SAVANNAH, Ga. (WSAV) – Four defendants from the area were recently sentenced on federal charges, including illegal firearms possession.

Meanwhile, four others were named in federal indictments this month as a part of Project Safe Neighborhoods, a nationwide program that aims to address the most violent crime problems in a community.

“Our aggressive stance toward those who illegally possess firearms is a key part of our effort to reduce violent crime in the Southern District,” said David Estes, U.S. attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. “Identifying and removing illegally possessed guns from our streets automatically makes our communities safer.” 

Earlier this month, Davonta Johnson, 31, of Hinesville was formally charged with possession with intent to distribute cocaine, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime and possession of a firearm by a prohibited person.

Melvin Lanier, 42, of Statesboro; Jeffrey Haynes, 30, of Savannah; and Johnathan Heyward, 28, of Savannah were each indicted this month for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.

According to the local U.S. district attorney’s office, the following defendants were recently adjudicated on federal firearms charges:

• Derek Hayes, 51, of Savannah, was sentenced to 120 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release after pleading guilty to possession of stolen firearms. Savannah Police officers arrested Hayes after finding two pistols in his vehicle during an October 2020 traffic stop and later determined the pistols had been stolen. Hayes has a 20-year history of arrests and convictions for violent crimes.
• Larry Bennett Jr., 25, of Savannah, was sentenced to 44 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release after pleading guilty to possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Savannah Police officers arrested Bennett in January 2020 when they found him in possession of two pistols during a traffic stop.
• Asim Simmons Jr., 22, of Savannah, was sentenced to 30 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release after pleading guilty to possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Savannah Police officers arrested Simmons in January 2021 after a traffic stop when they found him in possession of a loaded pistol. At the time of his arrest, Simmons was on parole from a prior conviction for robbery.
• Timothy Mario Mitchell, 24, of Savannah, was sentenced to 46 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release after pleading guilty to possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Savannah Police officers arrested Mitchell in August 2020 after a brief chase when a pistol fell from the waistband of Mitchell’s shorts.   

Officials said in the past four years, more than 755 defendants have been charged with illegal gun offenses in the Southern District of Georgia.