A far-reaching multi-agency narcotics investigation spanning several states has culminated in the indictment of six individuals in Chatham County, Georgia. State Attorney General Chris Carr formally announced the legal actions following a sweeping operation that led to the confiscation of 20 pounds of carfentanil, an exceptionally potent synthetic opioid capable of causing widespread casualties even in minuscule quantities.
The seizure underscores the alarming escalation of high-potency synthetic drugs entering regional illicit markets. According to data provided by the Attorney General’s Office, carfentanil possesses a potency roughly 10,000 times greater than morphine and approximately 100 times greater than illicit fentanyl. Because of this extreme strength, emergency medical intervention becomes significantly more complex, frequently requiring first responders to administer multiple doses of naloxone, known commercially as Narcan, to successfully reverse a single overdose event.
The indictments were formally returned by a Chatham County Grand Jury on September 2, following an extensive collaborative effort among several specialized law enforcement units. The multi-jurisdictional task force brought together the Chatham-Savannah Counter Narcotics Team, the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Savannah District Office, and the DEA’s Phoenix Division Office, with key assistance provided by the Georgia Attorney General’s Gang Prosecution Unit.
Investigators revealed that five of the six named defendants operated as a structured criminal enterprise tasked with acquiring, transporting, and distributing bulk shipments of controlled substances. The ring's distribution radius covered Chatham County and expanded into other jurisdictions throughout Georgia, while also successfully infiltrating the state's correctional system to supply Georgia prisons.
The criminal network relied on cross-country logistical channels to secure its contraband. Prosecutors allege that the enterprise procured its carfentanil shipments directly from suppliers operating in the metropolitan area of Phoenix, Arizona. Concurrently, the organization imported bulk quantities of marijuana sourced from suppliers in California and other locations to maintain a diversified illicit inventory.
Financial proceeds generated from the wholesale and retail distribution of these narcotics were allegedly channeled directly into street gang operations. Indictment documents detail that profits were used to fund and sustain the Waters Ave Crew, a violent criminal street gang operating primarily out of East Savannah that maintains established affiliations with the national Piru Bloods organization.
Among the five primary enterprise members facing the most extensive legal jeopardy is 34-year-old Edkes Hakeem Mitchell. Prosecutors have charged Mitchell with three counts under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act, three gang-related counts, 17 counts of conspiracy to violate the Georgia Controlled Substances Act, two counts of attempted drug-law violations, and 26 distinct counts of money laundering.
Another alleged key figure within the organization, 39-year-old Matthew Rigsby, faces a similarly substantial slate of charges. Rigsby has been formally charged with three RICO counts, 17 counts of conspiracy to violate the Controlled Substances Act, two counts of attempted drug-law violations, and 18 counts of money laundering connected to the handling of drug profits.
Defendant Rondell Javon Owens, 33, faces three counts of violating the RICO Act, three gang-related criminal counts, six counts of conspiracy to violate controlled substance statutes, and two counts of money laundering. His charges reflect an alleged dual involvement in both the distribution network and the associated street gang enterprise.
Similarly, 34-year-old Rahemm Jawaun Jenkins was indicted on three RICO counts, two counts related to criminal street gang activity, five counts of conspiracy under the Controlled Substances Act, and two counts of money laundering. Jenkins is accused of playing a direct role in maintaining the logistical and financial framework supporting the enterprise's operations.
The indictment also names 30-year-old Tashiylah Nikeairia Riley as a core enterprise participant. Riley is charged with three RICO counts, five counts of conspiracy to violate the Controlled Substances Act, and two counts of money laundering, highlighting her alleged involvement in the movement and financial processing of illicit narcotics.
A sixth defendant, 34-year-old Devonta Rakeem Winn, was charged separately from the core five-member enterprise hierarchy. Winn faces two gang-related counts and a single count of money laundering stemming from his alleged direct association with the criminal activities of the Waters Ave Crew.
The infiltration of carfentanil into local communities and state correctional institutions represents a critical public health and institutional security challenge. Law enforcement officials have increasingly prioritized interdicting synthetic opioids at the interstate trafficking stage before these dangerous compounds can be divided into retail-level doses or introduced into vulnerable prison populations.
The Attorney General’s Office indicated that because the criminal prosecution remains active and ongoing, no additional operational details regarding the investigative techniques, wiretaps, or specific arrest logistics can be publicly disclosed at this juncture.
Officials emphasized that an indictment is an accusatory instrument representing formal charges and allegations by a grand jury. Under the law, all six defendants are presumed innocent until and unless their guilt is established beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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