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Atlanta, GA (BFMG) – Attorney General Chris Carr announced Monday that Anthony Charles Holmes, 33, of Cleveland, Ohio, was convicted of human trafficking after transporting a 16-year-old girl from South Carolina to Atlanta to engage in commercial sex acts. The victim, reported missing in South Carolina, was recovered on Aug. 2, 2023, during a traffic stop by the Greene County Sheriff’s Office.
A Greene County jury returned a guilty verdict on Oct. 21, 2024, after a five-day trial. Holmes was convicted on charges including trafficking of persons for sexual servitude, trafficking in cocaine, possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Sentencing is scheduled for Nov. 13, 2024.
Jameesha Harris, a co-defendant who helped transport the victim, previously pleaded guilty to human trafficking and other charges.
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“Thanks to the leadership of our governor and first lady, Georgia’s law enforcement officers are better equipped than ever to identify the signs of human trafficking, and lives are being saved as a result,” Carr said. “As soon as this victim was recovered, our team worked to ensure every one of her traffickers was brought to justice, and this conviction is a testament to that effort. We are grateful for our partnerships with District Attorney Wright Barksdale, the Greene and Taliaferro County sheriff’s offices, and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, and we will continue fighting to combat human trafficking in our state.”
The case was prosecuted by Assistant Attorney General Maggie Meetze and investigated by the Greene and Taliaferro County sheriff’s offices, along with the GBI’s Human Exploitation and Trafficking (HEAT) Unit, with support from the Attorney General’s Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit.
“The Greene County Sheriff’s Office is committed to protecting victims and holding traffickers accountable,” Greene County Sheriff Donnie Harrison said. “We will continue working with our law enforcement partners to stop human trafficking in our community.”
“This could not have been accomplished without collaboration with the Attorney General’s Office, Greene County Sheriff’s Office, and GBI,” Taliaferro County Sheriff Tia McWilliams said. “The Taliaferro County Sheriff’s Office takes pride in knowing another victim is safe and two traffickers are off the streets.”
“Human trafficking will not be tolerated in Georgia,” GBI Director Chris Hosey said. “This conviction highlights the dedication of the GBI’s HEAT Unit and our partners to hold traffickers accountable for these heinous crimes.”
Guilty Verdict
On Oct. 21, 2024, Anthony Charles Holmes was found guilty of the following charges:
- 1 count of Trafficking of Persons for Sexual Servitude – O.C.G.A. § 16-5-46(c)(2)
- 1 count of Trafficking in Cocaine – O.C.G.A. § 16-13-31(a)(1)(A)
- 2 counts of Possession of a Firearm During the Commission of a Felony – O.C.G.A. § 16-11-106(b)(1) and O.C.G.A. § 16-11-106(b)(4)
- 1 count of Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon – O.C.G.A. § 16-11-131(b)
- 1 count of Possession of Marijuana – O.C.G.A. § 16-13-30(j)(1)
- 1 count of Fleeing and Attempting to Elude a Police Officer – O.C.G.A. § 40-6-395(c)(1)
- 1 count of Window Tint Violation – O.C.G.A. § 40-8-73.1(b)(2)
About the Attorney General’s Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit
In 2019, with the support of Governor Brian Kemp, First Lady Marty Kemp and leaders in the Georgia General Assembly, Attorney General Chris Carr created the first-of-its-kind statewide Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit.
Since its inception, Carr’s Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit has secured 50 criminal convictions and rescued and assisted nearly 200 children.
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation’s Human Exploitation and Trafficking Unit was called in to investigate due to “multiple red flags indicating the child may be a victim of sex trafficking,” the AG’s office said previously.
“Our Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit has secured yet another conviction after assisting in the recovery of an underage victim,” Carr said in a statement. “As we have seen time and again, those involved in the trafficking of a child are often engaged in other criminal activity, and they must be held accountable. By working with partners like District Attorney Wright Barksdale, the Greene County Sheriff’s Office, the Taliaferro County Sheriff’s Office, and GBI’s HEAT Unit, we will continue to use the full force of the law to ensure traffickers are off our streets and our children are kept safe.”
The Attorney General’s Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit is housed in the Prosecution Division, which also includes Carr’s Gang Prosecution Unit, his White Collar and Cyber Crime Unit, and his Organized Retail Crime Unit.
