Macon, Ga. — The final defendant wanted in “Operation
Benchwarmers” was taken into custody by FBI agents in Dallas, Texas on
Wednesday afternoon, announced Charles “Charlie” Peeler, the U.S. Attorney for
the Middle District of Georgia. Andrew Bravo Jimenez, aka “Droopy,” 25, of
Athens and Texas, was captured by FBI-Dallas agents, with assistance from
FBI-Atlanta. Jimenez is charged with one count conspiracy to possess with
intent to distribute methamphetamine, heroin and crack cocaine, which carries a
maximum life prison sentence, along with one count possession with intent to
distribute heroin. Federal indictments were unsealed last week in “Operation
Benchwarmers,” charging 17 defendants wanted on federal gun and drug charges. More
than 300 law enforcement members from 24 agencies and task forces participated
in “Operation Benchwarmers” on Tuesday, January 21, 2020 in the Athens-Clarke
County region, arresting 16 charged defendants that day. According to the
Athens-Clarke County Police Department (ACCPD), “Operation Benchwarmers” is the
largest law enforcement operation in the department’s history, netting an
estimated street value of $955,986 in illegal narcotics, including heroin and
methamphetamine, along with 43 firearms and assault rifles, plus $84,013 in
cash.
“I want to commend the dedication of the FBI in pursuing and
capturing this wanted defendant, found hundreds of miles away attempting to
evade arrest,” said U.S. Attorney Charlie Peeler. “All 17 defendants charged in
‘Operation Benchwarmers’ have now been taken into custody, thanks to the
excellent work of two dozen law enforcement agencies and more than 300 people.
This operation was a success because of their relentless commitment to keeping
Georgia communities safe.”
“We would like to thank our FBI Dallas field office for
their assistance in making this final arrest in ‘Operation Benchwarmers,’” said
Chris Hacker, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “They are one of two
dozen federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, integral in our effort
to protect the law abiding citizens in the Athens area, making those citizens’
communities safer today.”
“The capture of the final defendant in this case brings
closure, not only for the dedicated men and women of law enforcement who worked
tirelessly to make this investigation a success, but also for the citizens of
Athens, Georgia who deserve a safe community free from dangerous and deadly
substances that wreak havoc on society,” said Robert J. Murphy, the Special Agent
in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Field Division.
“ACCPD is pleased to learn that the final violent felon in
this operation is off the streets and will be brought back to Georgia to face
charges,” said ACCPD Chief Cleveland Spruill. “It further illustrates that
local, state, and federal agencies can and will work together to bring violent
criminals to justice.”
The investigation was conducted by the FBI Middle Georgia
Safe Streets Gang Task Force, the Northeast Georgia Regional Drug Task Force,
the Athens-Clarke County Police Department (ACCPD), the Drug Enforcement
Administration (DEA) and the United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle
District of Georgia, with the assistance of the following agencies:
Athens-Clarke Fire
Department
Banks County
Sheriff’s Office
Clarke County
Sheriff’s Office
DeKalb County
Police Department
FBI
FBI-Dallas
Georgia Bureau of
Investigation
Georgia Department
of Community Supervision
Georgia Department
of Corrections
Georgia State
Patrol
Greene County
Sheriff’s Office
Gwinnett County
Police Department
Homeland Security
Investigations
Madison County
Sheriff’s Office
Oconee County
Sheriff’s Office
City of Statham
Police Department
United States
Marshals Service
United States
Probation Office
Walton County
Sheriff’s Office
Federal indictments charging 17 individuals have been
unsealed. An indictment is only an allegation of criminal conduct, and all of
the defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty in a court
of law beyond a reasonable doubt. The following individuals are charged and
have been taken into custody, unless otherwise noted:
The following 16 subjects are charged with conspiracy to
possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine, heroin and crack cocaine.
The penalty is a mandatory minimum ten years in prison up to a maximum life
term in prison, a $10 million dollar fine and five years supervised release:
Rickshun Willigham, aka “Teddy,” 32, of Athens
Jaquavious T. Turner, aka “Take One”
Jamian Huff, aka “Dunk,” 34, of Athens
Andrew Bravo Jimenez, aka “Droopy”
Manuel Gonzalez Romero, of Athens and Mexico
Steven Ricole Scott, aka “Black,” aka “Unc,” 43, of Athens
Antonio M. Mitchell, aka “Tonio,” 30, of Athens
Marques Ward, aka “YG,” 31, of Athens
Ttajia Forney, 19, of Athens
Christopher Sanders, aka “Chris,” 33, of Athens
Bernard Barnett, aka “Nard,” 22, of Athens
Maquila Jones, aka “Qui,” 20, of Athens
Nicholas Jackson, aka “Nick Bean,” 26, of Athens
Terrell Bush, aka “T-Rock,” 45, of Athens
Shaddrick Cox, aka “Shad,” 24, of Athens
Robert Bolton, Jr., aka “Rob,” 31, of Athens
The following ten subjects are charged with distribution of
cocaine base/crack cocaine. The penalties range from a maximum 20 years in
prison to a maximum 40 years in prison:
Rickshun Willigham, aka “Teddy,” 32, of Athens (15 counts)
Jaquavious T. Turner, aka “Take One” (9 counts)
Jamian Huff, aka “Dunk,” 34, of Athens
Bernard Barnett, aka “Nard,” 22, of Athens (2 counts)
Shaddrick Cox, aka “Shad,” 24, of Athens
Steven Ricole Scott, aka “Black,” aka “Unc,” 43, of Athens
(3 counts)
Christopher Sanders, aka “Chris,” 33, of Athens
Robert Bolton, Jr., aka “Rob,” 31, of Athens
Antonio M. Mitchell, aka “Tonio,” 30, of Athens
Maquila Jones, aka “Qui,” 20, of Athens
The following eight subjects are charged with possession of
a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. The penalty is a
mandatory minimum five years in prison up to a maximum life term in prison:
Rickshun Willigham, aka “Teddy,” 32, of Athens (12 counts)
Jaquavious T. Turner, aka “Take One” (7 counts)
Bernard Barnett, aka “Nard,” 22, of Athens (3 counts)
Christopher Sanders, aka “Chris,” 33, of Athens
Antonio M. Mitchell, aka “Tonio,” 30, of Athens
Marques Ward, aka “YG,” 31, of Athens
Ttajia Forney, 19, of Athens
Shaddrick Cox, aka “Shad,” 24, of Athens
The following three subjects are charged with distribution
of heroin. The penalty is a maximum 20 years in prison:
Rickshun Willigham, aka “Teddy,” 32, of Athens (5 counts)
Jaquavious T. Turner, aka “Take One” (3 counts)
Bernard Barnett, aka “Nard,” 22, of Athens (2 counts)
The following six subjects are charged with possession with
intent to distribute heroin. The penalties range from a maximum 20 years in
prison to a maximum 40 years in prison:
Marques Ward, aka “YG,” 31, of Athens
Ttajia Forney, 19, of Athens
Terrell Bush, aka “T-Rock,” 45, of Athens
Nicholas Jackson, aka “Nick Bean,” 26, of Athens
Manuel Gonzalez Romero, of Athens and Mexico
Andrew Bravo Jimenez, aka “Droopy”
The following two subjects are charged with distribution of
methamphetamine. The penalty is a maximum 20 years in prison:
Rickshun Willigham, aka “Teddy,” 32, of Athens
Bernard Barnett, aka “Nard,” 22, of Athens
The following two subjects are charged with possession with
intent to distribute methamphetamine. The penalty is a maximum 20 years in
prison:
Marques Ward, aka “YG,” 31, of Athens
Ttajia Forney, 19, of Athens
The following subject is charged with possession of a
firearm by a convicted felon. The penalty is a maximum ten years in prison:
Armand Payne, 39, of Athens
The following subjects were taken into custody during
“Operation Benchwarmers” on state charges:
Luis Besave-Lagunas (Charged in Madison County with
Trafficking Heroin, Trafficking Methamphetamine and Possession of a Firearm
during the Commission of a Felony)
Zenon Carrera-Ferrer (Charged in Athens-Clarke County with
Trafficking Methamphetamine, Trafficking Heroin and Possession of Cocaine)
Dwight Moreland (Probation Violation)
Andreas Lane (Charged in Madison County with Possession with
Intent to Distribute Heroin, Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon and
Probation Violation)
Adian Mapp (Charged in Madison County with Possession with
Intent to Distribute Heroin and Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon)
Leonard Jackson (Charged in Athens-Clarke County with
Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon)
The following firearms, cash and illegal drugs were seized:
43 firearms seized
(including 8 assault rifles)
$84,013 U.S.
Currency seized
8.34 kilograms of
heroin (Street Value: $667,200)
4.3 pounds of
crystal methamphetamine (Street Value: $195,400)
26.1 ounces of
crack cocaine (Street Value: $78,200)
2.4 pounds of
marijuana (Street Value: $4,376)
3.31 ounces of
power cocaine (Street Value: $9,400)
94 controlled
pharmaceuticals (Street Value: $940)
40 grams of
oxycodone (Street Value: $470)
The investigation was conducted as part of Project Safe
Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent
crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be
effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of
stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems
in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part
of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders
and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting
reductions in crime.
This case is also part of Project Guardian, the Department
of Justice’s signature initiative to reduce gun violence and enforce federal
firearms laws. Initiated by the Attorney General in the fall of 2019, Project
Guardian draws upon the Department’s past successful programs to reduce gun
violence; enhances coordination of federal, state, local, and tribal
authorities in investigating and prosecuting gun crimes; improves
information-sharing by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives
when a prohibited individual attempts to purchase a firearm and is denied by
the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS), to include taking
appropriate actions when a prospective purchaser is denied by the NICS for
mental health reasons; and ensures that federal resources are directed at the
criminals posing the greatest threat to our communities. For more information
about Project Guardian, please see https://www.justice.gov/projectguardian.
Questions can be directed to Pamela Lightsey, Public
Information Officer, United States Attorney’s Office, at (478) 621-2603 or Melissa
Hodges, Public Affairs Director (Contractor), United States Attorney’s Office,
at (478) 765-2362.
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