January 11, 2024

District Attorney Keith Higgins announces that Shamya Burkes, 18, Michelle Alexander, 18, and Chezney Herndon, 20, all of Brunswick, entered negotiated guilty pleas to Armed Robbery. Two other co-defendants, Shalamar Burkes, 20, and Zaire Bue, 22, also of Brunswick, had previously entered negotiated guilty pleas to Armed Robbery in this case. All pleas were made in Glynn County Superior Court before Judge Stehen D. Kelley. A sixth co-defendant in the case is the only one remaining to be resolved.

The facts of this case would show that on January 19, 2022, just prior to 5am, Glynn County Police responded to an armed robbery call at the Circle K gas station at 4041 Community Road in Brunswick. There they met with the clerk who said three individuals entered the store dressed in dark clothing with masks. One, a male, pointed a handgun at her while a female, took $35 from the cash register. The third individual stood at the door and directed them to also go into the safe and to take the clerk’s phone. However, the safe was inaccessible and the clerk’s phone was not taken. All of this was captured on store security video.

Police recovered surveillance video from a nearby car wash that showed a white Ford Fusion parked for several minutes prior to the armed robbery. The front seat passenger could be seen putting on blue latex gloves similar to the ones worn by the female who took the money from the cash register. Police were able to trace the vehicle registration to the mother of Michelle Alexander. Through quick investigative work, six defendants were identified and arrested within a day. All six confessed to their roles in the armed robbery. Shalamar Burkes was the gunman. His sister Shamya was the one who took the money from the cash register. Zaire Bue was the person standing at the doorway acting as a lookout and directing them to go into the safe and take the clerk’s phone. Chezney Herndon had been in the store earlier just prior to the armed robbery to “case it out” and report how many people were working. Michelle Alexander was the getaway driver who dropped everyone off in a neighborhood near the Circle K and waited for their return.

The sixth co-defendant was the one who came up with the idea for the armed robbery, assigned everyone their roles and provided the handgun to Shalamar Burkes. That co-defendant was also supposed to go into the Circle K, however backed out at the last minute, and waited for them outside the store. Some of the clothing, masks and gloves that were used were later recovered in some bushes at Azalea Place Apartments and on Old Cypress Mill Road. Also recovered was the $35 taken from Circle K which had accidentally been left in the discarded clothing. Police also later recovered the handgun that was used.

Shamaya Burkes and Michelle Alexander, who were 16 years old at the time of the armed robbery, were prosecuted as adults because of the armed robbery charge. They were each sentenced to 7 years in prison to be followed by 8 years on probation. Chezney Herndon was sentenced to 9 years in prison followed by 11 years on probation. Zaire Bue was previously sentenced to 10 years in prison followed by 10 years on probation. Sentencing for Shalamar Burkes has been deferred until the conclusion of all the cases. All of the prison sentences have to be served in full with no parole.

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

January 11, 2024

District Attorney Keith Higgins announces that Jaden Darby, 20, Isaiah Miller, 19 and Michael Holland, 19, all from Brunswick, entered non-negotiated guilty pleas on Monday, January 8th, to two counts of Aggravated Assault and one count of Criminal Damage to Property in the First Degree. Jaden Darby also pled to an additional count of Possession of a Firearm During the Commission of a Felony. The pleas were entered just prior to jury selection in their criminal trials in Glynn County Superior Court.

The facts of the case would show that shortly after 9pm on November 3, 2021, the Glynn County Police Department responded to a shots fired call at a residence on Atlantic Avenue in Brunswick. The police investigation revealed that earlier that evening, the homeowner’s two daughters had been out driving with Michael Holland (who was the boyfriend of one of the girls) and a juvenile male who was also later charged in the case.

After returning to the house, one of the girls got out of Holland’s vehicle. Holland and the juvenile co-defendant saw a male who they believed was someone they had a prior issue with. Holland fired what he would call a “warning shot” from the vehicle which was apparently not heard by the male.

Holland, Holland’s girlfriend, and the juvenile co-defendant then drove to Brooklyn Homes to get Jaden Darby and Isaiah Miller to go back to the residence on Atlantic Avenue. Additional weapons were gathered and all four males along with Holland’s girlfriend, got in Miller’s vehicle. They then drove to Atlantic Avenue where Holland’s girlfriend got out of the vehicle and went into the residence. Her sister and the male, who the defendants had a dispute with, started to go towards the residence when Darby pointed a gun out of the vehicle and fired multiple shots, causing both to have to dive for cover. No persons were struck, but bullets went through the residence.

The victims were able to identify Darby as the shooter. Holland and the juvenile co-defendant confessed to their roles and implicated the other defendants.

Sentencing as to all three defendants has been deferred to a later date while a pre-sentence investigation is conducted by probation. The juvenile co-defendant was prosecuted in Juvenile Court after the District Attorney’s motion to have his case transferred to Superior Court to have him prosecuted as an adult was denied in Juvenile Court.

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

January 9, 2024

Pictured from left: Judge Stephen G. Scarlett, Sr., DA Keith Higgins, ADA Cameron Atwood, Cynthia Atwood (Mother of ADA Atwood) and Alex Atwood (Father of ADA Atwood and Former State Legislator and Retired Judge).

District Attorney Keith Higgins welcomes Assistant District Attorney (ADA) Harold “Hal” Ronald Moroz and ADA Cameron David Alexander Atwood to the prosecutorial staff of the Camden County office for the Brunswick Judicial Circuit.

ADA Moroz brings almost 30 years of legal experience and a wealth of life experience to the Camden office, having received his Juris Doctorate from the University of the District of Columbia School of Law in Washington, DC in 1995. ADA Moroz has prosecuted numerous murders and serious violent felonies in the Dougherty Judicial Circuit prior to moving to the Brunswick Circuit and has also served as a Chief Judge in the Municipal Court for the City of St Marys and as a Magistrate Judge for Camden County. ADA Moroz served as a staff attorney for the Probate Court of Gwinnett County and as a campus Vice President and Academic Dean at Florida Metropolitan University. ADA Moroz retired from the U.S. Army in 2002 as an Airborne Infantry Officer.

ADA Atwood received a LLM (Master of Laws) degree from the University of Florida, Levin College of Law in 2023 and his Juris Doctorate from Mercer University School of Law in 2022. ADA Atwood received his bachelor’s degree in history from Berry College in 2019 and has worked with various internship and legal clerk programs in both the federal and private sector.

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