Georgia gang member pleads guilty to federal charges, officials say

WSBTV.com News Staff
·2 min read
15

A member of a Georgia gang pled guilty to a federal firearms charge after a domestic violence assault was linked to his use of a firearm.

According to the U.S. Department of Justice, Megail Thirkield of Columbus, is a convicted felon. That makes it illegal for him to own a gun.

Officials said Thirkield is also a confirmed member of the Gangster Disciples.

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The gun in question was linked to a domestic violence assault through the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms and Explosives’ National Integrated Ballistic Information Network.

Court documents say a Muscogee County sheriff’s Office investigator saw Thirkield, wanted for domestic violence charges, walking on Colorado Street in Columbus on a June afternoon in 2022.

Multiple arrest warrants had been issued for Thirkield a few months before, relating to domestic violence assaults from February to May 2022, including stalking and harassing a v victim and threatening them while brandishing a firearm at her and firing shots into the air.

Officials said Thirkield also allegedly violently attacked the victim, sometimes in front of her children.

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Court documents also show that Thirkield is a confirmed gang member with a long criminal history, including multiple felony drug convictions, theft by receiving stolen property, and illegally having a gun in Muscogee County Superior Court.

“Guns, gangs and acts of violence create a combination that yields a bad outcome,” Muscogee County Sheriff Greg Countryman said. “The Muscogee County Sheriff’s Office will continue to work hand-in-hand with our federal partners to alleviate all threats that may impose any type of harm to the citizens of our county. We will continue to use the proven scientific technology of NIBIN as an investigative tool for crimes involving guns.”

Thirkield pled guilty to the gun charges, and now faces a potential mandatory minimum of 15 years to life in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine.

Sentencing was scheduled for Oct. 26.

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