Macon Man Sentenced in “Lying and Buying” Gun Case

DOJ Press

MACON, Ga. – A Macon resident who was on probation for aggravated assault when he was arrested during an ATF-led investigation into illegal gun possession and drug distribution was sentenced to prison this week for unlawfully possessing a firearm.

Logan Riley Nettles aka Carrot Top, 23, of Macon, was sentenced to serve 60 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release by U.S. District Judge Marc Treadwell on March 9, after he previously pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm by a person under a felony indictment. There is no parole in the federal system.

“Lying to buy a gun for a prohibited person is a federal offense that endangers our community,” said U.S. Attorney Peter D. Leary. “Our office is working with law enforcement to prevent firearms from getting into the hands of violent felons and to hold those who help prohibited persons from obtaining guns accountable for their crimes.”

According to court documents, ATF was conducting undercover surveillance in Macon in May 2021, as part of Operation United Front when they spotted Nettles, who had been released from prison on March 8, 2021, and was serving probation. Nettles, who was wearing a blue backpack, got into a car belonging to his girlfriend, Ansley Nicole Hunt, 22, of Savannah, Georgia. Officers stopped Nettles and conducted a search pursuant to his probation. Inside Nettle’s backpack was a 9mm handgun with a loaded, extended 30-round magazine. Hunt later admitted that she purchased the gun for Nettles, and Nettles admitted he was with her when she bought the gun. In addition, when Hunt bought the firearm for Nettles, she made false statements on the ATF Form 4473 she signed at the time of purchase, knowing the firearm was for Nettles, a prohibited person. Nettles was convicted of aggravated assault and gang activity in the Superior Court of Bibb County, Georgia, in 2019.


Operation United Front is an ongoing ATF-led investigation into illegal gun possession and drug distribution centered in the Macon, Georgia, community using data gathered from the National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN). Agents used NIBIN data to plot shooting incidents in the Macon area on a map. When areas of high density relating to these shootings were identified, confidential informants and undercover agents were directed to these areas of criminal activity. NIBIN is the only national network that allows for the capture and comparison of ballistic


evidence to aid in solving and preventing violent crimes involving firearms. NIBIN is a proven investigative and intelligence tool that can link firearms from multiple crime scenes, allowing law enforcement to quickly disrupt shooting cycles. For more information on NIBIN, visit https://www.atf.gov/firearms/national-integrated-ballistic-information-network-nibin.

This case is being prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.

The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF).

Assistant U.S. Attorney Joy Odom is prosecuting the case for the Government.

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