Bloods Gang Member Who Shot at FBI Agent in Columbus Sentenced to Prison

COLUMBUS, Ga. – A Columbus resident and confirmed member of the Bloods criminal street gang who fired multiple rounds at an FBI agent to evade arrest in 2022 was sentenced to prison for his crimes this week.

Jarvis Smith, 29, of Columbus, was sentenced to serve 117 months in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release on Feb. 27, after he pleaded guilty to one count of forcible assault on a federal law enforcement officer, one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime and one count of possession of a firearm by a prohibited person on Aug. 9, 2023.

Co-defendant Joshuia Johnathon Luke Brown aka “Black,” 26, was sentenced to serve a total of 319 months in prison on Jan. 29, after Brown was convicted by a federal jury of one count of forcible assault on a federal officer with a deadly weapon, one count of brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances, one count of distribution of methamphetamine, one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, three counts of possession with intent to distribute controlled substances and one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime on Sept. 18, 2023.

U.S. District Judge Clay Land handed down the sentences. The defendants are not eligible for parole.

“Jarvis Smith and Joshuia Brown fired multiple rounds at an FBI agent, striking the agent’s car as well as a nearby home; thankfully, no one was injured or killed,” said U.S. Attorney Peter D. Leary. “All levels of law enforcement are working together to hold violent gang members accountable for their crimes and reduce violence in Columbus and across the Middle District of Georgia.”

“Anyone who assaults a law enforcement officer is dangerous and an extreme threat to public safety. Putting away violent criminals, like Brown and Smith, is one of the most important things we can do to protect our communities,” said Rich Bilson, Senior Supervisory Resident Agent of FBI Atlanta’s Columbus office. “The FBI will not tolerate any act of violence against another individual, let alone against one of our own. Thankfully, no one—including our Special Agent—was injured during their act of terror. Columbus is a safer community with these gang members off the streets.”

“The federal system leveraged justice for both cowards involved,” said Muscogee County Sheriff Greg Countryman. “This wild west behavior is unacceptable. I am grateful for the work and courage our FBI agents displayed. I see the fruits of their labor in our community. It’s making a huge impact with gang and criminal activity.”

According to court documents, federal agents were surveilling Smith and Brown in July 2022 as part of a larger and ongoing investigation into armed drug trafficking in the Columbus community. Through surveillance, agents observed a drug transaction involving Smith and Brown on July 28, 2022, in the vicinity of 1049 Winston Road in Columbus. At 4:35 p.m., Smith departed the scene in his car with Brown. FBI Agent S.A. conducted mobile surveillance as Smith traveled down Wade Street, turning south on Sheridan Avenue. Smith, who was driving, stopped his car in the middle of the road and he and Brown, who was a passenger, stepped outside of the car with weapons pointed in the agent’s direction and fired multiple rounds at the agent’s car, hitting the passenger door, the roof and the rear bumper of the FBI vehicle. One round traveled through the back of the FBI agent’s passenger seat, hitting a small bag on the front passenger side. Another round entered a private residence’s living room window, shattering a painting on the wall. The FBI agent was not injured during the shooting.

FBI and Muscogee County Sheriff’s Office units attempted to stop Smith’s car; Smith and Brown were able to elude law enforcement in a lengthy pursuit by car and on foot. Smith was taken into custody on July 28. After a manhunt that last several days, Brown turned himself in on Aug. 10. Law enforcement recovered a camo backpack dropped by Smith during the pursuit that held a fully loaded Glock pistol with an extended magazine, a fully loaded .380 semi-automatic pistol and ammunition.   Also, several baggies containing methamphetamine, pills and other illegal drugs were found inside Smith’s backpack. A bag dropped by Brown during the pursuit contained a fully loaded Glock 19X handgun with an extended magazine. Two bullets recovered from the FBI agent’s vehicle matched the Glock 19X found inside Brown’s discarded bag. Both the Glock 19X and the Glock pistol were modified to operate as machine guns.

Smith is a confirmed member of the Bloods criminal street gang and has a prior conviction of aggravated assault, burglary and robbery in Muscogee County, Georgia, Superior Court, Case No. SU-13-Cr-1336. Brown is a member of US World, a hybrid criminal street gang based out of Columbus that is affiliated with other national criminal gangs. It is illegal for a convicted felon to possess a firearm.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

This case was investigated by the FBI and the Muscogee County Sheriff’s Office, with assistance from multiple agencies including the DEA, the Columbus Police Department, the Harris County Sheriff’s Office, the Phenix City Police Department and the Russell County, Alabama, Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher Williams and Crawford Seals prosecuted the cases for the Government.