MACON, Ga. (WGXA) -- 13 people are facing multiple felony charges for their involvement in a "criminal enterprise" that orchestrated murders, armed robberies and drug trafficking in Macon-Bibb County and beyond, according to the Macon Judical Circuit District Attorney's Office.
In a press release, the Macon DA's office and the Bibb County Sheriff's Office announced a 21-county indictment that charged 34-year-old Keith Beddingfield Jr., a man currently serving life in prison for a 2018 Macon murder, along with 12 others, with building and running a "sophisticated criminal network" outside and across multiple Ga. Department of Corrections facilities.
Prosecutors believe Beddingfield Jr., also known as "Gotti," a name he chose after New York mobster John Gotti, is the lead defendant in the case, accused of directing murders, ordering armed robberies, orchestrating drug trafficking and using intimidation tactics to threaten witnesses all from his prison cell from April 2018 to January 2026.
Within the prison systems, Beddingfield Jr. is accused of smuggling contraband cellphones to "issue orders" and coordinate crime, directing associates on the outside to drop drugs like methamphetamine, ecstasy, and marijuana over prison fences for him to obtain and sell to other inmates through digital apps like Apple Pay, Cash App and Chime inside the facility.
Beddingfield is also believed to have "threatened violence" against the homes and families of anyone who failed to deliver the contraband or cooperated with law enforcement and ordered the death of associates he believed "talked too much," the DA says. The 34-year-old is also accused of recruiting and ordering minors under the age of 18 to transport and deliver drugs to prisons across Georgia.
From outside the prison walls, Beddingfield is accused of orchestrating the murder of India Noorwood Davis in January 2026 and Pinalkumar Patel in January 2023, as well as the attempted murder of Karen Beddingfield, his former wife, in 2018 in Macon-Bibb County.
WGXA reported that India Davis, 41, was found shot and killed inside her car in a neighborhood off Adams Avenue in west Macon. The DA's office says Davis was a known "conspirator and associate" in a case involving Beddingfield, and he is believed to have threatened her for months, damaging her home and car, to stop her from cooperating with authorities.
15-year-old Jacorey Williams was arrested for murder and armed robbery for Davis's death, and Beddingfield is believed to have directed the juvenile to kill the 41-year-old woman.
"This indictment is about protecting every member of our community," said Macon District Attorney Anita R. Howard. "The Grand Jury asserts these alleged co-conspirators targeted individuals, including children, who live and work in the Macon-Bibb community. We will not allow anyone to operate a criminal enterprise unchecked, whether they are on our streets or inside our prisons. And if your Mama is a part of the criminal enterprise, she will be held accountable, too. Our children maybe a small percent of our community but they are 100% of our future. We will not stand idle as anyone recruits them into a life of crime. This indictment is proof that geography is no protection from accountability."
In 2023, WGXA reported that Pinalkaumar Patel, 52, was shot and killed, while his wife and daughter were injured in their driveway on Thoroughbred Lane. The DA says that Terrell Mills, Shaun Mills, Corey Wallace, and Donnie White followed Patel home, with the intent to rob him at gunpoint, but instead killed him and shot his wife and daughter.
WGXA previously reported that investigators connected Beddingfield to the case through cell phone conversations he had with the Mills brothers while in prison.
The same group is also charged in a series of armed robberies, including one at the 49er Mart in Jones County, as well as a home invasion in the Kingsview Village neighborhood.
The indictment also alleged that in 2018, while housed at the Bibb County Law Enforcement Center, Beddingfield Jr. used a contraband cellphone to order the murder of his former wife, Karen Beddingfield, by orchestrating an armed robbery at her workplace. The DA says Beddingfield's goal was to have his former wife killed to prevent her from testifying against him in his 2018 murder case.
All of these crimes are alleged to be a part of a "wide-ranging criminal enterprise" under the Georgia Racketeering Influence and Corrupt Organization Act (RICO), the DA's office says.
"This case is a chilling example of the reach of a sinister criminal mastermind," said Bibb County Sheriff David Davis in a statement. "The fact that Keith Beddingfield Jr. was able to create this mayhem from behind bars shows that law enforcement must remain vigilant for criminal activity; no matter where it takes place or originates—even in jails or prisons. This investigation and resulting indictments show the professionalism and dedication of our investigators and the strong partnership with the District Attorney's office. We will honor our pledge to hold criminals accountable and stand up for victims."
In addition to Beddingfield, the following have been indicted in the case: