July term of the Federal Grand Jury returns indictments for firearms and immigration charges

SAVANNAH, Georgia: Multiple defendants have been indicted by the July term of the federal Grand Jury in the Southern District of Georgia for firearms offenses and immigration violations.

Margaret E. "Meg" Heap, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia, announced the indictments. Those facing federal charges include:

• Robert Lee Jones, 22, of Richmond County, indicted for Illegal Possession of a Machinegun and Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon.
• Steven Allan Darby, 39, of Richmond County, indicted for Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon.
• Tavis Tallent, 26, of Richmond County, indicted for Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon.
• Raheem Kirkland, 30, of Savannah, indicted for Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon.
• Luis Alvarado-Pavedes, 18, of Honduras, indicted for Illegal Possession of a Machinegun and Possession of a Firearm by an Illegal Alien.

Statutory penalties for illegal possession of a machinegun can result in up to 10 years in prison. Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon or illegal alien may result in up to 15 years in prison and each may also be accompanied by significant financial penalties and up to three years of supervised release.

In addition, six men are charged with Re-entry After Removal or Deportation, a charge applied to an illegal alien present in the United States after at least one prior removal:

• Juan Capulin-Martinez, 52, a citizen of Mexico illegally in the U.S., arrested in Camden County.
• Juan DeSantiago-Castillo, 40, a citizen of Mexico illegally in the U.S., arrested in Atkinson County.
• Juan Carlos Martinez-Perez, 41, a citizen of Mexico illegally in the U.S., arrested in Bulloch County.
• Francisco Javier Mendez-Villa, 32, a citizen of Mexico illegally in the U.S., arrested in Camden County.
• Hector Ezquivel Mireles, 35, a citizen of Mexico illegally in the U.S., arrested in Camden County.
• Juan Miguel Osorio Rojas, 40, a citizen of Mexico illegally in the U.S., arrested in Glynn County.

Criminal indictments contain only charges; defendants are considered innocent unless and until proven guilty.

The cases listed above have been investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Homeland Security Investigations, Chatham County Sheriff's Office, Richmond County Sheriff's Office and local law enforcement agencies. These cases are being prosecuted for the United States by Southern District of Georgia Assistant U.S. Attorneys Karl I. Knoche, Kelsey L. Scanlon, Makeia R. Jonese, Lauren C. Olsen, Henry W. Syms Jr., and Matthew A. Breedon.