TATTNALL COUNTY, Ga. — According to a new indictment, a gang operating out of a Georgia prison attempted to have a guard killed -- but sent the hitman to the wrong address.
The indictment involves inmates at Smith State Prison in Glennville in Tattnall County who were part of the YSL gang, which also includes prominent rappers Young Thug and Gunna.
Channel 2 Investigative Reporter Mark Winne got the indictment, which reveals that the gang also sold drugs, cell phones and even luxury clothing inside the prison walls.
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The indictment, which came down on April 25, details the murder of 88-year-old veteran Bobby Kicklighter, who was a neighbor of the intended target. Kicklighter was found dead inside his home after a hitman went to the wrong address.
“There was actually a hit ordered on a corrections officer who was a straight-up, righteous guard who couldn’t be bought, couldn’t be intimidated, couldn’t be threatened, and the hit went wrong,” GBI Director Vic Reynolds said.
Reynolds said that GBI agents discovered much more during the investigation into the gang, included two more murders that were possibly related. The investigation led to a sweeping murder and racketeering indictment brought against the gang members.
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Inmates Nathan Weeks and Christopher Reginald Sumlin, Jr., and civilians Keisha Janae Jones and Aerial Deshay Murphy are all accused of malice murder in Kicklighter’s death. Weeks, Sumlin and Jones are also charged with conspiracy to violate the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act.
The indictment suggests that prison inmates offered guards financial incentives to facilitate the flow of contraband inside the prison. Corrupt guards were paid in cash. But when financial incentives did not work, inmates and co-conspirators used violence and threats against the guards.
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Weeks was sent to prison for a series of armed robberies in DeKalb County. According to the indictment, he started organizing the smuggling of large amounts of contraband. Jones is described as Weeks’ girlfriend and his treasurer and facilitator outside the prison.
Sumlin, who was imprisoned on burglary and gun charges in Coweta County, was serving time at Smith and has since been released.
According to the indictment, Weeks and Jones sent Sumlin to murder a corrections officer -- but he ended up killing Kicklighter instead.
According to the indictment, Weeks and Jones were also involved in the death of Jessica Gerling, who was a corrections officer at the prison until she was fired for bringing in contraband at Weeks’ direction. Weeks and Sumlin were also involved in the murder of another man, Jerry Lee Davis, according to the indictment.
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