Defendants indicted in crime spree including 58 commercial burglaries

December 16, 2020

Macon – Bibb County grand jurors voted Tuesday to indict five defendants in a racketeering case on charges including burglary and theft by receiving stolen property. Defendant charged in the indictment include: Frankie Lee Barnes, 51, of Macon; Cornelius Antonio Redding, 32, of Macon; Marcus Deshawn Robinson, 40, of Macon; Antuane Mcquell Simmons, 33, of…

District Attorney requests outside prosecutor in racketeering case involving allegations of bribery, financial crimes, illegal gambling

December 15, 2020

Macon – Macon Judicial Circuit District Attorney David Cooke requested on Tuesday that a special prosecutor be appointed to handle a 16-defendant multi-jurisdictional racketeering case indicted by Bibb County grand jurors last week. “In light of the concerns raised in the past week about this case, and considering my ethical duty as district attorney, I…

Bribery, money laundering among charges filed in 16-defendant racketeering indictment

December 9, 2020

Macon – Bibb County grand jurors voted Tuesday to indict 16 defendants in a multi-jurisdictional racketeering case on charges including bribery, money laundering, tax evasion and illegal gambling. Those charged include: Macon business owners Mukeshkumar Patel, 53; Manishkumar Patel, 43; Kunj Patel, 29; Hiren Patel, 37; Panth Patel, 34; former Ideal, Ga. police chief Ennis…

Two men indicted in Zaxby’s armed robbery

December 1, 2020

Macon – Bibb County grand jurors voted Tuesday to indict two men in a Jan. 4, 2020, armed robbery outside the Zaxby’s restaurant located at 4622 Hartley Bridge Road in south Bibb County. Terrell Benjamin Grayer Jr., 37, and Anthony Maurice Wright, 20, are each charged with one count of armed robbery, according to an…

District Attorney issues statement regarding pandemic, violence

November 30, 2020

Please see the following statement from District Attorney David Cooke: The Macon Judicial Circuit District Attorney’s Office shares our community’s concerns about this year’s record number of homicides. These crimes are occurring at a time of unprecedented stress on all of us, but especially on our community’s most vulnerable members and those who can least…

Macon man sentenced to life in prison in 2017 Crawford County killing, kidnapping

August 24, 2020

Knoxville – A Lizella man was sentenced to prison Friday in the 2017 fatal shooting of a man in Crawford County. Thomas Gary Palmer, 61, pleaded guilty to malice murder during a hearing in Crawford County Superior Court. As part of a plea agreement, Palmer was sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of…

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