A Savannah man has been sentenced to nearly 50 years in federal prison after being convicted on multiple charges related to drug trafficking, firearms offenses, and jury tampering.
Malik Javier McKenzie, 27, was found guilty following a two-day trial in U.S. District Court of possessing controlled substances with intent to distribute, possessing a machinegun in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. According to Tara M. Lyons, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia, during the trial McKenzie attempted to contact a juror through an intermediary and offered payment for a not guilty verdict. The attempt was discovered before any contact was made with the juror.
After his conviction and an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), McKenzie pleaded guilty to obstruction of justice by endeavoring to influence a juror.
On July 22, 2025, Chief Judge R. Stan Baker sentenced McKenzie to serve 595 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release. The sentences for both cases will run concurrently but are consecutive to other sentences McKenzie is already serving: 71 months for an earlier drug trafficking conviction and 18 months for violating supervised release terms from a prior federal conviction in 2019. Federal sentences do not allow parole.
“Malik McKenzie is a repeat offender who refuses to learn from his past mistakes,” said FBI Atlanta Special Agent in Charge Paul Brown. “This time, he tried to undermine our entire judicial system by attempting to bribe a juror in his trial. We are thankful for our federal and local partners for stopping this attempt and helping put this criminal behind bars for the next 49 plus years.”
“Guns, drugs, and violence are unfortunately all too common tools of the drug traffickers operating in our communities,” said Jae W. Chung, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Division. “Today’s announcement demonstrates DEA’s emphatic commitment to attacking the drug dealers responsible for the devastation.”
“This case exemplifies the importance of collaboration among law enforcement agencies. By working together, we can effectively combat the threats posed by drug traffickers and keep our neighborhoods safe from violence and illegal firearms,” said Beau Kolodka, Assistant Special Agent in Charge at ATF.
The prosecution was part of Operation Take Back America—a Department of Justice initiative that uses resources from programs such as Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) and Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) aimed at reducing violent crime linked with organized crime groups across communities nationwide through collaborative law enforcement efforts.
The case was investigated by agents from ATF, DEA, FBI as well as officers from Hinesville Police Department and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Bradley R. Thompson.
