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Published Wednesday, November 04, 2009 in Local

Rosser pleads guilty in gang shooting

By Elizabeth Richardson

The Times-Herald

With all of his former co-defendants "poised to testify against him," Jimmy Lee Rosser Jr. opted to plead guilty this week for his role in the Sept. 2, 2008, gang-related shooting of 23-year-old Brandon Fraizer on Ishman Ballard Road, according to the prosecutor.

Coweta Judicial Circuit Senior Assistant District Attorney Ray Mayer said Rosser pleaded guilty Monday in Coweta Superior Court to criminal attempt to commit armed robbery, aggravated battery, criminal attempt to possess cocaine with intent to distribute and violation of the Street Gang Terrorism and Prevention Act.

In proceedings at the Coweta County Justice Center, Judge Jack Kirby sentenced Rosser to 10 years in prison with five to serve concurrent with the revocation of his probation from a prior aggravated assault conviction.

Rosser, who was represented by attorney Roger Montgomery, was the remaining defendant to go before the court for the shooting.

According to Mayer, Rosser is the ranking person in the gang known as Nationwide, which has a local group in the area of Richard Allen Drive in Newnan.

Mayer said Rosser was with the shooter -- Jemelle Phillip Moss -- the evening of the attack, and was "backing him up."

On Sept. 2, 2008, Moss and a 15-year-old went to the home at 650 Ishman Ballard Road to rob the resident -- 23-year-old Mario Britt -- of money and drugs.

Investigators say that Britt didn't come outside and, in the midst of a dispute, Moss struck Fraizer with his SKS rifle and it went off, accidentally shooting him once in the head. Fraizer remained hospitalized following the incident for months, but he has since been released.

The 15-year-old juvenile pleaded guilty in Coweta Juvenile Court in October 2008 to criminal attempt at armed robbery and aggravated battery. He was sentenced to five years in prison, which is the maximum a juvenile can get. He was also convicted and sentenced for an unrelated charge of possession of cocaine after officials at the juvenile court discovered he was hiding cocaine under his bandanna.

Moss pleaded guilty to armed robbery, aggravated battery and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony. He was sentenced to 10 years to serve eight in prison, and an additional five years probation for the firearm charge. Moss was also sentenced in October 2008 to five years with one to serve in prison for an incident that occurred at the Newnan House in which police found more than 10 grams of cocaine on Moss.

The investigation into the Ishman Ballard shooting also led to the arrest of Sidarius Deanglo Echols. Echols pleaded guilty Sept. 2 to two counts armed robbery, aggravated assault, possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute, possession of a knife during the commission of a felony and violation of the Street Gang Terrorism and Prevention Act. Echols was sentenced to six years probation, a $1,000 fine and 80 hours of community service -- all under the first offender status.

Gerald San Juan Walton was also arrested in connection with the shooting. Walton pleaded guilty on Sept. 22 to possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute. Walton was sentenced to five years probation followed by 12-24 months in a detention center.