Stephens Co Man Sentenced to 40 Years for Gang Related Activity

An investigation by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation has led to the recent sentencing of a Toccoa man for gang-related offenses in Stephens County.

According to the GBI Press release, Demetrius Sanchez Smith, 34, was convicted of three counts of Conspiracy to Commit Aggravated Assault, Violation of the Street Gang Terrorism and Prevention Act, and Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon following a guilty plea in the Superior Court of Stephens County.

The trial, related to a January 2, 2022 shooting in Toccoa, Georgia, was set to begin on the morning of January 22, 2024, but Mr. Smith elected to enter his guilty plea before a jury was empaneled.

The case was handled by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation Region Eight Field Office, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation Gang Task Force, and the Toccoa Police Department.

They were assisted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation North Georgia Major Offenders Task Force.

Smith was sentenced to forty (40) years, with the first eight (8) years to be served in custody and is also banished from the Mountain Judicial Circuit.

Smith’s guilty plea follows a September 18, 2023 conviction for Trafficking Methamphetamine, Trafficking Cocaine, and Violation of the Street Gang Terrorism and Prevention Act.