Macon Probationer with Violent Criminal Record, Girlfriend Plead Guilty in “Lying and Buying” Gun Case

MACON, Ga. – A Macon man who was arrested with a loaded firearm purchased for him by his girlfriend soon after he was released from prison for aggravated assault pleaded guilty to a federal firearms charge today.

Logan Riley Nettles aka Carrot Top, 23, of Macon, pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm by a person under a felony indictment before U.S. District Judge Marc Treadwell on Thursday, Dec. 16. Nettles faces a maximum ten years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Sentencing is scheduled for March 9, 2022. Co-defendant Ansley Nicole Hunt, 22, of Savannah, Georgia, pleaded guilty to making false statements on Nov. 4, and is facing a maximum five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Hunt’s sentencing is scheduled for Jan. 12, 2022. There is no parole in the federal system.

“Individuals with violent criminal histories who con their way into illegal possession of firearms face the possibility of federal prosecution,” said U.S. Attorney Peter D. Leary. “Furthermore, lying in order to buy a firearm for a prohibited prison is a federal offense that carries serious penalties.”

According to court documents, ATF was conducting undercover surveillance in Macon in May as part of Operation United Front when they spotted Nettles, who had been released from prison on March 8 and was serving probation. Nettles, who was wearing a blue backpack, got into Hunt’s car. Officers stopped Nettles and conducted a search pursuant to his probation. Inside Nettle’s backpack was a 9mm handgun with a loaded, extended 30-round magazine. Although Nettles told officers Hunt had “nothing to do with it,” Hunt asserted that the weapon was hers. Hunt later admitted that she purchased the gun for Nettles and Nettles admitted he was with her when she bought the gun. In addition, when Hunt bought the firearm for Nettles, she made false statements on the ATF Form 4473 she signed at the time of purchase, knowing the firearm was for Nettles, a prohibited person. Nettles was convicted of aggravated assault and gang activity in the Superior Court of Bibb County, Georgia, in 2019.

Operation United Front is an ongoing ATF-led investigation into illegal gun possession and drug distribution centered in the Macon, Georgia, community using data gathered from the National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN). Agents used NIBIN data to plot shooting incidents in the Macon area on a map. When areas of high density relating to these shootings were identified, confidential informants and undercover agents were directed to these areas of criminal activity. NIBIN is the only national network that allows for the capture and comparison of ballistic

evidence to aid in solving and preventing violent crimes involving firearms. NIBIN is a proven investigative and intelligence tool that can link firearms from multiple crime scenes, allowing law enforcement to quickly disrupt shooting cycles. For more information on NIBIN, visit https://www.atf.gov/firearms/national-integrated-ballistic-information-network-nibin.

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 the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF).

Assistant U.S. Attorney Joy Odom is prosecuting the case for the Government.