Editor’s Note: this article was changed from its original version to accurately spell the name of the Senior Deputy Clerk of Colquitt County 

MOULTRIE, Ga. — Former Colquitt County corrections officer Johnathan Williams pleaded guilty on November 3 to charges related to assisting inmates bring contraband into the Colquitt County Prison.

Williams was originally charged in 2019 with two counts of furnishing prohibited items to inmates, and one count each of crossing the guard lines with drugs and violation of oath by a public officer. Williams was indicted in the 2019 August session of Colquitt County Superior Court on the counts of crossing the guard lines and violation of oath by a public officer. 

During his time at Colquitt County Prison, he was in charge of an off-site work crew, according to Colquitt County Sheriff’s Office investigator Channing McDowell who was lead investigator on the case. 

“We were originally called by the prison to assist in their investigation. Other inmates had provided information that Williams was bringing prisoners food and drinks as well allowing them to participate in drug drops as well as other prohibited items for inmates such as tobacco and cell phones,” McDowell said in an interview Thursday.

Williams was later arrested when investigators searched the truck he and the work detail crew used after they finished their work. Inside they found marijuana, loose smoking tobacco, a cell phone and charger as well as materials used to package and transport drugs.

“He later admitted to knowing about the drug drops and cell phones and admitted to bringing food and drinks for the inmates,” McDowell said. 

While Williams was not directly responsible for bringing drugs onto the prison campus, admitting to furnishing outside food and drinks to inmates constituted his crossing guard lines, McDowell explained. 

Williams pled guilty to the two charges he was indicted on. He was sentenced to four years of probation and $1,000 fine for crossing the guard lines with drugs. He also received five years of probation to be served consecutively to the previous charge as well as another $1,000 fine.

CCP Warden Billy Howell stated in an interview that Williams is a “young and easily led man.”

“This will be a good lesson for him and the other correctional officers… We fight contraband every day in the state and in the country. We take contraband and personal dealing with our inmates very seriously. There is no room for complacency in the criminal justice system.”

In other recent cases:

Due to COVID, many more cases have had to be heard in multiple different sessions. These sessions will continue until November 17, according to Senior Deputy Clerk of Colquitt County Wilma Hadley. 

The following are other guilty pleas already entered in the Colquitt County Superior Court:

PERSON ON PERSON CRIMES

• Jonathan Reene Weaver pleaded guilty but mentally ill to felony murder and was sentenced to life, and pleaded guilty but mentally ill to exploitation and intimidation of a disabled adult, elder person or resident and was sentenced to 20 years consecutive, 10 of those in confinement.

•  Shantae Yvette Brinson, aggravated assault, 5 years and $1,500 fine.

• Robert Jolly, simple battery-family violence, 12 months and $500 fine; simple battery-family violence, 12 months consecutive.

• Frank Anthony Thomas, aggravated assault, 11 years 6 months and $2,000 fine; possession of a firearm during commission of a felony, 5 years consecutive to Count 1.

• Anthony Rayburn Jones, burglary in the second degree, 5 years and $3,000.

• Amanda Darlene Allen, burglary in the second degree, 5 years and $2,000; vandalism to a place of worship, 5 years consecutive to Count 1.

• Christopher Neal Simmons, theft by taking, 10 years and $500 fine.

• William Henry Anderson, possession of prohibited items by inmates, 3 years.

• Brodrick Jerrel Blackwell, interference with government property, 2 years and $1,500 fine.

• Frank Anthony Thomas, tampering with the operation of an electronic monitoring device, 5 years and $2,000 fine concurrent with the sentence for his aggravated assault charge, above.

• Kelley Marie Rainey, theft by shoplifting, 12 months and $500 fine; theft by shoplifting, 12 months and $500 fine consecutively.

• Bradley O’Neal Mitchell, fleeing or attempting to elude a police officer, 2 years and $1,000 fine; driving while license suspended, 12 months consecutive to Count 1; defective equipment, 12 months consecutive to Counts 1 and 2.

• Debra Deloris Robinson, financial transaction card fraud, 3 years; financial transaction card fraud, 3 years consecutive to Count 1; financial transaction card fraud, 3 years consecutive to Counts 1 and 2.

• Cecil Jacob Dozier, theft by shoplifting, 12 months and $1,000 fine.

DRUG RELATED CRIMES

• Latosha Lintoria Barnes, possession of cocaine, 3 years and $2,000 fine.

• Meagan Luewella Pearson, possession of methamphetamine, 3 years and $2,000 fine.

• Karla Lynn Kennedy, possession of methamphetamine, 3 years.

• Brandon Lawhorne, conspiracy to violate the Georgia Controlled Substances Act, 10 years and $2,000 concurrent with any sentence currently serving.

• Christopher Neal Simmons, possession of methamphetamine, 8 years and $1,500.

• Justin Clint Tiner, conspiracy to violate the Georgia Controlled Substance Act, 10 years and $2,000 fine.

• Demetri Williams Montague, fleeing or attempting to elude a police officer, $5,000 fine; possession of methamphetamine, 6 years and $1,500 concurrent to Count 1; possession of drug related objects, 12 months concurrent to Count 2.

• Joshua Daniel Nolin, possession of methamphetamine, 3 years and $2,000 fine.

• Jessica Marie Luckey, possession of methamphetamine, 8 years and $2,000 fine.

• Christopher James Gore, possession of methamphetamine, 1 year.

• Amanda Darlene Allen, possession of methamphetamine, 3 years and $500 fine; crossing the guard lines with drugs, 3 years consecutive to Count 1.

• Patrick Wayne Moncrief, possession of a schedule II controlled substance, 3 years and $2,000 fine.