South Georgia Resident Pleads Guilty to Illegally Possessing Firearms

ALBANY, Ga. – A Bainbridge, Georgia, resident with a criminal history pleaded guilty to illegally possessing multiple firearms after he was arrested on gun charges during an on-going death investigation.

Derius Raoule Green, 32, of Bainbridge, Georgia, pleaded guilty to illegal possession of a firearm by a convicted felon today before U.S. District Judge Leslie A. Gardner. Green faces a maximum of ten years in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release and a maximum $250,000 fine. Sentencing is expected to occur within 90 days. There is no parole in the federal system.

“The safety of our citizens is at risk when violent, repeat offenders pick up a gun,” said U.S. Attorney Peter D. Leary. “In collaboration with our law enforcement partners, we will continue to use every resource available to make our communities more secure."

“Convicted felons cannot possess guns and will face serious consequences for having them,” said Special Agent in Charge Beau Kolodka. “Today’s guilty plea ensures that Derius Green is removed from the community for a long time, where he will not be able to harm others.”

According to court documents, Decatur County Sheriff’s Office (DCSO) deputies found a deceased male with two gunshot wounds on Aug. 30. 2021, and that the victim may have been in a recent feud with Green. Green was wanted on three outstanding warrants. Deputies executed a search warrant at Green’s Bainbridge property, finding a shotgun, a .22 caliber rifle and ammunition. On Sept. 2, 2021, Green was located and taken into custody in Port Saint Joe, Florida. Green told officers that the gun-shot victim owed him money for an AR-15 rifle. Green is not facing criminal charges in that local investigation.

Green has prior felony convictions to include interference with government property and reckless conduct and possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute in Decatur County, Georgia, Superior Court. It is illegal for a convicted felon to possess a firearm.

The case was investigated by the Decatur County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF).

Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Redavid is prosecuting the case for the government.