VALDOSTA, Ga. – A gang member recently released from prison for armed robbery when he was arrested in possession of a loaded Glock semi-automatic pistol during an investigation into an alleged gunfire incident was sentenced to prison on a federal weapons charge.
Xavier Rashad Brooks, 31, of Valdosta, was sentenced to serve 100 months in federal prison to be followed by three years of supervised release by U.S. District Judge Hugh Lawson on Wednesday, April 13, after he pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. This sentence will run consecutively to any term of imprisonment which may be imposed in a pending charge in Brooks County, Georgia, Superior Court. There is no parole in the federal system.
“Violent offenders who repeatedly disrupt the peace in the Middle District of Georgia face the possibility of federal prosecution when they are taken into custody illegally possessing guns,” said U.S. Attorney Peter D. Leary. “We are focusing enforcement on the most violent offenders in an effort to make our communities safer and reduce crime.”
“This sentence makes it very clear that criminals who repeatedly break the law and continue to possess illegal firearms, will be held accountable with lengthy prison terms,” said Phillip Wislar, Acting Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “Our partnership with local law enforcement agencies, like the Remerton Police Department and the Valdosta Police Department, make these arrests possible and ultimately make our communities safer.”
According to court documents and other evidence, on Oct. 15, 2020, a Remerton Police Department (RPD) officer saw a vehicle matching the description of an SUV reportedly involved in a firearm discharge event. Brooks, who was recently released from prison after serving a ten-year sentence for armed robbery, was walking toward the car with another individual. When Brooks saw the officer, he walked around the corner of a building and then came back and stopped behind the vehicle. Brooks was non-compliant when the officer asked him to show his hands, and he ducked behind the vehicle. The officer began to retreat for cover when Brooks reappeared and showed his hands. Brooks then fled the scene and was arrested days later in the same area. Officers found a loaded Glock 9mm semiautomatic pistol with a magazine at the spot next to the SUV where Brooks ducked from police. Brooks has a prior felony armed robbery conviction in the Superior Court of Lowndes County, Georgia, and was released from incarceration in July 2020. Brooks is a verified member of the Gangster Disciples gang.
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 Remerton Police Department, the Valdosta Police Department and the FBI.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert McCullers prosecuted the case for the Government.