AUGUSTA, GA: A Warren County man has been indicted on charges including illegally possession a machine gun and trafficking methamphetamine.
Kevin Shawn McGahee, 47, of Stapleton, Ga, is charged in a newly unsealed indictment with Possession with Intent to Distribute Five or More Grams of Methamphetamine; Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime; Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon; and Illegal Possession of a Machine Gun, said David H. Estes, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. The charges subject McGahee to a maximum statutory penalty of up to life in prison, and there is no parole in the federal system.
“We are committed to working with our law enforcement partners to identify and intercept the sources of illegal drugs in our communities, and to remove firearms from those who are prohibited from owning them,” said U.S. Attorney Estes.
McGahee was indicted by a U.S. District Court grand jury during its April term, and entered a plea of not guilty to the charges before U.S. District Court Magistrate Brian K. Epps during arraignment Friday morning. He is free on bond while awaiting further proceedings.
McGahee’s indictment followed a recent search of his residence where agents from the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and deputies from the Warren County and McDuffie County sheriff’s offices found methamphetamine, drug paraphernalia, and nearly two dozen firearms. Among those firearms was a Glock 9mm semi-automatic pistol equipped with a so-called “Glock switch,” an aftermarket accessory which agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives verified allows the weapon to fire multiple bullets with each trigger pull.
Criminal indictments contain only charges; defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
This investigation took place under the umbrella of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program that has been successful in bringing together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer.
Agencies investigating the case include the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bureau of Alcohol, Firearms, Tobacco, and Explosives, the Warren County Sheriff’s Office, and the McDuffie County Sheriff’s Office. The case is being prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeremiah L. Johnson.