The Gwinnett County Police Department has arrested 17 people it says are connected to the 59 Brim Bloods street gang.
Two of those arrested are believed to be major leaders within the gang. Wonnawon Wonzon, 29, was described by police as the gang’s Atlanta leader and is now facing 31 criminal charges. Marlin Smith, 39, was described by police as the gang’s leader for Virginia and North Carolina and is facing six charges.
READ | Gwinnett man convicted of shooting woman who was found naked, bleeding
The 59 Brim Bloods has been active in the county and metro Atlanta for about 10 years, according to the police department. The current investigation into the gang’s activity in Gwinnett began in January, with detectives and officers from the Gwinnett County Police Department and deputies from the Gwinnett County Sheriff’s Office.
The gang engages in a number of different criminal activities, according to the police department, including pimping, prostitution, robbery, illegal gun sales, drug trafficking, assault and murder. In addition to the arrests, police seized 72.4 grams of fentanyl, 139 grams of heroin, 57.6 grams of cocaine, 44.6 grams of MDMA, 2.4 kilograms of meth and 18 guns. Four of the 18 guns seized were stolen, police said.
The first arrest in this investigation occurred on Feb. 19, when 19-year-old Brianne Froeliger was charged with 14 offenses including theft by receiving stolen property and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. The last arrest before the police department’s Tuesday announcement was made on Oct. 28. Renaldo Lawrence, 38, was charged with multiple weapons and drug offenses.
with The investigation is ongoing, and police have more than 50 additional persons of interest. Those currently under arrest are:
• Wonnawon Wonzon, 29, of Brookhaven, charged with trafficking heroin (two counts), trafficking methamphetamine (three counts), use of a telecommunication facility in the commission of a felony (three counts), violation of the Street Gang and Terrorism Prevention Act (two counts), sale of a schedule 1 substance (heroin), possession with intent to distribute a counterfeit substance, conspiracy to commit a felony (nine counts), trafficking fentanyl, possession with intent to distribute cocaine, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon (three counts), possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, possession of a schedule 1 substance (MDMA), possession of a schedule 2 substance (one count each for oxycodone and fentanyl)
• Sceon Skeffers, 29, of Athens, charged with possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony; possession of a firearm by a convicted felon; criminal use of a firearm with an altered ID mark; possession of cocaine; sale of cocaine; violation of the Street Gang and Terrorism Prevention Act (three counts); and possession, manufacture, delivery or sale of a counterfeit substance
• Anthony Savage, 23, of Norcross, charged with conspiracy to commit a felony, violation of the Criminal Street Gang and Terrorism Prevention Act and use of a telecommunication facility in commission of a felony
• Shunay Rawls, 31, of High Point, North Carolina, charged with trafficking methamphetamine, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony and violation of the Criminal Street Gang and Terrorism Prevention Act
• Gwendolyn Francies, 60, of High Point, North Carolina, charged with trafficking methamphetamine and violation of the Criminal Street Gang and Terrorism Prevention Act
• Eldin Mehmedovic, 21, of Lawrenceville, charged with possession of heroin
• Ronald Meyers, charged with possession of fentanyl (identifying information not immediately available)
• Robert Lo, 27, of Lawrenceville, charged with violation of Criminal Street Gang and Terrorism Prevention Act, possession with intent to distribute MDMA, possession with intent to distribute cocaine, possession with intent to distribute marijuana, trafficking methamphetamine, possession of drug-related objects, possession of oxycodone, possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon (three counts)
• Isaiah Lo, 23, of Lawrenceville, charged with violation of Criminal Street Gang and Terrorism Prevention Act, possession of MDMA, possession of cocaine with the intent to distribute, possession of marijuana with the intent to distribute, traffickng methamphetamine, possession of drug-related objects, possession of oxycodone, possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon (three counts)
• Diamonique Dunning, 23, of Duluth, charged with violation of Criminal Street Gang and Terrorism Prevention Act, possession of MDMA, possession of cocaine with the intent to distribute, possession of marijuana with the intent to distribute, traffickng methamphetamine, possession of drug-related objects, possession of oxycodone and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon
• Yei Yearney, 32, of Lawrenceville, charged with possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, possession of MDMA, possession of cocaine with the intent to distribute, trafficking heroin (two counts), possession of cocaine, trafficking methamphetamine, possession of oxycodone and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony (two counts)
• Marlin Smith, 34, of Eden, North Carolina, charged with trafficking methamphetamine, violation of Criminal Street Gang and Terrorism Prevention Act, conspiracy to commit a felony, criminal street gang leadership and use of a telecommunication facility in the commission of a felony
• Renaldo Lawrence, 38, of Loganville, charged with possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, possession of MDMA, possession of cocaine with the intent to distribute, trafficking heroin, trafficking heroin/fentanyl, trafficking methamphetamine, possession of oxycodone and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony (two counts)
• Fred Yarweh, 25, of Lawrenceville, charged with charged with violation of Criminal Street Gang and Terrorism Prevention Act, possession of MDMA, possession of cocaine with the intent to distribute, possession of marijuana with the intent to distribute, traffickng methamphetamine, possession of drug-related objects, possession of oxycodone and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony
• Melia Bennett, 25, of Norcross, charged with violation of the Criminal Street Gang and Terrorism Prevention Act and conspiracy to commit a felony (two counts)
• Keion King, 24, of Duluth, charged with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon (eight counts), theft by receiving stolen property (three counts) and violation of the Street Gang and Terrorism Prevention Act
• Brianne Froeliger, 19, charged with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon (eight counts), theft by receiving stolen property (three counts), violation of the Street Gang and Terrorism Prevention Act, providing false statements and possession of marijuana less than one ounce
Like Gwinnett County News on Facebook | Follow us on Twitter and Instagram
Stay up to the minute with breaking news on Channel 2 Action News This Morning
About the Author
