Federal Charges Include Murder-for-Hire, Drug Trafficking, and Firearms Violations
Six people, including a Fulton County Jail officer and several alleged gang members, have been indicted for conspiring to kill two Georgia detention officers, federal prosecutors announced Tuesday. The indictment details a plot to murder the officers as part of a scheme to protect an ongoing contraband and drug operation inside the jail.
Complex Conspiracy Involving Jail and Prison Communications
The accused include Latasha Baker, 38, a detention officer at Fulton County Jail, and Matthew Freeman, 36, an inmate at Valdosta State Prison. Prosecutors allege the two coordinated with Wayne Alford, 27, a pretrial detainee, to arrange the murders of two detention officers who were disrupting Alford’s contraband network.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia, Baker and Freeman communicated with Alford and other conspirators using contraband cellphones to plan the hits and secure the necessary payments.
Murder-for-Hire Attempt Foiled by Tracking Devices
Federal authorities said that Carlos Pearson, 33, and Jayden Barnes, 19, agreed to carry out the murders in exchange for $1,000 each. However, the plot was discovered when the targeted officers found tracking devices attached to their vehicles, leading to the arrests of those allegedly involved.
Federal Indictment and Charges
A six-count federal indictment, unsealed Monday, charges Baker, Freeman, and Alford with conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire, drug trafficking, and firearm-related offenses. Pearson and Barnes are each charged with two counts of conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire. Additionally, Jaheim Arnold, 21, of Atlanta, faces multiple charges, including possession of a firearm as a convicted felon.
Fulton County Sheriff Patrick Labat condemned the alleged actions of Baker, stating, “It is unthinkable and deplorable that one of our detention officers would conspire to have one or more of her co-workers killed. This indictment underscores the serious nature of the allegations and the importance of accountability.”
Response from Federal Authorities
U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan emphasized the gravity of the charges: “These defendants demonstrated a callous disregard for human life when allegedly plotting to murder detention officers who threatened their illegal drug and contraband activity at the Fulton County Jail.”
Special Agent Sean Burke, acting head of the FBI’s Atlanta division, added, “No law enforcement officer should have to be fearful for their life simply because they are carrying out their sworn duties.”
