A Statesboro man is among five defendants facing federal charges including illegal possession of firearms after separate indictments by a grand jury in the Southern District of Georgia. 

The indicted cases are being investigated as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods in collaboration with federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, including the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the FBI, to reduce violent crime with measures that include targeting convicted felons who illegally carry guns.

Herman Lamont Dessasure, 30, of Statesboro is charged with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.

“Individuals who are convicted of felonies are prohibited from possessing guns,” said Jill E. Steinberg, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. “With our law enforcement partners, we will continue to protect the safety of our communities by identifying and removing these repeat offenders.”  

In the past four years, more than 820 defendants have been federally charged in the Southern District for illegal firearms offenses – most often for possessing a firearm after conviction for a previous felony. That charge carries a statutory penalty of up to 15 years in prison, and there is no parole in the federal system.

In addition to Dessasure, the following defendants were named in federal indictments from the April 2023 term of the U.S. District Court grand jury:

Wesley Rosenberg, 24, of Ludowici, charged with engaging in the firearms business without a license, and two counts of transfer of a firearm in violation of the National Firearms Act. The indictments allege Rosenberg unlawfully imported and sold firearm silencers.

Tyrell Smith, 32, of Savannah, charged with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon;

Dustin Shane Webster, 30, of Augusta, charged with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon; and,

Joquan K. Clark, 25, of Waynesboro, charged with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.

Agencies investigating the cases include the ATF, the FBI, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, the Savannah Police Department, the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office and the Georgia State Patrol.

Under federal law, it is illegal for an individual to possess a firearm if he or she falls into one of nine prohibited categories including being a felon; illegal alien; or unlawful user of a controlled substance.