Athens Resident Who Shot at Repo Employees and Fled Arrest Pleads Guilty to Federal Gun Charge

ATHENS, Ga. – An Athens resident with a violent criminal history who shot at two people attempting to repossess a vehicle and then led police on a high-speed chase through a residential area pleaded guilty to illegal gun possession in federal court recently.

Ceddrick Demon Mercery aka Stunt, 30, of Athens, Georgia, pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm by a convicted felon before U.S. District Judge C. Ashley Royal on Aug. 19. Mercery faces a maximum penalty of ten years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Sentencing has not been scheduled. There is no parole in the federal system. 

“Federal and local law enforcement worked seamlessly to safely capture Ceddrick Mercery and bring him to justice for his reckless actions which endangered two innocent employees and a residential neighborhood,” said U.S. Attorney Peter D. Leary. “Our office is using every law enforcement and prosecutorial tool available to hold armed habitual offenders accountable and reduce violent crime in communities across the Middle District of Georgia.”

“Career criminals who carry guns are a threat to the safety of our neighborhoods,” said Keri Farley, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “This case is another example of how the FBI and our law enforcement partners in the Project Safe Neighborhoods program are dedicated to keeping the sanctity and security of our communities a priority.”

According to court documents, two individuals attempting to lawfully repossess a Honda Accord located on Loblolly Road in Athens on Sept. 23, 2020, were nearly struck by the same vehicle as Mercery sped away from them driving the car. Mercery then drove toward Freeman Drive, made a wide right turn, stopped, rolled down the window and fired three shots at the individuals, who took cover from the gunshots and were not struck. An Athens-Clarke County Police Department (ACCPD) officer spotted the Honda Accord being driven by Mercery on Commerce Road and attempted to pull him over. Mercery fled at a high rate of speed through a residential complex and then abandoned the car, running away. Officers found heroin and methamphetamine in the vehicle. The following day, the .40 caliber pistol confirmed by ballistics tests as having been used in the shooting was found along the route Mercery drove while fleeing apprehension, discarded in front of an apartment building on College Avenue with a round in the chamber and three bullets in the magazine.

FBI and ACCPD tracked Mercery to an apartment complex on Berlin Street and took him into custody on Oct. 26. Prior to his arrest, Mercery was armed with a pistol and was pacing inside the apartment, voicing displeasure that the police were outside the apartment. Mercery was taken into custody without incident. Agents found a loaded Glock .40 caliber pistol with an extended magazine and a laser sight inside the apartment. Mercery’s cell phone was also located inside the apartment; it had been broken and placed in a toilet.

Mercery has a lengthy criminal history which prohibits him from possessing a firearm, including prior felony convictions for hit and run, possession of cocaine and aggravated stalking. It is illegal for a convicted felon to possess a firearm.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities and measuring the results.

The case was investigated by the FBI Athens Middle Georgia Safe Streets Gang Task Force, Northeast Georgia Regional Drug Task Force and the Athens-Clarke County Police Department Gang Unit.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Mike Morrison is prosecuting the case.