A member of the Zohannon gang pleads to assaulting federal officer in Columbus
A Columbus man investigators identified as a Zohannon street gang member has pleaded guilty to injuring a federal agent as he tried to flee from a drug sting.
Christopher “Trouble” Upshaw, 25, pleaded guilty Tuesday to forcibly assaulting a federal officer with a deadly weapon.
He pleaded before U.S. District Court Judge Clay Land at the courthouse in Columbus, where he faces up to 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
Authorities said agents already had warrants for Upshaw’s arrest when they learned a package possible containing drugs was being sent from California to Upshaw’s Buxton Drive home on Aug. 4 of last year.
The FBI, DEA, Muscogee County Sheriff’s Office and Coweta County Sheriff’s Office had the home under surveillance that day when the parcel was left on Upshaw’s front porch at 3:30 p.m.
Upshaw pulled up in a Dodge Charger around 4 p.m., put the package in his car and got into the driver’s seat as unmarked law enforcement vehicles swarmed in.
The local officers and federal agents all wore body armor with law enforcement emblems as they approached Upshaw, who tried to speed away.
An agent trying to open the passenger side door could not free his hand, and was dragged into a parked vehicle. Upshaw also crashed into three law enforcement vehicles, with officers inside, and hit an FBI agent.
He escaped arrest, but was captured later. The parcel he discarded contained about 17 pounds of marijuana divided into 14 bags, authorities said.
They said they confirmed that Upshaw is a member of the Zohannons, a “hybrid” gang that is based in Columbus and has frequent conflicts with other local gangs here.
This story was originally published January 25, 2024 at 12:00 AM.