Federal prosecutors say five people were part of an alleged Athens-to-Chicago firearms trafficking pipeline that sent illegally purchased Georgia guns to Chicago gang members, with one weapon later linked to a murder and multiple shootings.
U.S. Attorney William R. “Will” Keyes announced the 23-count federal indictment after it was unsealed June 23 in the Middle District of Georgia. The indictment charges Anthony Edmond of Athens; Rafael Enriquez, Elijah Lucena and Keontice Reed of Chicago; and Melvin Griffin of Snellville, Georgia, and Chicago.
Prosecutors allege Edmond, known as “Chapo,” bought firearms from Georgia gun stores on behalf of members and associates of Chicago-based gangs, including the Black Disciples and Conservative Vice Lords. Some firearms were later converted into fully automatic weapons, according to the Department of Justice.
Edmond allegedly bought at least 22 firearms in Georgia over a 10-month stretch from September 2020 to July 2021, falsifying federal purchase forms by claiming he was the true buyer. Prosecutors say he transported weapons to Illinois, where they were distributed to gang members.
The allegations include one Glock pistol prosecutors say Edmond purchased at an Athens gun store May 15, 2021. Chicago police later recovered the gun from the bedroom of a juvenile gang member, and forensic testing allegedly tied it to three violent incidents, including a June 20, 2021, Chicago murder, a shooting on a Chicago Transit Authority bus and another shooting that damaged three cars.
Edmond, Enriquez and Griffin face maximum penalties of life in prison if convicted. Reed faces up to 20 years, and Lucena faces up to 10 years.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives with assistance from local and federal agencies. An indictment is only an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
