A man considered to be a member of the notorious Crips street gang was convicted Friday in Newton County on multiple counts related to a fight and shooting in 2017 and sentenced to two decades in jail.
Quentavrius Bernard Durham, 26, of Covington, was found guilty by a jury on two counts related to the fight that escalated into gunfire, according to Newton County District Attorney Randy McGinley. Durham was convicted of aggravated battery and violation of Georgia’s Street Gang Terrorism and Prevention Act. He was sentenced to 20 years in jail followed by 20 years on probation and ordered by the court to have no contact with any gang members once he is released.
Durham was originally charged with seven counts, including the two for which he was convicted, according to court documents obtained by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Durham’s charges that were dropped or acquitted include: attempted murder, aggravated assault, possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony and two counts of cruelty to children.
The charges stemmed from a fight in Porterdale in August 2017. Durham and a teenager, who would become his co-defendant, got into a verbal argument with a man and woman, court documents show. In the course of the fight, the woman was hit in the face, knocked unconscious and lost several teeth, McGinley said. Durham then shot at the man and his bullet grazed the man’s back, injuring him badly enough that he was taken to a hospital.
During the trial, the prosecution presented evidence that Durham was a member of the gang, including the fact that “Crips often responded violently when they feel as if they have been disrespected,” McGinley said.
Some witnesses appeared in court wearing blue, a color McGinley said is associated with the Crips. The state presented evidence from jail calls Durham made to his witnesses in which they used terms associated with the gang.
“This conviction demonstrates the District Attorney’s Office’s commitment to aggressively prosecute violent acts committed against our citizens by gang members,” McGinley’s office said on Facebook. “Criminal street gangs do nothing but hurt and terrorize our communities.”
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