Georgia – Attorney General Chris Carr revealed the severe sentences given to two members of the Money Power Loyalty gang in a sentencing that echoed across the Superior Court of Laurens County. Implicated in the cold-blooded murder of Sacred Brown, 24, and Miyori Ellington, 23, Jaswain Bell and Quintez Mercer got life sentences plus additional 410 years each.
The tragic events unfolded on March 31, 2024, when Bell, alongside Mercer, unleashed a hail of bullets on a crowd in a Dublin neighborhood, claiming the lives of Brown and Ellington while wounding five others. A rival gang member was targeted during the incident, highlighting a violent gang rivalry in the community.
After a demanding 12-day trial overseen by the Attorney General’s Gang Prosecution Unit, a Laurens County Jury on April 8, 2025, tried and convicted both Bell and Mercer. Bell’s sentencing was on April 21, 2025; Mercer’s sentence came right after the trial.
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Their gang, called Money Power Loyalty or MPL, is a well-known hybrid criminal street gang linked to recognized West Coast Blood gangs including the 1831 Pirus and Rollin’ 20s Neighborhood Bloods. Law enforcement has focused on this group; the Attorney General’s office has effectively convicted 11 other members, including the gang’s founder and leaders.
Attorney General Carr said he was pleased with the court’s ruling, underlining the clear statement it makes against gang violence.
“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.”
Assistant Attorneys General Ashton Jordan and Lee M. Stoy, Jr. prosecuted the case, which the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) mostly looked into with the Dublin Police Department. GBI Director Chris Hosey stressed the agency’s dedication to fight gang-related violence.
“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,” Hosey said.
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The conviction of Bell and Mercer is a notable accomplishment for Georgia’s first statewide Gang Prosecution Unit, created by Attorney General Carr in 2022 with the backing of Governor Brian Kemp and the General Assembly. From its founding, the unit has obtained more than 80 convictions spread over several counties, so highlighting its essential contribution to the state’s battle against organized gang activity and its dedication to maintaining public safety.
