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2 indicted for trafficking drugs, 16-year-old victim in East Georgia, AG’s office says

By WSBTV.com News Staff

ANTHONY CHARLES HOLMES AND JAMEESHA MONIQUE HARRIS

By WSBTV.com News Staff

GREENE COUNTY, Ga. — Two Ohioans were indicted by Georgia Attorney General’s Office for trafficking drugs and human trafficking a 16-year-old victim for sexual servitude, according to an announcement from state officials.

Attorney General Chris Carr’s office said Anthony Charles Holmes Jameesha Monique Harris, both of Cleveland, were charged for trying to take the teenage victim with them in the car while driving on the highway in early August.

Officials said Holmes was driving a white Cadillac and stopped improperly at an intersection on GA-15 and GA-77, with Harris and their alleged victim in the car as passengers.

A Greene County Sheriff’s Deputy tried to pull them over for a traffic stop, when Holmes reportedly sped away, causing a pursuit from Greene County to Taliaferro County, according to Carr’s office.

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Deputies from Taliaferro County assisted in the pursuit, performing a pit maneuver to stop the Cadillac.

Officials said during the initial field investigation, deputies learned the teenager was reported missing out of South Carolina after being reported missing by her family in Ohio.

Due to those reports, and “multiple red flags indicating the child may be a victim of sex trafficking,” deputies called in the Georgia Bureau of Investigation’s Human Exploitation and Trafficking (HEAT) Unit to investigate.

The AG’s Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit also joined the investigation.

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Members of law enforcement learned, during the investigation, that Holmes and Harris had taken the 16-year-old from South Carolina to Atlanta to perform commercial sex acts, officials said.

“Yet another victim has been recovered, and two people who we allege were engaged in her trafficking are now facing serious charges,” Carr said. “We’re proud of our strong partnerships with District Attorney Wright Barksdale, the Greene County Sheriff’s Office, the Taliaferro County Sheriff’s Office, and GBI’s HEAT Unit as we fight to protect our most vulnerable Georgians. Together, we will continue to send a strong message that Georgia’s children are not for sale.”

During the pursuit and subsequent investigation, deputies found a firearm, as well as cocaine and marijuana prepared for distribution, among other evidence, according to officials.

As a result, Holmes and Harris were charged with sex trafficking and drug trafficking violations, the AG’s office said.

A Greene County Grand Jury indicted both Ohioans on Halloween. They now face the following charges:

Anthony Charles Holmes, 32, of Cleveland, Ohio:

  • 1 count of Trafficking of Persons for Sexual Servitude in violation of O.C.G.A. § 16-5-46(c)(2)
  • 1 count of Trafficking in Cocaine in violation of O.C.G.A. § 16-13-31(a)(1)(A)
  • 1 count of Possession of Marijuana in violation of O.C.G.A. § 16-13-30(j)(1)
  • 2 counts of Possession of Firearm During the Commission of a Felony in violation of O.C.G.A. § 16-11-106(b)(1) and O.C.G.A. § 16-11-106(b)(4)
  • 1 count of Possession of Firearm by a Convicted Felon in violation of O.C.G.A. § 16-11-131(b)
  • 1 count of Fleeing and Attempting to Elude Police Officer in violation of O.C.G.A. § 40-6-395(c)(1)
  • 1 count of Window Tint Violation in violation of O.C.G.A. § 40-8-73.1(b)(2)

Jameesha Monique Harris, 21, of Cleveland, Ohio:

  • 1 count of Trafficking of Persons for Sexual Servitude in violation of O.C.G.A. § 16-5-46(c)(2)
  • 1 count of Trafficking in Cocaine in violation of O.C.G.A. § 16-13-31(a)(1)(A)
  • 1 count of Possession of Marijuana in violation of O.C.G.A. § 16-13-30(j)(1)
  • 2 counts of Possession of Firearm During the Commission of a Felony in violation of O.C.G.A. § 16-11-106(b)(1) and O.C.G.A. § 16-11-106(b)(4)

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