David H. Estes, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia, announced earlier this month seven federal indictments for illegal firearms possession against defendants charged with drug trafficking and other offenses. Two of the seven indicted — Akil Shawron Brown, 21, and Jaleel Keron Frazier, 36, are from Savannah.
The indictments resulted from a multi-level, nationwide law enforcement initiative known as Project Safe Neighborhoods, which coordinates with local police departments to address their most pressing violent crime issues. Illegal possession of firearms and gun violence are top of mind across South Georgia, especially in Savannah where three individuals already have died from gun violence since the start of 2022.
Credit: Image submitted
Credit: Image submitted
In a DOJ press release, Estes stated, “I have prioritized targeting violent crime in this District and as we continue to work to protect our communities from violent crime, a key element is the identification of those who illegally possess and use firearms.”
According to the DOJ, more than 730 defendants in the Southern District have been charged federally with illegal firearms offenses since 2018. The majority of those charged were found in possession of firearms after a previous felony conviction, as was the case for both Brown and Frazier. Under federal law, individuals with former felony convictions are among the nine different conditions prohibited from carrying, shipping or receiving firearms (see sidebar below).
Launched in 2001, PSN involves collaboration among the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA), the U.S. Marshals Service, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) and other state and local law enforcement agencies. In the Southern District alone, the DOJ coordinates with 11 state prosecutors and 63 different local agencies, including the Savannah Police Department.
In 2019, the SPD received a nearly $62,000 grant from the DOJ's Safe Neighborhoods initiative to purchase portable fingerprint machines, surveillance cameras and GPS tracking systems.
According to DOJ spokesperson Barry Paschal, "These types of gun cases typically start with a local law enforcement agency, and our office federally adopts individual cases for prosecution either from the agency or from the state prosecutor. PSN is generally the umbrella under which the agencies review cases to determine the best route for prosecution."
Drew Favakeh is the public safety and public health reporter for the Savannah Morning News. You can reach him at AFavakeh@Savannahnow.com.
This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: Two Savannahians among seven indicted by DOJ for illegal firearms possession
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