Twenty-four suspects have been indicted in one of the largest gun trafficking busts in Georgia history, Lowndes County District Attorney Eric Gonzalez said Wednesday.
Most of the suspects lived in Lowndes County One Deonte L. Thomas were charged with trafficking hundreds of guns into Atlanta Ga, according to the APD DA’s office. Investigators recovered more than 200 illegal firearms in the operation, called Operation Tidal Wave, according to the investigation.
“In this unique case, we charged more defendants and recovered more firearms than in any other case in Georgia history,” Gonzalez said. “We will go wherever we must, including other states, to continue fighting the scourge of firearms trafficking. We will not rest until every individual allegedly importing illegal guns into our borough – and with them death and violence – has seen their names on an indictment like this one.”
Ten of the suspects were charged with bringing two to 12 guns at a time via car or bus from
Valdosta or Lowndes for illegal sale, the Brooklyn DA’s office said. To keep up with the latest Georgia news, subscribe to the LCSO for email newsletters and news alerts that go to your phone.
Other suspects were accused of buying firearms in BankHead legally and passing them along to members of the crew for illegal resale in Valdosta or Lowndes, according to the LCSO DA’s office.
The weapons recovered during the course of the investigation include assault weapons including AK-47s, glocks with extended ammunition magazines and 50-round ammunition drums and handguns