23, of Savannah, is awaiting sentencing after pleading guilty to making a false statement during the purchase of a firearm. Williams attempted to purchase a shotgun from a Chatham County gun dealer in June 2023, falsely claiming he was not indicted at the time on robbery charges armed and aggravated assault.
• Stanley Hall, 22, of Savannah, is awaiting sentencing after pleading guilty to possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Savannah police found Hall in possession of a handgun while investigating an attempted vehicle break-in.
• Col. Corinthian Lamar, 26, of Savannah, is awaiting sentencing after pleading guilty to possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Officers from the Savannah Police Department and the Georgia Department of Community Supervision found two firearms in the Colonel’s residence during a September 2023 search.
• Eddie Robertson, 30, of Savannah, is awaiting sentencing after pleading guilty to possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Savannah police officers found Robertson in possession of a handgun after a traffic stop and foot chase in December 2023.
• Jacorey Rivers, 32, of Savannah, is awaiting sentencing after pleading guilty to possession of a machine gun and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl. Rivers was on probation when he fled a traffic stop and crashed. Officers found in his possession a Glock pistol that had been converted to automatic fire.
• Willie Dunbar, 45, of Villa Rica, Georgia, is awaiting sentencing after pleading guilty to possession of a machine gun. During a traffic stop in January, Wheeler County deputies found Dunbar in possession of a Polymer80 “ghost gun” equipped with a device that converted it to automatic fire.

The cases are being prosecuted in the United States by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Georgia.

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 illegal user of a controlled substance. Additionally, it is illegal to possess a firearm in connection with a drug offense or violent crime. It is also illegal to purchase – or even attempt to purchase – firearms if the purchaser is a prohibited person or is illegally purchasing a firearm on behalf of another. Lying on ATF Form 4473, which is used to legally purchase a firearm, is also a federal offense.

For more information from the ATF on legally purchasing firearms, please visit: https://www.atf.gov/qa-category/atfw-form-4473.

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