Attorney General Chris Carr announced that Jameesha Harris, 21, of Cleveland, Ohio, has been convicted and sentenced to 25 years for assisting in the trafficking of a 16-year-old female in the Metro Atlanta area. The victim, who had been reported missing out of South Carolina, was recovered on Aug. 2, 2023, following a traffic stop initiated by the Greene County Sheriff’s Office. Law enforcement also located more than 28 grams of cocaine and over one ounce of marijuana in the vehicle.
“Our Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit has secured yet another conviction after assisting in the recovery of an underage victim,” said Carr. “As we have seen time and again, those involved in the trafficking of a child are often engaged in other criminal activity, and they must be held accountable. By working with partners like District Attorney Wright Barksdale, the Greene County Sheriff’s Office, the Taliaferro County Sheriff’s Office, and GBI’s HEAT Unit, we will continue to use the full force of the law to ensure traffickers are off our streets and our children are kept safe.”
This case was investigated by the Greene County Sheriff’s Office, the Taliaferro County Sheriff’s Office, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation’s (GBI) Human Exploitation and Trafficking (HEAT) Unit, and the Attorney General’s Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit. It was prosecuted by Senior Assistant Attorney General and Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit Chief, Hannah Palmquist.
“We will remain diligent in looking for victims of sex trafficking and holding the traffickers accountable,” said Greene County Sheriff Donnie Harrison.
“The Taliaferro County Sheriff’s Office’s priority will always be to ensure Georgians feel protected against violent crimes in their communities,” said Taliaferro County Sheriff Tia McWilliams. “Working with our state partners means we can effectively and efficiently work together to hold bad actors accountable.”
“The GBI works diligently to identify victims of human trafficking and hold their traffickers accountable,” said GBI Director Chris Hosey. “Our HEAT Unit will continue to provide investigative resources to state, local, and federal law enforcement partners to assist in these cases to not only find justice for human trafficking victims but bring an end to these heinous crimes.”
Guilty Plea and Sentence
On April 8, 2024, Harris pleaded guilty to 1 count of Trafficking of Persons for Sexual Servitude in violation of O.C.G.A. § 16-5-46(c), for the following act:
- Did knowingly, as party to a crime, transport a person under the age of 18 years for the purpose of sexual servitude.
- 1 count of Trafficking in Cocaine
- 1 count of Possession of Marijuana
Case Summary
On Aug. 2, 2023, a Greene County Sheriff’s Deputy was conducting highway interdiction efforts in the area of Greensboro when he observed a white Cadillac sedan stop improperly at the intersection of GA-15 and GA-77. Anthony Holmes was driving the vehicle, while Jameesha Harris and a 16-year-old female were traveling as passengers. After observing the traffic violation, the Deputy activated his emergency lights and siren to initiate a stop. Holmes sped away, resulting in a pursuit. Once Holmes crossed into Taliaferro County from Greene County, the Taliaferro County Sheriff’s Office joined the pursuit and assisted in pitting the vehicle.
Following the pit maneuver, and during the initial field investigation, Greene County Sheriff’s Deputies learned that the 16-year-old passenger had been reported missing out of South Carolina after having previously been reported missing by her family in Ohio. Given these reports and multiple red flags indicating the child may be a victim of sex trafficking, the Greene County Sheriff’s Office contacted the GBI’s HEAT Unit to assist with the investigation. The Attorney General’s Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit also joined in the effort soon after.
The investigation indicated that Holmes and Harris had transported the victim from South Carolina to Atlanta to perform commercial sex acts.
During the pursuit and the weeks that followed, deputies with the Greene County Sheriff’s Office and the Taliaferro County Sheriff’s Office also located a firearm, cocaine prepared for distribution and marijuana, among other evidence.
Both Anthony Holmes and Jameesha Harris were subsequently indicted by the Attorney General’s Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit on Oct. 31, 2023. The State’s case against Anthony Holmes is still ongoing.
About the Attorney General’s Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit
In 2019, with the support of Governor Brian Kemp, First Lady Marty Kemp and leaders in the Georgia General Assembly, Attorney General Chris Carr created the first-of-its-kind statewide Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit.
Last year, the Attorney General’s Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit rescued and assisted 129 victims. The Unit has obtained 32 new convictions since January 2023.
The Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit has 36 defendants who are currently under indictment for sex or labor trafficking, with some facing charges in multiple jurisdictions around the state.
The Attorney General’s Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit is housed in the Prosecution Division, which also includes Carr’s Gang Prosecution Unit and his Public Integrity and White Collar Crime Unit.
Original source can be found here.