Peach Tree Times

ATLANTA, GA – Attorney General Chris Carr today announced that eight defendants have pleaded guilty in Fulton County in a case that involves the trafficking of a 17-year-old female. The victim was recovered during Operation Not Forgotten, a two-week effort to rescue endangered missing children in Atlanta and Macon, Georgia, in August 2020.

“Our Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit was embedded throughout the duration of Operation Not Forgotten, and we immediately began building our case as soon as this victim was rescued,” said Carr. “Since then, our team has continued to pour over every lead in an effort to identify anyone who engaged in the trafficking of this 17-year-old female. We are committed to ensuring both buyers and sellers are held accountable, and that is exactly what we have accomplished.”

Operation Not Forgotten 2020 resulted in the rescue of 26 children, the safe location of 13 children and the arrest of nine criminal associates. This initiative was led by the U.S. Marshals Service Missing Child Unit in conjunction with the agency's Southeast Regional Fugitive Task Force, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, the Attorney General’s Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, the Georgia Division of Family and Children Services, the Georgia Department of Juvenile Justice, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Children's Healthcare of Atlanta.

“The United States Marshals Service is honored to partner with so many dedicated state and local law enforcement agencies in the pursuit of human traffickers,” said Chief Deputy United States Marshal J.B. Stevens. “The mission of enhancing public safety, keeping our local communities more secure, and ensuring that our most vulnerable citizens are protected is critical. No matter how long it takes, law enforcement will find and rescue these victims—they will never be forgotten.”

Guilty Pleas and Sentences

The following eight defendants entered non-negotiated pleas in Fulton County Superior Court.

On May 4, 2023:

• Tony Turner (27) of Atlanta, Georgia, pleaded guilty to one count of Pandering of a Person Under the Age of 18. A Fulton County Superior Court Judge sentenced the defendant to 10 years, with three years to be served in prison. The remainder of his sentence will be served on strict probation. Turner is also required to register as a sex offender.
• On May 19, 2023:
• Kerry Barnett (27) of Riverdale, Georgia, pleaded guilty to one count of Pandering of a Person Under the Age of 18. A Fulton County Superior Court Judge sentenced the defendant to 10 years, with 18 months to be served in prison. The remainder of his sentence will be served on strict probation. Barnett is also required to register as a sex offender.
• On June 2, 2023:
• Mintaka Bey (39) of Atlanta, Georgia, pleaded guilty to one count of Pandering of a Person Under the Age of 18. A Fulton County Superior Court Judge sentenced the defendant to 10 years, with 18 months to be served in prison. The remainder of his sentence will be served on strict probation. Bey is also required to register as a sex offender.
• On June 8, 2023:
• Steven Stone (31) of Lithonia, Georgia, pleaded guilty to three counts of Trafficking of Persons for Sexual Servitude. A Fulton County Superior Court Judge sentenced the defendant to 25 years, with 13 years to be served in prison.
• Undra Henderson (30) of Atlanta, Georgia, pleaded guilty to one count of Pandering of a Person Under the Age of 18. A Fulton County Superior Court Judge sentenced the defendant to 10 years, with three years to be served in prison. The remainder of his sentence will be served on strict probation. Henderson is also required to register as a sex offender.
• On June 12, 2023:
• Alif Morgan (40) of Atlanta, Georgia, pleaded guilty to one count of Pandering of a Person Under the Age of 18. A Fulton County Superior Court Judge sentenced the defendant to 10 years, with 18 months to be served in prison. The remainder of his sentence will be served on strict probation. Morgan is also required to register as a sex offender.
• Daniel Callaway (41) of Stone Mountain, Georgia, pleaded guilty to one count of Pandering of a Person Under the Age of 18. A Fulton County Superior Court Judge sentenced the defendant under the First Offender Act to 10 years, with 18 months to be served in prison. The remainder of his sentence will be served on strict probation. Callaway is also required to register as a sex offender.
• Warren Watts (31) of Covington, Georgia, pleaded guilty to one count of Pandering of a Person Under the Age of 18. A Fulton County Superior Court Judge sentenced the defendant under the First Offender Act to 10 years, with 18 months to be served in prison. The remainder of his sentence will be served on strict probation. Watts is also required to register as a sex offender.
• This case was prosecuted by Assistant Attorney General Kaitlyn Fain Salinas of the Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit.

Case Summary

Following the recovery of this 17-year-old female victim, the Attorney General’s Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit began an extensive investigation to identify those who had engaged in her trafficking. This investigation resulted in the indictment of 10 men in Fulton County in January 2022. The U.S. Marshals Service and the College Park Police Department assisted in the recovery of the victim. The U.S. Marshals Service, the Clayton County Police Department and the Gwinnett County Police Department assisted in the apprehension of the defendants.

Prior Guilty Plea and Sentence

Of the 10 defendants indicted in January 2022, Shane Bean (39) of Lithonia, Georgia, was the first to enter a non-negotiated plea. Specifically, Bean pleaded guilty to Pandering of a Person Under the Age of 18 on Dec. 1, 2022. A Fulton County Superior Court Judge sentenced the defendant to 10 years, with two years to be served in prison. The remainder of his sentence will be served on strict probation. Bean is also required to register as a sex offender.

With Bean’s prior plea and the eight new pleas announced today, the State’s case against Devin Smith, the final defendant, is the only one remaining as it relates to the January 2022 indictment.

About the Attorney General’s Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit

In 2019, with the support of Governor Brian Kemp, Georgia First Lady Marty Kemp and leaders in the Georgia General Assembly, Attorney General Chris Carr created the first-of-its-kind statewide Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit.

The Attorney General’s Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit rescued and assisted 116 victims last year alone.

The Unit has 40 defendants who are currently under indictment for sex or labor trafficking, with some facing charges in multiple jurisdictions around the state.

The Attorney General’s Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit is housed in the Prosecution Division, which also includes Carr’s Gang Prosecution Unit and his Public Integrity and White Collar Crime Unit.

Original source can be found here.