January 23, 2023

District Attorney Keith Higgins announces that John Michael Alba, 29, of Waverly, pled guilty to the crimes of Kidnapping a Child under the Age of Fourteen Years, Theft by Taking a Motor Vehicle and Obstruction of an Officer, pursuant to a non-negotiated guilty plea entered in Glynn County Superior Court in 2022. Sentencing in this case was deferred until January 23, 2023.

The charges stem from an incident that occurred on June 16, 2021, when a woman parked her car at the Friendly Express at Highway 82 and Blythe Island Hwy, and ran into the store for a few minutes. She had left her two year old child inside. Store video showed that Alba rode up to the store on his bike, got in the vehicle and drove off with the child still inside. A search by police began and the stolen vehicle was spotted by Camden County deputies on Highway 17. A vehicle chase ensued and the defendant ended up wrecking the vehicle in a ditch. The child was uninjured. While attempting to detain the defendant, he bit one of the officers before he was tased and handcuffed and taken into custody. When questioned by police, Alba admitted taking the vehicle but denied knowing the child was inside. It was 43 minutes between the time the defendant took the vehicle and child, and the time they were recovered.

Alba appeared before Judge Stephen G. Scarlett, Sr. in Glynn County Superior Court on January 23, 2023, and was sentenced to 15 years in prison followed by probation for life. Under Georgia law, Alba will have to serve every day of the 15 year prison sentence.

Members of the media with further questions may contact the Brunswick Judicial Circuit District Attorney’s Office at 912-554-7200.

January 17, 2023

District Attorney Keith Higgins announces that Bruce Christopher Stephens, 29, of Brunswick, was found guilty of Aggravated Assault, Possession of a Firearm during Commission of a Felony and Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon, following a criminal jury trial that took place on January 12-13, 2023 in Glynn County Superior Court.

The evidence presented at trial showed that on the evening of July 29, 2021, a fight broke out between three females in the front yard of 3608 Burroughs Avenue, in Brunswick. The fight was over a man that one of the women was dating and another had previously been involved with. During the course of the altercation, the victim, Justavian Lavar Simmons, 23, who lived across the street, along with members of his family and other neighbors, stepped outside to watch. Justavian began to film the fight on his phone, but also tried to break it up. It was then that defendant, the brother of one of the participants in the fight, stepped outside and fired four shots from a 9mm handgun. As everyone fled, Justavian was hit in the stomach and suffered devastating injuries. He was airlifted to UF Shands and had to have his intestines removed. He has spent most of his days since that night in hospitals. His only hope is to receive an intestinal transplant. Because he is still in a hospital and unable to leave, Justavian did not testify; however, the video of the fight was shown at trial. While it did not show the defendant shooting, it does capture the sound of the gunshots and the phone falling to the ground as Justavian ran.

When interviewed by Glynn County police, who investigated the shooting, the defendant denied shooting a gun that night and said he arrived on scene after the shots were fired. During trial, however, the defendant testified that he in fact shot because his sister was being attacked. On cross examination, the defendant acknowledged that he only took two seconds to assess the situation before opening fire. He also testified that the first two shots were warning shots to break up the fight and that the second two were to get people off of his property. He agreed that after the first two shots, Justavian, who he wrongly believed was involved in the fight, was running away and must have crossed into the path of the bullets. The defendant, a convicted felon, could not explain how he came into possession of the handgun.

According to Chief Assistant District Attorney Nigel Lush, who prosecuted the case at trial, “The facts of this case are particularly tragic. Justavian was in the wrong place at the wrong time. While one can understand the defendant wanting to defend his sister, his actions were completely unreasonable and the force used excessive. You can’t bring a gun to a fist fight. The defendant took no time to assess the situation before opening fire. It wasn’t a matter of life and death for his sister. Our prayers are with Justavian, his child and the rest of his family that he can get the intestinal transplant he needs.”

The jury trial was presided over by Judge Stephen D. Kelley, and sentencing will be scheduled for a later date. Stephens faces a maximum sentence of 35 years in prison.

Members of the media with further questions may contact the Brunswick Judicial Circuit District Attorney’s Office at 912-554-7200.

January 12, 2023

On January 11, 2023, the Camden County Grand Jury returned a True Bill of Indictment against Camden County Sheriff’s Deputy Christine Newman for the offenses of Aggravated Assault, Simple Battery, Making a False Statement and three counts of Violation of Oath by Public Officer. The charges stem from a traffic stop of Ms. Charis Faria by Deputy Newman on January 16, 2022.

On September 6, 2022, Brunswick Judicial Circuit District Attorney Keith Higgins requested the Georgia Bureau of Investigation conduct an investigation into the allegations after the District Attorney’s Office became aware of the incident. The results of the investigation were turned over to the District Attorney’s Office for review, and the case was presented to the Camden County Grand Jury on January 11, 2023.

Following the unsealing of the indictment, a first arrest bench warrant was obtained for Deputy Newman, and she turned herself in to the Camden County Jail. A bond in the amount of $10,000 was set by agreement of the District Attorney’s Office.

DA Higgins stated “I take allegations of public misconduct seriously, which is why the GBI was called in to investigate these allegations. Upon review of the completed investigation, I determined that charges needed to be brought before the Grand Jury.”

Aggravated Assault is a felony with a possible punishment of 1 to 20 years in prison. Simple Battery is a misdemeanor with a possible punishment of up to 12 months in jail. Making a False Statement is a felony with a possible punishment of 1 to 5 years in prison. Violation of Oath by Public Officer is a felony with a possible punishment of 1 to 5 years in prison.

Members of the media with further questions may contact the Brunswick Judicial Circuit District Attorney’s Office at 912-554-7200.

December 22, 2022

District Attorney Keith Higgins announces that Maria Miranda Alas, 29, of Kingsland, was found guilty of Involuntary Manslaughter and Aggravated Battery (Family Violence) in a criminal jury trial that took place from December 12-15, 2022 in Camden County Superior Court.

The charges followed the death of Alas’ five-year old son in July 2019. At that time, the five-year old was taken to the Camden Medical Center by Alas who initially reported that the child had drowned. Medical providers, however, quickly determined that the child was not a drowning victim, and was instead suffering from multiple blunt force injuries as the five-year old had a lot of blood in his stomach, consistent with internal bleeding. Due to the severity of the injuries, the child was transported to Wolfson Children’s Hospital in Jacksonville, FL, where he succumbed to his injuries during treatment.

Following his death, the medical examiner determined that the cause of death was multiple traumatic injuries, including a fractured skull, fractured ribs and abrasions and bruises over most of his body.

Evidence presented during trial included multiple statements made by Alas to law enforcement, which at the trial she stated she had lied about. Alas made a statement to law enforcement in July 2019, where she admitted she caused the death of her child but professed it was accidental. During trial, Alas testified that the statement she made in July 2019 should not be believed because it was fictional; however, the medical examiner testified that the July 2019 statement by Alas was consistent with the child’s cause of death.

According to Camden Deputy Chief Assistant District Attorney Robert German, who prosecuted the case at trial, “Any time someone dies it is a tragedy for a family. For a child to die in such a traumatic way at the hands of a parent is especially tragic, and our prayers go out to the family members.” The jury trial was presided over by Judge Stephen D. Kelley, and sentencing will be scheduled for some time in early 2023. The jury also found Alas not guilty of the remaining charges of Felony Murder, Murder in the Second Degree, Cruelty to Children in the First Degree and Cruelty to Children in the Second Degree. Alas’ co-defendant, Max Mejia Meza, 27, also of Kingsland, accepted a negotiated guilty plea of five years to serve three, to a felony charge of Making a False Statement.

Members of the media with further questions may contact the Brunswick Judicial Circuit District Attorney’s Office at 912-554-7200.

November 14, 2022

Today, the District Attorney’s Office for the Brunswick Judicial Circuit announced the dismissal of various criminal charges, including felony Homicide by Vehicle charge, against Connie Calhoun, 48, of Brunswick, relating to the death of Joseph Wrice, Sr., 62, of Brunswick, on July 30, 2020. In addition to the Homicide by Vehicle in the First Degree charge, Calhoun was initially charged with Hit and Run, Failure of Driver to Stop at or Return to the Scene of an Accident, Reckless Driving, Following Too Closely, Improper Passing on the Right, Speeding and Failure to Maintain Lane.

The charges stem from a vehicular accident that occurred on July 30, 2020, at approximately 7:43 a.m., when a vehicle operated by Calhoun, was driving east on a sidewalk along the FJ Torras Causeway at a high rate of speed. The vehicle first struck the passenger side of a Hyundai Sonata, and left the scene without stopping. As Calhoun continued east on the causeway, her vehicle then hit the rear of a Chevy Silverado, driven by Wrice. Due to this collision, Wrice lost control, left the roadway on the south shoulder and struck a tree. After impact, Calhoun lost control of her vehicle and traveled onto the south shoulder and struck a palm tree before coming to a final rest. Wrice died at the scene.

The accident was investigated by the Georgia State Patrol Specialized Collision Reconstruction Team, and Calhoun was arrested in August 2020. Follow-up investigation, which included interviews, review of medical records and a consultation with a board-certified neurologist who is treating Calhoun, has determined that Calhoun’s manner of driving was the result of an undiagnosed medical condition, specifically a seizure disorder, which was discovered in the months after the accident. Medical testing and law enforcement observation at the time of the accident confirmed that Calhoun was not impaired by drugs or alcohol.

In deciding to dismiss the charges against Calhoun, District Attorney Keith Higgins stated, “It is the burden of the state in any prosecution to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the accused acted with criminal intent. In this case, the accused was suffering from an undiagnosed medical condition at the time of the accident. Calhoun’s medical condition shows that her manner of driving was not due to any criminal intent. While the death of Mr. Wrice is especially tragic, the evidence does not permit a criminal prosecution of Calhoun.”

Members of the media with further questions may contact the Brunswick Judicial Circuit District Attorney’s Office at 912-554-7200.

November 1, 2022

District Attorney Keith Higgins announces that Israel Sanchez, 38, a citizen of Guatemala, pled guilty to charges of Rape and Child Molestation pursuant to a negotiated guilty plea entered in Glynn County Superior Court on October 31, 2022.

The charges stem from an incident that occurred on October 24, 2020, when Sanchez went to the Brunswick home of the 15-year old victim, who was home alone at the time. Sanchez had previously done repair work at the home and the victim assumed he was there to do some work as he had his tools with him. The victim let him into the home and then went into her bedroom. Shortly thereafter, Sanchez entered her bedroom uninvited, forcibly took off her pants and raped her. The defendant left the home immediately after.

Following the incident, Sanchez left Georgia and attempted to flee the United States, but was apprehended in Texas by the United States Marshal’s Service. The investigation was conducted by the Glynn County Police Department and prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney David Rhoden. Sanchez admitted to the rape and child molestation in Glynn County Superior Court on October 31, 2022, and was sentenced by Judge Roger B. Lane to 25 years in prison for the Rape, and 20 years to serve 19 years in prison for the Child Molestation to run concurrent with the Rape sentence. Sanchez will also be required to register as a sex offender.

Members of the media with further questions may contact the Brunswick Judicial Circuit District Attorney’s Office at 912-554-7200.

November 1, 2022

District Attorney Keith Higgins announces that Allen Parker, 40, pled guilty to three counts of Armed Robbery pursuant to a non-negotiated guilty plea entered in Glynn County Superior Court on May 23, 2022, with sentencing deferred until October 28, 2022.

The charges stem from incidents that occurred on January 16, 2020, when Parker entered First Franklin Financial on Altama Extension in Brunswick at approximately 10:00 a.m. and, while wielding a handgun, took money from two employees in the business. At approximately 11:00 a.m. on the same day, Parker entered the 5 Star Credit Union on Altama Avenue and, while displaying a handgun, robbed a teller. Parker, a native of Michigan, was a fugitive with outstanding criminal warrants at the time he committed these offenses in Brunswick. The investigation into the armed robberies was conducted jointly by the Brunswick Police Department and the Glynn County Police Department, and was prosecuted by Deputy Chief Assistant District Attorney Elizabeth Presley.

Parker, who plead guilty to the three counts of Armed Robbery in May 2022, requested a pre-sentence investigation be conducted prior to sentencing. Parker appeared before Judge Roger B. Lane in Glynn County Superior Court on October 28, 2022, and was sentenced to life with the possibility of parole on each of the three counts, to run concurrently with each other. Parker will not be eligible to be considered for parole until after the service of 30 years in prison.

Members of the media with further questions may contact the Brunswick Judicial Circuit District Attorney’s Office at 912-554-7200.

October 20, 2022

The Brunswick Judicial Circuit District Attorney’s Office has been awarded a $100,000 sub grant by the State of Georgia that is funded from the federal FY2021 State Homeland Security Program, to assist in confronting violent criminal street gangs that prey on our communities.

According to data pulled from the Georgia Attorney General’s Office website, nearly half of all violent crimes committed in America are gang-related. Gang-member recruitment in Georgia is on the rise with approximately 71,000 validated gang affiliates and over 1,500 suspected gang networks across the state. A 2018 survey conducted by the Georgia Gang Investigators Association reported a rise in gang activity in 157 Georgia counties, with 155 Georgia school districts also reporting suspected gang activity. In 2021 alone, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation’s Gang Task Force investigated 446 gang-related cases across 100 Georgia counties and charged more than 170 gang members. A more concerning trend is the use of social media by criminals as a recruitment tool to specifically target a younger audience. Within the Brunswick Judicial Circuit, law enforcement reports indicate that approximately 50% of the individuals involved in crimes are either associated with, or are actual members of gangs.

The grant received by the District Attorney’s Office will be utilized to fund access to Formulytics, an investigative case file system that assists government agencies in prosecuting organizations that perpetrate violent criminal actions against their communities. This cloud-based platform helps investigators collaborate across jurisdictional boundaries and organizes complex evidence and investigations around the unique requirements of group based prosecutions and Georgia’s Gang Statute. Investigators will be able to address the organized structure of criminal gangs and view them in a bigger picture, rather than investigating gang-related crimes as individual incidents. The gang investigations will exist in an active file tool that tracks gang activity over time, and includes information on gang history, identifiers and members. Past investigative methods relied on investigators having to manually search large paper files or talk with investigators from other agencies known to be working similar cases in order to identify potential investigative links. The Formulytics platform will be available to our law enforcement partners and will allow them to collaborate more easily, as the system will automatically alert investigators of links between complex criminal investigations.

This collaborative District Attorney’s Office – law enforcement initiative, includes participation from all of the sheriff’s offices and police departments within the five counties that comprise the Brunswick Judicial Circuit (Appling, Camden, Glynn, Jeff Davis and Wayne) as well as the regional Georgia Bureau of Investigation, Georgia State Patrol, Georgia Port Authority Police, Department of Natural Resources, Board of Education and College of Coastal Georgia Police. Following a training session held on October 17, 2022, Brunswick Judicial Circuit District Attorney Keith Higgins stated, “The collaborative use of this investigative and intelligence-sharing platform by our law enforcement partners will ultimately improve prosecution of gang-related crimes in the Brunswick Judicial Circuit. I am grateful to Governor Brian Kemp and Harlan Proveaux of the Georgia Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency, who awarded the sub grant that makes all of this possible.”

For more information about the Brunswick District Attorney’s Office, visit the new DAO website at www.brunswickda.org.

September 23, 2022

District Attorney Keith Higgins announces that Ricky Darrell Morrow, 58, of Brunswick, was found guilty of Felony Murder, Aggravated Assault and Possession of a Firearm During Commission of a Felony following a criminal jury trial that began on September 19, 2022, in Glynn County Superior Court.

On the night of Monday, September 27, 2021, the victim, Michael Allen Propes, 23, of Waycross, GA, and a friend were at the home of Ricky Darrell Morrow on Blythe Island in Glynn County. Morrow, who knew Propes, had invited Propes and his friend to his home to socialize. They were there for about an hour when Morrow indicated to Propes that he was ready to do a shot of methamphetamine which Propes had apparently bought earlier with $100 that Morrow had given him. All three were methamphetamine addicts. Morrow gave Propes’ friend a syringe to prepare a shot of methamphetamine for himself. Morrow then became upset that there should be more methamphetamine than what Propes produced. Propes insisted that was it and he had not shortchanged Morrow. Morrow then walked to another room and returned with a revolver. He again questioned Propes about the quantity of drugs, saying “don’t do me like this.” He then shot Propes in the back one time. The bullet struck Propes in the heart and a lung and he died on scene soon afterwards.

Morrow told Propes’ friend and responding officers that it was an accident and he didn’t mean to shoot Propes; but he never explained how it was an accident. Morrow refused to make a statement to the investigators from the Glynn County Police Department, and he declined to testify at trial.

In his closing argument, Chief Assistant District Attorney Nigel Lush told the jury that this was another example of the tragedy of drug addiction and how guns and drugs don’t mix. “Propes paid the ultimate price for his addiction and Morrow needed to be held responsible for his.” The jury deliberated for 2 hours before returning the guilty verdicts.

Following the jury verdict on September 21, 2022, Superior Court Judge Roger B. Lane sentenced Morrow to life in prison with the possibility of parole plus an additional 5 years in prison for the gun charge. In Georgia, life with the possibility of parole means a person must serve 30 years before becoming eligible for parole. As such, Morrow will be 87 years old when he becomes eligible.

Members of the media with further questions may contact the Brunswick Judicial Circuit District Attorney’s Office at 912-554-7200

September 16, 2022

District Attorney Keith Higgins announces that LaBaron King, 18, from Brunswick, pled guilty to Aggravated Assault, Possession of a Firearm During Commission of a Felony, Possession of a Handgun by a Person Under the Age of 18 years and Theft by Receiving a Firearm. The non-negotiated guilty plea was entered in Glynn County Superior Court on April 8, 2022 with sentencing delayed until September 16, 2022.

The charges stem from an incident that occurred at approximately 9:30pm on June 6, 2021, when the victim, Jose Gonzalez Jr, 20, also from Brunswick, was walking near the 2900 block of MLK Blvd and talking on his phone with his girlfriend. Gonzalez saw the defendant, King, walking nearby and the two exchanged words as Gonzalez’ girlfriend had previously dated King. King then drew a handgun and started shooting at Gonzalez, who was hit in the hip and fell to the ground. As King fled, Gonzalez drew his gun and returned fire, but King was not hit. The next day, King was located at his grandmother’s house, but he fled from police and threw the handgun in some bushes before he was caught. Police recovered the handgun, which had previously been reported as stolen from a vehicle in Brunswick.

At the time of the offense, King was 16 years of age. Under Georgia law, a person under the age of 17 years of age is considered a juvenile for prosecution purposes, and he was initially charged as such. Subsequently, the District Attorney’s Office successfully argued in Juvenile Court to have the case transferred to Superior Court so that Mr. King could be prosecuted as an adult. According to District Attorney Keith Higgins, “A teenager who uses a firearm to commit a violent crime should be held fully responsible for their actions by being prosecuted as an adult in Superior Court. The harm caused by the violence is the same regardless of their age. The consequences should be the same.”

King was sentenced on September 16, 2022 in Glynn County Superior Court by Judge Stephen D. Kelley to 15 years in prison followed by 15 years on probation.

Members of the media with further questions may contact the Brunswick Judicial Circuit District Attorney’s Office at 912-554-7200.