6 charged in alleged plot to kill Georgia jail officers to protect drug ring

ATLANTA — Six people, including a Fulton County Jail officer and several members of the Goodfellas gang, have been indicted on charges of conspiring to kill two detention officers, the U.S. Department of Justice said Tuesday.

The alleged plot was attempted in exchange for money and to protect a drug ring inside the jail, officials said, and was only thwarted after the targeted detention officers found tracking devices attached to the bottoms of their vehicles.

“It is unthinkable and deplorable that one of our detention officers would conspire to have one or more of her co-workers killed,” said Fulton County Sheriff Pat Labat, in a statement. “This indictment underscores the serious nature of the allegations and the importance of accountability.”

Latasha Baker, 38, a Fulton detention officer, allegedly agreed to pay people to carry out the killings alongside Matthew Freeman, 26, who was serving an armed robbery sentence at Valdosta State Prison. The sheriff’s office did not immediately respond to questions about Baker’s current employment status. The DOJ said they both communicated using contraband cellphones from inside the jail and prison.

Wayne Alford, 27, a pretrial detainee at the Fulton jail’s south annex, is accused of conspiring with Baker, Freeman and others, “both in and out of prison,” to kill the detention officers who had “interfered with his contraband and narcotics trafficking operation,” according to the federal agency.

Officials have not provided a timeline for the alleged plot. A federal grand jury indicted the suspects Oct. 22, and the indictment was unsealed Monday. Four of the suspects are from metro Atlanta and several are members of the Goodfellas gang, the DOJ said.

Baker and Freeman — also known as “Gotti Freeman,” “Coach Poker” and “Pokerface Matt” — are accused of hiring Carlos Pearson, 33, and Jayden Barnes, 19, who officials said agreed to kill the detention officers for $1,000 each.

Alford, of Milledgeville; Freeman, of Glennville; and Baker, of Hampton, are each charged with two counts of conspiracy to commit murder for hire, one count of drug trafficking conspiracy, and one count of conspiracy to carry a firearm during a drug trafficking crime.

Pearson, of College Park, and Barnes, of Atlanta, were charged with two counts of conspiracy to commit murder for hire. The DOJ said Pearson was also known as “Rico Reflection” and “Rice Rico,” while Barnes was known as “Swipe” and “El Swiper.”

Another man from Atlanta, Jaheim Arnold, 21, is facing the same charges as Alford and Baker. In addition, he is also charged with one count of possession of a firearm during a drug trafficking crime and one count of possession of a firearm as a convicted felon. His role in the alleged plot is unclear at this time.

In a statement, U.S. Attorney Ryan Buchanan said the suspects “demonstrated a callous disregard for human life” by plotting to kill the detention officers who “threatened their illegal drug and contraband activity” at the jail. The FBI is investigating the case with help from the Fulton sheriff’s office and the Georgia Department of Corrections.

“No law enforcement officer should have to be fearful for their life simply because they are carrying out their sworn duties,” said Sean Burke, the FBI Atlanta acting special agent in charge, in a statement.

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