Three defendants face felony firearms charges after indictment by a U.S. District Court grand jury in the Southern District of Georgia.
The cases are being investigated in collaboration with federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, including the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), with charges related to illegal possession or purchase of firearms.
“A key factor in reducing gun violence is to get firearms out of the hands of people who are prohibited from possessing them,” said David H. Estes, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. “Our collaboration with the ATF and other law enforcement partners will help make our communities safer.”
In the past three years, more than 670 defendants were federally charged in the Southern District of Georgia for illegal firearms offenses – most often for possessing a firearm after having been convicted of a previous felony. The charge carries a statutory penalty upon conviction of up to 10 years in prison, and there is no parole in the federal system.
Defendants named in federal indictments from the May 2021 term of the U.S. District Court grand jury include:
- Tareem Burgess, 39, of Hephzibah, Ga.,charged with Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon, and Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person, in reference to a prior conviction for domestic violence;
- Jakobian Sentell Jones, 20,of Warrenton, Ga., charged with Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon; and,
- Jerry Allen Edenfield, 30, of Swainsboro, Ga., charged with Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon.
Criminal indictments contain only charges; defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
These cases also are being investigated under the Prosecutor to Prosecutor Program (P3), in which federal and state prosecutors collaborate to determine the most appropriate venue for adjudication of alleged crimes.
Agencies investigating these cases include the ATF; the Georgia State Patrol; the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office; the McDuffie County Sheriff’s Office; and the Swainsboro Police Department.
The cases are being prosecuted for the United States by Southern District U.S. Attorney’s Office Assistant U.S. Attorneys, including Project Guardian Coordinator Henry W. Syms Jr.; Alejandro V. Pascual IV; and Joseph McCool.
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 unlawful user of a controlled substance. Further, it is unlawful to possess a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense or violent crime. It is also illegal to purchase – or even to attempt to purchase – firearms if the buyer is a prohibited person or illegally purchasing a firearm on behalf of others. Lying on ATF Form 4473, which is used to lawfully purchase a firearm, also is a federal offense.
This is a press release from the US Department of Justice.
