Clarke County

Alleged Athens gang member indicted for felony murder

ATHENS, Ga. — An Athens-Clarke County man has been indicted for his alleged involvement in a deadly, allegedly gang-related shooting that killed a 19-year-old Athens man.

According to Superior Court of Clarke County documents, Jeffery Rice, 26, is an alleged member of the Red Tape Gang and is facing a felony murder charge for the death of Alijah Nelson, 19, who was killed on October 21, 2022 in an Athens shooting.

Rice also faces multiple counts of violation of the street gang terrorism and prevention act, aggravated assault, weapons offenses, and other charges.

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“With our new Gang Prosecution Unit, we are using all resources at our disposal to disrupt the growing gang networks that are terrorizing our communities and putting people at risk,” said Attorney General Chris Carr. “This latest indictment is the result of our strong partnership with the Athens-Clarke County Police Department, as we work together to ensure that those who engage in violent crime are held accountable for their actions. All Georgians deserve to be safe, and we will continue fighting to root out gang activity wherever it occurs.”

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Since the Attorney General’s gang prosecution unit was created on July 1, 2022, it has indicted 50 alleged gang members across Georgia, 11 of those in Clarke County.

According to a release by Carr, the Red Tape Gang is a local hybrid gang with ties to major national Bloods, including Sex Money Murder and the Rollin’ 20s.

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