Major Gang Crackdown in Augusta Leads to Multiple Arrests, Large Narcotics and Cash Seizure
On December 16, 2025, the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office Gang Unit, Narcotics Division, Special Operations Crime Suppression, and K9 Teams, in partnership with the Grovetown Police Department, executed multiple search warrants linked to the violent criminal street gang Youngins with Money (Y.W.M.). Warrants were served at three locations: 2353 Henry Circle and 1425 Feldspar Court in Augusta, and 1012 Candleberry Drive in Grovetown. The operation resulted in the seizure of roughly 30 pounds of marijuana, methamphetamine, numerous gang-related items, and $211,166 in U.S. currency.
Three suspected gang members were arrested during the raids:
- Mikael Javaro Williams – Trafficking in Marijuana and Possession of Methamphetamine with Intent to Distribute
- De’Ante Cannon – Trafficking in Marijuana, Unlawful Participation in Street Gang Activity, and Obstruction of Law Enforcement
- Kareem Levon Butler – Trafficking in Marijuana
The investigation into Y.W.M. began in February 2025, identifying the gang’s involvement in violent offenses, illegal possession of firearms, and large-scale narcotics trafficking. Throughout the year, numerous enforcement actions weakened the gang’s operations:
- March 12, 2025: Two members arrested after a large quantity of marijuana was located in a vehicle on Tubman Home Road.
- September 18, 2025: Two members arrested after nine firearms, marijuana, and oxycodone pills were seized from a residence on Brookshire Drive.
- September 30, 2025: A Richmond County Superior Court grand jury returned a 42-count indictment against 11 Y.W.M. defendants, charging them under Georgia’s Street Gang Terrorism and Prevention Act along with related violent crime and firearm offenses.
- October 1–23, 2025: Multiple additional arrests of gang members and associates, with firearms, marijuana, and other drugs recovered from vehicles and residences in Augusta.
- December 12, 2025: Another member arrested after a large quantity of marijuana was discovered inside a vehicle on Windsor Spring Road.
Since January 2025, the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office has arrested numerous Y.W.M. members and associates, seizing 20 firearms, approximately 41 pounds of marijuana, methamphetamine, oxycodone, and substantial cash used to fund gang operations.
Sheriff Eugene Brantley noted that while Y.W.M. has not been fully dismantled, law enforcement has significantly disrupted the gang by removing leadership, confiscating narcotics and firearms, and eliminating financial resources. Chief Lewis Blanchard praised the collaboration with the Grovetown Police Department, emphasizing that gang, drug, and firearm-related violence will not be tolerated in Augusta or the CSRA.
