Unforgiven Gang Member Sentenced to 15 Years in Federal Prison for Drug Conspiracy, Illegal Firearm Possession
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Senior U.S. District Judge Henry L. Adams has sentenced Geoffrey Scott Carter, 44, Jacksonville, to 15 years in federal prison for conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute and to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine and possession of a firearm as a convicted felon. The court also ordered Carter to forfeit 10 firearms and assorted ammunition. Carter had pleaded guilty on March 28, 2023.
According to court documents, on Aug. 5, 2022, in St. Johns County, a police officer observed an SUV commit a traffic offense and the officer executed a traffic stop. The only occupants of the SUV were its driver and Carter. A police canine alerted when walked around the SUV, indicating the recent presence of illegal drugs in the vehicle. When an officer searched the SUV, he found two loaded pistols (one of which had been previously reported stolen), approximately 36 grams of crystal methamphetamine, 21 grams of cocaine, 3 grams of MDMA (also known as ecstasy), 3 grams of marijuana, a digital scale, syringes and baggies. The driver denied knowing that there were illegal drugs in the vehicle but confirmed that Carter was a drug dealer. When searched, Carter had brass knuckles in his pocket and was wearing an empty firearm holster. When an officer located the holster, Carter stated that it was for holding his cigarettes. Carter was arrested for various state offenses, but soon was released on bond.
Following Carter’s release, a confidential source, acting at the direction of law enforcement, purchased controlled substances from Carter four times at Carter’s home in Jacksonville. During these transactions, Carter sold the confidential source approximately 645 grams of methamphetamine, 3 grams of fentanyl and a Colt revolver. Having previously been convicted of 11 felony offenses, Carter is prohibited by law from possessing firearms, including the Colt revolver.
On Nov. 2, 2022, law enforcement agents and officers executed a federal search warrant at Carter’s home. During the search, they located seven loaded handguns, two body armor vests, ammunition, a scale, baggies containing methamphetamine and marijuana, a Nazi flag, and a vest with markings associated with the “Unforgiven,” a white-supremacist prison gang.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office, the St. Augustine Beach Police Department and the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael J. Coolican.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department of Justice launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities and measuring the results.
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