Two Augusta area men indicted for possessing illegal firearms

Alexandra Koch, Augusta Chronicle
·4 min read

Two Augusta area men were indicted by a federal grand jury for possessing illegal firearms.

Steve Shontell Heath, 46, of Hephzibah, and William Beau Devore, 21, of Martinez, A 46-year-old Hephzibah man and a 21-year-old Martinez man are each charged with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.

The cases are being investigated as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods in collaboration with federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, including the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the FBI to reduce violent crime with measures that include targeting convicted felons who illegally carry guns, according to a news release from the Southern District of Georgia U.S. Attorney's Office.

Guns seized: 'We hear you': Richmond County Sheriff's Office seizes guns, drugs off the streets

Homicide on the rise: Number of Richmond County homicide deaths reaches 2021 total

“As we continue the fight against violent crime in our neighborhoods, removing guns from the hands of convicted felons helps keep our citizens safe,” said David H. Estes, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. “We appreciate the outstanding work of our law enforcement partners in protecting our communities.”

In the past four years, more than 775 suspects have been federally charged in the Southern District of Georgia for illegal firearms offenses, most often for possessing a firearm after conviction for a previous felony, according to the release.

Recent federal legislation signed on June 25 increased the maximum penalty for illegal possession of a firearm by a convicted felon from 10 years to 15 years.

Recent sentencing for Augustans facing federal charges:

  • Robert Alexander DuBose, 40, of Augusta, was sentenced to 84 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release and fined $1,500 after pleading guilty to possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Richmond County sheriff’s deputies investigating a vehicle break-in in November 2020 arrested DuBose after finding a pistol in his pants.

  • Elijawan Leysath Rhodes, 29, of Augusta, was sentenced to 33 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release and fined $1,500 after pleading guilty to possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Richmond County Sheriff’s Office investigators responding to gunfire at a Wrightsboro Road motel Dec. 31, 2021, arrested Rhodes after a brief chase when they found a pistol in Rhodes’ vehicle.

  • Michael Jordan Sharp, 31, of Augusta, was sentenced to 36 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release and fined $1,200 after pleading guilty to possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Sharp was on parole from a felony conviction on state charges for sale of methamphetamine when Richmond County sheriff’s deputies and officers from the Georgia Department of Community Supervision found a pistol while searching his home.

  • Neqwaun O’Neal Roberson, 23, of Augusta, was sentenced to 46 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release and fined $1,000 after pleading guilty to possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Richmond County sheriff’s deputies arrested Roberson in September 2021 on outstanding warrants for state charges, including aggravated assault and armed robbery, and found a loaded pistol in his pocket. Roberson is a member of Loyalty Over Everything (LOE) criminal street gang in Augusta.

  • Ziquane Sandford, 24, of Hephzibah, was sentenced to five years of probation and fined $1,500 after pleading guilty to dealing in firearms without a license. Sandford admitted he sold firearms on four occasions without the required license.

  • Charles Dean Jones, 26, of Grovetown, awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. A Georgia State Patrol trooper charged Jones in November 2021 after an attempted traffic stop, pursuit and crash of the motorcycle Jones was riding in Columbia County. Jones had a loaded pistol in a backpack he was wearing.

  • Christopher Fitzgerald Jones, 35, of Augusta, awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Richmond County sheriff’s deputies arrested Jones in October 2021 on a felony warrant resulting from a series of domestic altercations. Jones was carrying a pistol at the time of his arrest.

More: 'We're not backing down': Augusta forms new Violent Crimes Unit, Special Victims Unit

This article originally appeared on Augusta Chronicle: Augusta area men indicted for possessing illegal firearms