Alleged ‘Macon Mafia’ gangsters indicted in illicit drug and gun sales racket
Suspected members of Macon’s largest gang were indicted after they allegedly worked together to sell drugs and guns between the Bibb County Jail and the public, the Georgia attorney general’s office announced Thursday.
Eleven suspected members of the street gang — dubbed the Macon Mafia by AG Chris Carr — are accused of racketeering to possess, sell, distribute and traffick drugs and firearms across Middle Georgia, according to a news release from the Office of the Attorney General.
Those involved obtained around $110,000 in cash from sales between January and June, which was seized by law enforcement after an “extensive investigation,” according to the indictment and the AG’s office.
“This operation illustrates how the illicit drug trade reaches from the cell block to the city street,” Bibb County Sheriff David Davis said in a news release.
Akbar “Ark” Harclerode Sr., a 45-year-old Macon man and one of the 11 defendants, was incarcerated on unrelated charges at the Bibb County Jail when he’s accused of using a phone to conspire with other suspected gang members “to sell illegal drugs to other inmates and their family members,” Carr’s office said.
Harclerode and the other 10 individuals face 35 criminal charges, including violating the Racketeer-Influenced and Corrupt Organizations and Prevention Act; violating the Street Gang Terrorism and Prevention Act; and drug charges.
The other defendants are: Akbar “Lil Ark” Harclerode, Jr., 24; Hassan “Hot” Harclerode Sr., 48; Arias “A” or “Mafia” Clyde, 41; Rodney Clyde, 51; Tylon “Snake” Evans, 23; Thomas “TJ” Butler, 49; Gregory “GDUBB” Woodard Jr., 41; Chanika “Shamill” Randall, 35; Clarence “Disco” Smith, 61; and Kierra Howard, 35.
The Bibb County Sheriff’s Office, attorney general’s office, FBI, Georgia Bureau of Investigation, and other local, state and federal law enforcement agencies collaborated on the investigative operation called Westside Wakeup.
Investigators recovered drugs including cocaine, methamphetamine, fentanyl and marijuana; eight automatic handguns; a 9 mm handgun; two rifles and other items, according to the AG’s office.
They allegedly used social media and electronic payment apps including CashApp to organize transactions.
The attorney general’s Gang Prosecution Unit presented enough evidence to a Bibb County grand jury for the indictments on Aug. 20. “The FBI remains committed to working alongside our law enforcement partners to dismantle the criminal networks fueling violence and drug trafficking in our communities,” Paul Brown, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta, said. “Operation ‘Westside Wakeup’ is a strong example of the impact we can have when agencies come together to target organized crime at every level.”
This story was originally published September 18, 2025 at 7:20 PM.
