GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. — Members of an organized vehicle break-in ring have pleaded guilty after authorities say they targeted nearly 500 vehicles during a crime spree that stretched across Gwinnett County and beyond.
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The Gwinnett County District Attorney’s Office said the group operated from November 2022 through March 2024, breaking into cargo vans and other vehicles to steal high-end painting equipment, firearms, cash and other valuables.
Investigators said the crew, whose members ranged in age from 21 to 26 when the crimes began, was linked to nearly 500 vehicle break-ins. Authorities also accused the group of stealing vehicles in Gwinnett County and then using those vehicles to commit additional break-ins in neighboring counties.
Javaris Cardell Gamble, 25, Myles David Cameron,24, Kylija Devion Yates,25, Randy D. Martinez,27, Emmanuel Chavarria-Ornelas, 27, Giovanni Louis Bell,29, and Kejuan Donarius Miliam, 26, each pleaded guilty to violating Georgia’s Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act.
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They also admitted to multiple charges including breaking into a vehicle with intent to commit theft or a felony, theft by taking and criminal trespass. Gamble additionally pleaded guilty to aggravated assault stemming from a shooting during one of the thefts.
Authorities said one of the most alarming incidents happened on July 19, 2023, when a homeowner discovered members of the group breaking into a vehicle. Prosecutors said an armed member of the crew opened fire on the homeowner before leaving. The homeowner was not injured.
Investigators later determined the group operated out of a “safe house” in East Point, where members allegedly returned with stolen property after committing the crimes.
“We are glad this crime spree was ended, and we hope this sentencing serves as a deterrent to future criminal enterprises like this,” Gwinnett District Attorney Patsy Austin-Gatson said in a statement.
Each defendant received a 20-year sentence, though the amount of time to be served in prison varies.
Miliam was sentenced to serve 14 years behind bars, while Gamble will serve 12 years. Yates, Cameron and Martinez were each ordered to serve 10 years in prison. Chavarria-Ornelas received five years in prison, and Bell was sentenced to two years and six months in prison followed by three years of work release.
Authorities said the guilty pleas bring an end to a lengthy investigation into one of the largest vehicle break-in operations uncovered in the county in recent years.
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