Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr said that his office is committed to aggressively prosecuting violent gang activity anywhere in the state, pointing to the expansion of his Gang Prosecution Unit to Columbus as evidence of that ongoing commitment to public safety.
The issue gained attention after seven Columbus men already incarcerated at the Muscogee County Jail were indicted by a grand jury on March 24, 2026. The men allegedly carried out a coordinated gang attack on a fellow inmate the previous October, using fists, feet, makeshift shanks, and electronic messaging devices during the assault. The victim, reportedly a Gangster Disciples affiliate, suffered facial injuries and bone fractures as a result of the beating, according to a press release by Carr.
All seven defendants—Jaylen Paige, Amileus Thomas, Brandon Green, Camario Carter, Roannil Clanton, Quentez Thrasher, and Taron Brewer—are alleged members of the Goodfellas criminal street gang. Prosecutors say the attack was deliberately targeted at a rival gang member. Each faces charges including aggravated assault, aggravated battery, multiple violations of the Street Gang Terrorism and Prevention Act, unlawful violence in a penal facility, possession of prohibited items, and interference with government property. Thomas faces one additional gang count than the others. This information comes from a press release by Carr.
The case was built jointly by the Muscogee County Sheriff’s Office and Carr’s Gang Prosecution Unit. The unit has operated a regional office in Columbus since it was established statewide in 2022 with backing from Governor Brian Kemp. It has now secured more than 120 convictions across 19 Georgia counties—including five murder convictions and eight gang convictions in Columbus alone—with life sentences for three men involved in killing two teenagers. This is according to a press release by Carr.
Carr said: “Gang activity won’t be tolerated in this state, no matter where it’s found. Our message is clear – if you’re engaged in violent crime and putting lives at risk, we will not hesitate to prosecute you. This is exactly why we expanded our Gang Prosecution Unit to Columbus, and we’re fighting each day to keep Georgians safe.”
Chris Carr was appointed as Georgia’s attorney general by then-Governor Nathan Deal in 2016 and was re-elected in November 2022. Since taking office he has focused on addressing issues such as human trafficking, gang activity, and opioid misuse—including establishing the state’s first Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit and Gang Prosecution Unit—and previously served as Commissioner of the Georgia Department of Economic Development under Governor Deal from November 2013 to November 2016 according to Georgia.gov.
