A member of the Macon Mafia criminal organization, Nekoase Antwan Vinson, has been sentenced to federal prison for illegal possession of a firearm. The sentencing follows his involvement in a gang-related fatal shooting at a gas station in Macon, Georgia, last year.
Vinson, aged 41 and from Macon, was sentenced to 107 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release. U.S. District Judge Marc Treadwell delivered the sentence on May 12 after Vinson pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm by a convicted felon earlier this year. Additionally, his supervised release was revoked for a previous conviction related to conspiracy to distribute cocaine base in West Virginia.
"A man lost his life as a result of a gang-related shooting where convicted felons illegally possessed rapid-fire guns capable of killing many people," stated Acting U.S. Attorney C. Shanelle Booker. "Our office will use every federal resource available to lawfully hold repeat felons accountable for illegally arming themselves and endangering our community."
Bibb County Sheriff David Davis commented on the case: "This case is a tragic example of the mayhem that results when criminal gang members with illegally possessed firearms try to settle scores in public."
The incident occurred on July 20, 2024, at the Marathon gas station on Napier Avenue in Macon. Video surveillance captured Vinson brandishing an AR-style rifle during an exchange of gunfire involving another individual, Joshua Teone Curry. That night resulted in the death of RaQuavian Smith due to gunshot wounds.
Law enforcement seized both firearms seen on video along with another pistol on August 23, 2024. A search warrant executed at Roy Street led to the arrest of Vinson and Curry and the discovery of additional firearms and Macon Mafia memorabilia.
This case falls under Operation Take Back America, an initiative by the Department of Justice aimed at combating illegal immigration and transnational criminal organizations while protecting communities from violent crime perpetrators.
The investigation was conducted by Homeland Security Investigations with support from the Bibb County Sheriff's Office. Criminal Chief Leah E. McEwen prosecuted the case for the Government.