Demetrius Sanchez Smith, a resident of Georgia, was recently found guilty of gang-related offenses following a trial connected to a 2022 shooting incident in Toccoa.
According to officials from the GBI, Sanchez was scheduled to stand trial on January 22 but pleaded guilty to the charges before the jury was empaneled.
The investigation was carried out by the GBI’s Gang Task Force and Cleveland Regional Investigative Office, in collaboration with the Toccoa Police Department. Assistance was provided by the FBI, as mentioned by GBI officials.
Officials further reported that Smith, aged 34, was convicted of three counts, including Conspiracy to Commit Aggravated Assault, Violation of the Street Gang Terrorism and Prevention Act, and Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon, following a guilty plea in the Superior Court of Stephens County.
As a consequence of the plea, Smith was sentenced to 40 years, with 8 of those years to be served in prison. Additionally, he was banished from the Mountain Judicial Circuit, according to an official release.