Carr: Dublin Gang Members Sentenced to Life Plus 410 Years for Double Murder

ATLANTA, GA – Attorney General Chris Carr today announced that the Superior Court of Laurens County has sentenced Jaswain Bell to two terms of life in prison plus 410 years for the murders of 24-year-old Sacred Brown and 23-year-old Miyori Ellington in Dublin, Georgia. On March 31, 2024, while driving through a residential area, Bell and his co-defendant, Quintez Mercer, opened fire on a crowd of people, killing both Brown and Ellington and injuring five others. The defendants are members of a hybrid criminal street gang known as Money Power Loyalty, or MPL, and the target of the shooting was a rival gang member.

Bell and Mercer were convicted by a Laurens County Jury on April 8, 2025, following a 12-day trial handled by the Attorney General’s Gang Prosecution Unit. Immediately after the verdict, Mercer was sentenced to two terms of life in prison plus 410 years. Sentencing for Bell took place on April 21, 2025.

MPL is a hybrid criminal street gang that originated in Laurens County. MPL associates typically align themselves with the 1831 Pirus and the Rollin’ 20s Neighborhood Bloods, both of which are traditional west coast Blood sets. In addition to Bell and Mercer, Carr’s Gang Prosecution Unit has also convicted 11 other MPL associates, including the founder and three leaders of the gang.

“We’re grateful to the Court for handing down the maximum sentence in this case,” said Carr. “It sends the message that if you are engaged in violent gang activity in this state, we are coming for you. We have taken several steps to dismantle the MPL gang in Dublin, and we will continue to work with our partners to rid this great community of violent crime.”

This case was prosecuted by Assistant Attorneys General Ashton Jordan and Lee M. Stoy, Jr. of the Attorney General’s Gang Prosecution Unit. It was investigated by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) and the Dublin Police Department. 

"The GBI’s Regional Drug Enforcement Offices and our Regional Gang Task Forces from around the state are committed to working alongside our law enforcement partners to hold violent criminals that are active in gangs accountable,” said GBI Director Chris Hosey. “This conviction serves as a reminder that we will relentlessly pursue justice for the victims and their families, and we will continue to dismantle the dangerous influence of criminal street gangs in Georgia."

Dublin Police Chief Keith Moon shared the following statement after the Jury returned its verdict: “I want to thank all the strong partnerships and tireless work of various law enforcement agencies that made these convictions possible and hopefully put a stop to these senseless shootings. I am exceptionally proud and thankful for the dedication of the women and men in law enforcement in our community. This case demonstrates the depth of concern that these women and men share for the well-being and safety of our community members, as well as the extreme risk that they unselfishly accept. I also want to thank the dedication of the State of Georgia Attorney General's Office and the Dublin District Attorney's Office for their tireless efforts in the successful prosecution of this case. This conviction shows the coordinated, continued, and exhaustive effort of the entire justice arm in this area. We are determined to bring every effort, resource, and partnership to bear that would make the citizens of Laurens County safer. We hope that this brings some measure of peace and justice to those who loved Miyori Ellington and Sacred Brown.”

Convictions 

On April 8, 2025, Jaswain Bell and Quintez Mercer were found guilty on all counts of the indictment brought by the Attorney General’s Gang Prosecution Unit. Those charges are listed below.

Jaswain Bell (aka “Hot”):

• 2 counts of Malice Murder 
• 4 counts of Felony Murder
• 8 counts of Aggravated Assault
• 5 counts of Aggravated Battery
• 11 counts of Violation of the Street Gang Terrorism and Prevention Act
• 2 counts of Criminal Damage to Property in the First Degree
• 3 counts of Possession of a Firearm During the Commission of a Felony 
• 1 count of Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon
• 1 count of Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon During a Crime

Quintez Mercer (aka “Head Hunna”):

• 2 counts of Malice Murder 
• 4 counts of Felony Murder
• 8 counts of Aggravated Assault
• 5 counts of Aggravated Battery
• 12 counts of Violation of the Street Gang Terrorism and Prevention Act
• 2 counts of Criminal Damage to Property in the First Degree
• 3 counts of Possession of a Firearm During the Commission of a Felony 
• 1 count of Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon
• 1 count of Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon During a Crime

About the Attorney General’s Gang Prosecution Unit 

In 2022, with the support of Governor Brian Kemp and members of the General Assembly, Attorney General Chris Carr created Georgia’s first statewide Gang Prosecution Unit. 

Since it began its historic work on July 1, 2022, the Gang Prosecution Unit has secured more than 80 convictions and indicted over 140 individuals in Athens-Clarke, Barrow, Bryan, Clayton, Cobb, DeKalb, Dougherty, Fulton, Gwinnett, Laurens, Lowndes, Muscogee, Richmond and Thomas counties.   

Carr’s Gang Prosecution Unit is based in Atlanta, with regional, satellite prosecutors and investigators in Albany, Augusta, Columbus, Macon and Southeast Georgia. 

The Gang Prosecution Unit is housed in the Attorney General’s Prosecution Division, which also includes Carr’s Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit, his White Collar and Cyber Crime Unit, and his Organized Retail Crime Unit.