Press Releases

UPDATE

James Ian Spires is in custody. He turned himself in to the Bleckley County Sheriff’s Office on February 8. He will be taken to the Pulaski County Detention Center, where his charges originated.

ORIGINAL RELEASE

Hawkinsville, Georgia (February 2, 2023) – The GBI is seeking the public’s assistance in an aggravated assault investigation that began on February 1, 2023.  The Pulaski County Sheriff’s Office asked the GBI to assist after Pulaski County 911 received a phone call stating that James Cheek, age 68, of Hawkinsville had been shot multiple times.  The investigation revealed that James Ian Spires, age 24, of Cochran, GA, shot Cheek multiple times.  Cheek was later flown to the Navicent Medical Center in Macon, Georgia, where he is listed in critical condition. 

Griffin, GA (February 9, 2023) – The GBI has arrested and charged Asia Jones, age 26, of Hampton, GA, with one count of misdemeanor theft by deception and one count of violation of oath by public officer. On June 17, 2022, the Griffin Police Department asked the GBI to investigate allegations that Jones, a Griffin Police Department officer, was falsifying timecard information pertaining to a part-time job. Jones was booked at the Spalding County Jail.

Glennville, GA (February 8, 2023) - The GBI has arrested Georgia Department of Corrections Warden Brian Dennis Adams, age 48, of Waycross, GA, and charged him with Conspiracy to Violate the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organization Act (“Georgia RICO act”), Bribery, False Statements and Violation of Oath by Public Officer.  Adams was terminated prior to his arrest on Wednesday, February 8, 2023 & is currently in the Tattnall County Jail.  Adams is the former Warden at Smith State Prison in Glennville, GA.

UPDATE

Milledgeville, GA (February 6, 2023) – Malik Smith, age 18, and Jarius Washington, age 19, both of Milledgeville, have been arrested and charged with felony murder and a second juvenile has been taken into custody in this case.

Anyone with information is encouraged to contact the Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office at 478-445-5102 or the GBI regional investigative office in Milledgeville at 478-445-4173.  Anonymous tips can also be submitted by calling 1-800-597-TIPS (8477), online at https://gbi.georgia.gov/submit-tips-online, or by downloading the See Something, Send Something mobile app.

ORIGINAL RELEASE

Milledgeville, GA (2/2/2023) –  One juvenile is in custody in Baldwin County after an incident that left one man dead.  The GBI is conducting this death investigation after a request came from the Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office.  On Thursday, February 2, 2023, at around 12:40 a.m., Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office 911 center received a call about a man who came into a home and started shooting.  Baldwin County deputies responded to Black Springs Church Road in Milledgeville, Georgia. When they arrived, they discovered Syee Devon Havior, age 18, had been shot multiple times. Havior was taken to the hospital where he later died.  

Atlanta, GA (February 6, 2023) – In an ongoing effort to ensure that the site of the future City of Atlanta Public Safety Training Center is safe and secure, the GBI, along with other law enforcement partners, conducted an operation to identify people who are illegally trespassing and/or engaging in criminal activity on the property.

UPDATE

Calhoun, GA (February 3, 2023) – The man involved in this OIS has been identified as Daniel Tang, age 21, of River Edge, NJ.

ORIGINAL RELEASE

Calhoun, Gordon County, GA (February 2, 2023) – The GBI is investigating an officer involved shooting in Calhoun, GA.  On Thursday, February 2, 2023, the Calhoun Police Department asked the GBI to investigate.

Decatur, GA (January 31, 2023) – The GBI’s Child Exploitation and Computer Crimes (CEACC) Unit and the GBI’s Special Enforcement Team (SET) partnered from January 23-26, 2023, to execute multiple residential search warrants on unrelated child exploitation investigations. The operation was the result of months of planning and was named operation “Happy New Year”. The CEACC Unit, the host agency for Georgia’s Internet Crimes Against Children’s Task Force, executed a total of 17 search warrants in Clayton, DeKalb, Newton, Spalding, Gwinnett, and Fulton Counties during this four-day period.  As a result, eleven individuals were arrested and charged with Child Exploitation offenses. The cases involved CyberTips received from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, individuals using computer peer-to-peer file sharing networks for the collection and dissemination of Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM), and individuals engaged in sexually explicit or obscene internet contact with a child. As a result of the search warrants, over 230 digital devices were previewed on scene by GBI digital forensic investigators assigned to the CEACC unit. Many of these devices were seized and will be subjected to full digital forensic processing which will likely result in more arrests.

Americus, GA (February 1, 2023) – Taris Hollomon, Jr., age 27, of Americus, GA, has been arrested and charged with two counts of aggravated assault, three counts of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, one count of possession of firearm during commission of felony, and one count of criminal damage to property. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation, the Americus Police Department, and the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office are actively seeking the location of Corey Devonte Deriso. Deriso is wanted for Violation of Probation.

Sylvester, GA (January 31, 2023) – A woman who remained unidentified for 37 years has been identified as Mary Anga Cowan, missing out of Seminole County, FL. On Friday, May 14, 1985, the Baker County Sheriff’s Office requested the GBI assist with an investigation into the discovery of a woman who had been found injured and unconscious by passersby on the west side of GA Highway 91 north of Newton, GA. The woman was taken to the hospital in Albany, GA, where she died from her injuries on Saturday, June 1, 1985. The GBI Medical Examiner’s Office findings were the manner of death was undetermined and the cause of death was subdural hematoma secondary to blunt force trauma to the head.

Atlanta, GA (January 31, 2023) – The GBI is investigating an officer involved shooting in Atlanta, GA. The Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) Police Department asked the GBI to conduct an independent investigation on January 30, 2023. One man was shot and one MARTA PD officer was injured during the incident.