Press Release
Convicted Repeat Felon Sentenced to Prison in Valdosta Shooting Case
For Immediate Release
U.S. Attorney's Office, Middle District of Georgia
Defendant Facing State Aggravated Assault Charges for Shooting Homeless Man Protecting Dog
VALDOSTA, Ga. – A Valdosta resident with a lengthy violent criminal history, convicted of illegally possessing a firearm, was sentenced to serve ten years in prison for his crime in a case involving the shooting of a homeless man protecting his animal from dog-fighting.
Aaron Lewis Green, Jr., 39, of Valdosta, was sentenced to serve 120 months in prison, the statutory maximum, to be followed by three years of supervised release by U.S. District Judge Hugh Lawson on Dec. 8, after he was found guilty of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon following a two-day trial in June. There is no parole in the federal system.
“Violent offenders in illegal possession of guns who terrorize our communities will face federal prosecution and lengthy prison sentences,” said U.S. Attorney Peter D. Leary. “Law enforcement at every level across the Middle District of Georgia are working together to hold repeat violent offenders accountable when they break the law.”
“Green’s lengthy violent criminal record and his complete disregard for not only the lives of innocent animals, but the lives of his fellow human beings landed him where he belongs, in federal prison,” said Chris Hacker, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “Thanks to the help from our partners at the Lowndes County Sheriff’s Office we were able to remove Green from the streets before he could terrorize anyone else, and now he has received a significant prison sentence where he will no longer be a threat in our community.”
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, in the early morning of April 29, 2018, several concerned citizens called 911 to report gunshots coming from Green’s residence on Sandy Run Drive. Green had earlier invited a homeless couple living in their truck with their Rottweiler to park at his home. When the couple came to his residence, Green made several requests to the man to allow the dogs to fight. At one point, Green directed his wife to let the couple’s Rottweiler out of the homeless couple’s vehicle. A heated argument ensued around 4:25 a.m. when the man refused Green’s insistence that the dogs fight. Green pulled a loaded pistol from his waistband and fired several shots at the man, striking him multiple times in his upper torso. Green threatened the victim’s girlfriend as she attempted to load the victim into their vehicle. Once the couple arrived at the hospital, the victim was rushed into surgery and treated for gunshot wounds. Officers arrested Green outside of a Valdosta church, where he was found lying on the ground. At the time of his arrest, Green was armed with a knife and a semi-automatic pistol with a round in the chamber. Green admitted that the weapon was the firearm he used to shoot the homeless man.
Green is currently facing a state aggravated assault charge for the attack; his charge is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. Green has multiple prior felony convictions in the Superior Court of Lowndes County, Georgia, including two aggravated assault convictions, a conviction for sale of cocaine and a conviction for terroristic threats.
This case is being prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, 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.
The case was investigated by FBI and Lowndes County Sheriff’s Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Sonja Profit prosecuted the case.
Updated December 9, 2021
Topics
Project Safe Neighborhoods
Firearms Offenses