Attorney General Chris Carr today announced the indictment of Jerrmaine Winston Knowles on one count of Racketeering and one count of Giving a False Name and Date of Birth to a Law Enforcement Officer. 

“Our office continues to vigorously pursue those who perpetrate fraud on Georgia’s citizens by stealing their personal and financial information,” said Carr. “We look forward to seeking justice in court. We applaud the work of our Prosecution Division in investigating this fairly large-scale theft and appreciate our statewide partners who played a role in helping to dismantle this scheme before more Georgians were harmed.”

The Georgia Department of Law’s Prosecution Division presented evidence to a Cobb County grand jury, resulting in Knowles’ indictment* on Oct. 28, 2021. Specifically, the indictment charges the defendant with the following which, if convicted, can carry the respective penalties:

• Racketeering in violation of O.C.G.A. § 16-14-4(c) – 5-20 years in prison and a fine of up to three times the amount of the pecuniary value gained
• Giving a False Name and Date of Birth to a Law Enforcement Officer in violation of O.C.G.A. § 16‑10-25 – up to 12 months in custody and a fine of up to $1,000

The following law enforcement agencies assisted in this investigation:

• Attorney General’s Office Criminal Investigation Section
• Georgia Bureau of Investigation
• Georgia Department of Driver Services Investigative Services Section

“This defendant is alleged to have been involved in an elaborate scheme to victimize both living and deceased persons by stealing their identities for his own personal gain,” said Georgia Bureau of Investigation Director Vic Reynolds. “These types of crimes make day to day living difficult for living victims and also affect the survivors of the deceased. We are thankful for the Attorney General’s Office for prosecuting this case to bring the offender to justice.”

“Georgia Department of Driver Services (DDS) takes the safety and security of our customers’ personal information seriously,” said DDS Commissioner Spencer R. Moore. “The DDS Office of Investigative Services actively investigates fraud and misuse of DDS-issued credentials. We work in partnership with federal, state and local law enforcement to ensure perpetrators are brought to justice and victims are assisted with restoring any compromised information.”

The indictment is attached, and no further information about the investigation or about Knowles’ alleged crimes other than that stated in the indictment may be released at this time.

*Members of the public should keep in mind that indictments contain only allegations against the individual against whom the indictment is sought. A defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty, and it will be the government’s burden at trial to prove the defendant guilty beyond a reasonable doubt of the allegations contained in the indictment.