An Eatonton man pled guilty in court last week to assorted charges, the most notable being violation of Georgia’s gang statute, according to Eatonton Police Chief Howell Cardwell. The man admitted to being a member of the Solid Street Family criminal gang in Eatonton, Cardwell said.
“As far as I know, it’s the first conviction under the gang statute of the SSF gang,” Assistant District Attorney Faith Worley said. “I’ve not prosecuted any of those before since I’ve been here.”
On Monday, Aug. 15, in Putnam County Superior Court, Aadericous Jamel Wright, 19, of Spring Street, Eatonton, entered a guilty plea to the charges of felony robbery by sudden snatching, felony aggravated assault, felony theft by receiving stolen property, and felony participation in criminal street gang activity, according to court documents.
Ocmulgee Judicial Circuit Superior Court Judge Alison T. Burleson sentenced Wright to 20 years, with the first three years to be served in confinement and the remainder on probation. He also was fined $2,000. And he was ordered to pay $21,000 restitution to the victim, to be paid jointly with two other codefendants pending their convictions.
The charges stem from an incident that took place between 6 and 8 p.m. Dec. 6, 2021, at Yarbrough Shop on Agnes Drive, Eatonton, in which Wright pointed a Glock 43 9mm semi-automatic pistol at a man and snatched cash from the victim’s pants pocket.
“The accused, being associated with Solid Street Family (also known as SSF), a criminal street gang, (pointed) a pistol, a dangerous weapon, at the person with the intent to maintain his status in said gang,” court documents reveal. Solid Street Family is a local gang with no affiliation to the Bloods, Crypts, Folk, or other national criminal street gangs, according to Cardwell and Putnam County Sheriff Howard Sills. The gang is said to be associated with rap music or dancing. Both lawmen said they and the district attorney are committed to minimizing any gang activity in the local community and have been monitoring all activity that resembles or suggests such.
“You can rest assured that we will do all in our power to keep foolishness like that out of Putnam County,” Sills said. “I and Chief Howell Cardwell and District Attorney Wright Barksdale have a firm commitment that anybody who purports to be associated with a gang will be prosecuted more aggressively and will serve the full brunt of the sentence allowed by law.”
Wright also pled guilty Monday to other charges from a prior arrest, including criminal trespass, terroristic threats and acts, and obstruction of law enforcement officers. In October 2020 and February 2021, Wright went inside the Shell Mart Express on Sumter Street in Eatonton, a place where he had been served papers to stay off the property, and threatened to murder a man by telling him he’d put a bullet through his head. He fled from law enforcement officers while they were attempting to arrest him.
“So, on Monday he pled to both of those cases,” Worley explained. “It was the first time he’s been charged with felonies as an adult, and normally we don’t throw the book at them so young; but given the fact that he is a known member of a gang and there was a gun involved, then he was sentenced to 20 years.”
The gang statute felony means additional restrictions to Wright’s probation conditions, Worley said. The traditional conditions include he must not possess a firearm of any sort; must submit to searches of his person, residence, vehicle or effects at any time of day or night without a search warrant; will submit to substance abuse analysis; shall obtain a high school diploma, GED or training certificate; shall abide by a curfew; and shall avoid alcohol and drug use. The gang status conviction adds that he shall not associate with any gang member; shall not possess, wear or display any clothing, insignia, tattoo, button, badge, cap, scarf, banana, jacket, or clothing associated with gang affiliation; shall not be in any area related to gang activity; shall not be at any school campus unless enrolled in the school; shall refrain from using social media for communicating with gang members and shall give law enforcement officers the passwords to his social media accounts.