ATLANTA — Attorney General Chris Carr announced a new statewide unit to combat and prosecute gang violence across Georgia Wednesday.
Fulton County Deputy Attorney Cara Convery will lead the first statewide Gang Prosecution Unit starting June 16, according to a release. Carr said Convery has established herself in the field of criminal gang prosecution. He added that she's also a "proven leader in Georgia’s legal community."
“Her years of experience handling complex criminal gang cases, her credibility in the courtroom and her rigorous pursuit of justice make her the ideal candidate to lead our new Gang Prosecution Unit," Carr said.
The gang crime-fighting unit will officially go into effect on July 1. The unit will partner with state agencies, local and federal prosecutors, and law enforcement to build these cases from investigation through trial.
"We will work every day to ensure violent criminals are aggressively prosecuted and put behind bars," Carr said.
Convery said she's excited and humbled to lead the new unit and continue to build upon the work of the Department of Law's Prosecution Division.
"I look forward to building our team and for us to immediately begin this critical work. By partnering with our local, state and federal partners, we will develop cases that attack our state’s most serious threat to public safety in dangerous criminal street gangs," she said.
Convery will lead a team of 11 attorneys and paralegals in prosecuting gang crimes across the state. She currently serves as Deputy District Attorney of the Fulton County Gang Unit, and oversees attorneys and investigators who work alongside law enforcement to prosecute "extremely violent offenses and offenders at a high volume."
Gov. Brian Kemp proposed the gang crime-fighting unit. HB1134 was supported by the House and the Senate. The bill provides the Office of the Attorney General with the jurisdiction to prosecute criminal gang activity across the state.
Georgia’s FY 2023 budget includes $1.6 million to establish the unit and it will be housed in the Attorney General’s Prosecution Division.
Gov. Kemp tweeted in part, "Gangs are fueling crime across Georgia, and we're taking the fight to them."
The new unit comes after several prominent rappers, including Young Thug and Gunna, have been indicted in connection with racketeering and gang-related charges. Both have been denied bond and are awaiting trials.