Athens Man Indicted On Murder, Other Charges Connected To Shootings

ATLANTA, GA — A 26-year-old man accused of being a member of the Red Tape Gang was indicted Jan. 10 by a grand jury on murder and 15 other charges, Attorney General Chris Carr announced Tuesday.

Jeffery Rice, of Athens-Clarke County, is accused in an October 2022 fatal shooting, Carr said.

According to the indictment, Rice is accused of killing Alijah Nelson and shooting and "seriously disfiguring" a second person by causing multiple scars.

He is also accused of shooting a third person who was near her car, causing damage to the car, according to the indictment.

Carr said Rice is charged on suspicion of four counts of violating the Street Gang Terrorism and Prevention Act, two counts of felony murder, two counts of aggravated assault, one count of aggravated battery, three counts of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon during a crime, one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, one count of possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, one count of first degree criminal damage to property and one count of driving while license suspended.

Both murder counts are connected to Nelson's death, according to the indictment.

Rice was previously convicted of aggravated assault on April 12, 2016, in Clarke County, according to the indictment.

According to Carr's office, "The Red Tape Gang is a local hybrid gang with ties to major national Bloods, including Sex Money Murder and the Rollin’ 20s."

The Athens-Clarke County Police Department investigated the case.

Carr said his Gang Prosecution Unit has indicted 50 people accused of being gang members since its inception in July 2022. Eleven of those indictments were in Clarke County.

“With our new Gang Prosecution Unit, we are using all resources at our disposal to disrupt the growing gang networks that are terrorizing our communities and putting people at risk,” Carr said in a news release.

“This latest indictment is the result of our strong partnership with the Athens-Clarke County Police Department as we work together to ensure that those who engage in violent crime are held accountable for their actions. All Georgians deserve to be safe, and we will continue fighting to root out gang activity wherever it occurs.”