Fulton County Jail detention officers targeted in murder-for-hire conspiracy

Caption

The federal indictment alleges a murder-for-hire conspiracy to kill Fulton Jail detention officers who threatened illegal drug and contraband activity at the jail.

Credit: Courtesy of Rough Draft Atlanta

Six people have been indicted in a murder-for-hire conspiracy targeting two Fulton County Jail detention officers.

“These defendants demonstrated a callous disregard for human life when allegedly plotting to murder detention officers who threatened their illegal drug and contraband activity at the Fulton County Jail,” said U.S. District Attorney for the Northern District of Georgia Ryan K. Buchanan in a news release.

The release said the six individuals who were indicted are Wayne Alford, Latasha Baker, Matthew Freeman (also known as “Coach Poker,” “Pokerface Matt,” and “Gotti Freeman”, Jaheim Arnold (also known as “Slime” and “Toppslime”), Carlos Pearson (also known as “Rico Reflection” and “Rice Rico”) and Jayden Barnes (also known as “Swipe” and “El Swiper”).

According to the indictment, Alford, a pretrial detainee at the jail’s South Annex, allegedly conspired with other people inside and outside of the prison to kill at least two detention officers who had interfered with his contraband and narcotics trafficking operations.

Baker, a detention officer at the Fulton Couty Jail, and Freeman, who was serving a sentence for armed robbery at Valdosta State Prison, are alleged to have agreed with Alford to hire and pay individuals to kill the detention officers. The release said they communicated using contraband cell phones from inside the jail and prison.

The indictment alleges Pearson and Barnes agreed to commit the murders for $1,000 each. The plot was thwarted when the targeted detention officers detected tracking devices attached to the bottom of their vehicles. Several of the conspirators are known members of the GoodFellas gang.

“It is unthinkable and deplorable that one of our detention officers would conspire to have one or more of her co-workers killed,” said Fulton County Sheriff Patrick “Pat” Labat in the release. “This indictment underscores the serious nature of the allegations and the importance of accountability. 

A federal grand jury returned a six-count indictment on Oct. 22. It was unsealed on Nov. 4. The release said the defendants were charged in the indictment as follows:

• Wayne Alford, 27, of Milledgeville, Georgia, was charged with two counts of conspiracy to commit murder for hire, one count of drug trafficking conspiracy, and one count of conspiracy to carry a firearm during a drug trafficking crime.
• Matthew Freeman, 26, of Glennville, Georgia, was charged with two counts of conspiracy to commit murder for hire, one count of drug trafficking conspiracy, and one count of conspiracy to carry a firearm during a drug trafficking crime.
• Latasha Baker, 38, of Hampton, Georgia, was charged with two counts of conspiracy to commit murder for hire, one count of drug trafficking conspiracy, and one count of conspiracy to carry a firearm during a drug trafficking crime.
• Jaheim Arnold, 21, of Atlanta, Georgia, was charged with two counts of conspiracy to commit murder for hire, one count of drug trafficking conspiracy, and one count of conspiracy to carry a firearm during a drug trafficking crime. He was also charged with one count of possession of a firearm during a drug trafficking crime and one count of possession of a firearm as a convicted felon.
• Carlos Pearson, 33, of College Park, Georgia, was charged with two counts of conspiracy to commit murder for hire.
• Jayden Barnes, 19, of Atlanta, Georgia was charged with two counts of conspiracy to commit murder for hire.

The public is reminded that indictments only contain charges. The defendants are presumed innocent with the government bearing the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.

The case is being investigated by the FBI, with the assistance of the Fulton County Sheriff’s office and the Georgia Department of Corrections.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew R. LaGrone and Teresa M. Stolze are prosecuting the case.

This story comes to GPB through a reporting partnership with Rough Draft Atlanta.