An Athens man and known gang member was recently convicted in connection with a fatal Oct. 2022 shooting in Athens-Clarke County.
According to a press release from Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr, Jeffrey Rice, 27, is a confirmed member of the Red Tape Gang and was involved in the shooting on Oct. 21, 2022, on Gaines School Road. The Red Tape Gang is a local hybrid criminal street gang with ties to major national Bloods, including Sex Money Murder and the Rollin' 20s.
Rice was sentenced to 30 years, with the first 18 years to be served in prison and the remainder on strict probation.
Carr said the incident happened when Rice drove his vehicle into the parking lot of a Citgo gas station on Gaines School Road. A fellow gang member, Alijah Nelson, was in Rice's vehicle.
The two spotted a rival gang member walking past their vehicle, at which time they stopped and got out of the car. Nelson opened fire at the rival gang member, while Rice reportedly fired at least once before his gun jammed. The rival gang member received multiple gunshot wounds to his abdomen and back but was able to return fire in self-defense, killing Nelson in the process.
Rice pleaded guilty on Aug. 14 to the following charges:
- 1 count of Voluntary Manslaughter
- 1 count of Aggravated Assault
- 1 count of Aggravated Battery
- 4 counts of Violation of the Street Gang Terrorism and Prevention Act
- 1 count of Criminal Damage to Property in the First Degree
- 1 count of Driving While License Suspended
“This conviction is yet another step in our ongoing efforts to dismantle the growing gang networks that continue to incite violence in our communities,” said Carr. “We have been working with the Athens-Clarke County Police Department since the very beginning, and our strong partnership has already resulted in gang members behind bars and even more defendants still facing serious charges. All Georgians deserve to be safe, and we will never stop fighting to rid our streets of this dangerous and criminal activity.”
The case was investigated by the Athens-Clarke County Police Department's Homicide and Gang Units with assistance from the Attorney General's Prosecution Unit. Over the past year, the Attorney General's Gang Prosecution Unit has worked with ACCPD to indict a total of 15 defendants, including Rice, and seven alleged members of the Red Tape Gang.
