U.S. Attorney, Law Enforcement Stand with Crimestoppers, Announce New Top 15 most Wanted Fugitives in the Macon Region

MACON, Ga. – Federal, state and local law enforcement partners stood with Macon Regional Crimestoppers leadership this morning to announce a new list of the Top 15 Most Wanted fugitives, said Charlie Peeler, the U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Georgia. In February 2019, the U.S. Attorney’s Office made a public commitment with Macon Regional Crimestoppers to release a quarterly list throughout 2019 of the Most Wanted violent offenders. Macon Regional Crimestoppers, a community-run organization dedicated to increasing the safety of citizens, has provided rewards up to $1,000 for tips leading to the arrest of the Most Wanted fugitives. 41 of the 45 Top 15 Most Wanted fugitives in 2019 have been arrested. The new list of fugitives are wanted for violent crimes in Baldwin, Bibb, Crawford, Houston, Jones, Monroe and Peach counties, including aggravated assault, armed robbery and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.  All individuals charged with a crime are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of competent jurisdiction. 

“Removing dangerous criminals from the streets is a major priority of law enforcement, and we are proud to stand with Macon Regional Crimestoppers to ask citizens to be on the look-out for these wanted fugitives and to report their whereabouts to authorities,” said Charlie Peeler, the U.S. Attorney. “Creating safer communities is a joint effort, and we are fortunate to have the dedicated partnership of law enforcement and citizens.” 

“Crimestoppers is excited about our continued partnership with the U.S. Attorney’s Office and all of our Law Enforcement Partners,” said Warren Selby, Jr., Chairman of Macon Regional Crimestoppers. “Gun crimes continue to plague our community. We are committed to keeping our community safe and need the help of our citizens. Please ‘Make the Call.’”

For a complete list of the Top 15 Most Wanted, and more information about Crimestoppers, visit www.crimestop.us. Macon Regional Crimestoppers is a local non-profit serving Bibb, Baldwin, Houston, Jones, Twiggs, Crawford, Monroe, and Peach counties. The organization partners with law enforcement agencies and community groups to provide anonymous rewards for tips that lead to criminal arrests. Citizens can safely and anonymously report tips at 1-877-68CRIME.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office partnership with Macon Regional Crimestoppers is a 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.

The partnership 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.