Man charged in Wings Cafe killings pleads guilty to gang charge

One of the six men charged with murder in the 2014 fatal shootout at Macon’s Wings Cafe pleaded guilty Friday to violating the state’s gang act and two misdemeanor charges.

Brinton Clinton Williams, 31, of Warner Robins has admitted to police that he was with members of the Blacc Team street gang, a division of the larger Gangster Disciples gang, on Dec. 12 when the group drove to Wings Cafe on Bloomfield Drive, prosecutor Sandra Matson said during a Friday plea hearing at the Peach County Courthouse in Fort Valley.

While there, at least two members of group had guns, she said.

After a confrontation with a man who’d been shot by members of the rival group in 2012, a shootout ensued. Corey Hollingshed, 25, George Henley, 34, and Derrick Jackson, 38, were fatally shot. A woman was shot four times, but she survived.

Williams initially was charged with aggravated assault stemming from Hollingshed being shot and the throwing of a glass bottle. He pleaded guilty to being party to the crime of simple assault, a misdemeanor.

Matson said bottles, chairs and punches were thrown before the shooting.

Williams has admitted his “long-term membership” in the Gangster Disciples to police, Matson said.

Tamika Fluker, his lawyer, said Williams’ tried to distance himself from the gangs’ criminal activity.

“These were his friends,” she said. “He made a bad choice that night. ... He knew that there may have been guns around that night and decided to go anyway.

“He will live with this for the rest of his life,” Fluker said.

As part of his plea deal with prosecutors, Williams must testify in the Aug. 15 trial for the other men charged in the case. It’s unclear how many of the remaining eight men charged in the case will be tried at the same time.

Williams, who was sentenced to two years in jail and 15 years on probation with gang conditions, will be released from jail after his testimony. He also must pay a $500 fine and $500 in attorneys fees to reimburse the state for providing his lawyer.

Sentenced as a first offender, he won’t have a felony criminal record if he successfully completes his sentence. Any missteps could result in him being resentenced.

Information from Telegraph archives was used in this report.

This story was originally published April 29, 2016 at 3:55 PM with the headline "Man charged in Wings Cafe killings pleads guilty to gang charge."