Carr Announces New Regional Team to Fight Human Trafficking in Middle Georgia

ATLANTA, GA – Attorney General Chris Carr today announced that former Houston County Assistant District Attorney Alicia Gassett, former Bibb County Sergeant Investigator Shunda Carswell, and former Byron Detective Sergeant Wil Patterson have joined the office’s Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit as part of its recent expansion to Macon. Gassett, Carswell, and Patterson have more than 30 years of collective experience throughout the region, and they will work together to investigate and prosecute human trafficking cases in Middle Georgia. Funding for this expansion is provided in the state’s AFY 25 budget, as passed by the General Assembly and signed by Governor Brian Kemp. The Unit is currently based in Atlanta and is also expanding to Augusta.    

Since its inception in 2019, the Attorney General’s Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit has secured more than 50 convictions and rescued and assisted over 200 children. Carr’s team is currently prosecuting a case involving the trafficking of a 13-year-old female in Houston County. 

“Thanks to the work of our Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit, more than 50 predators are off our streets and behind bars,” said Carr. “Now, we’re taking this fight to Middle Georgia, where we’re able to cover yet another major highway – ensuring that traffickers have nowhere to run. Rest assured, if you abuse and exploit a child in this state, we will find you, arrest you, and prosecute you to the fullest extent of the law.” 

The Attorney General’s Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit is housed in his Prosecution Division, which also includes Carr’s Gang Prosecution Unit, his Organized Retail Crime Unit, and his White Collar and Cyber Crime Unit. Just last year, with the support of Governor Brian Kemp, Senate President Pro Tem John F. Kennedy, and other leaders in the General Assembly, Carr expanded his Gang Prosecution Unit to include a new gang prosecutor and investigator in Macon. This team recently prosecuted two MPL gang members in Laurens County, both of whom were convicted and sentenced to life plus 410 years for a drive-by shooting that killed two and injured five others.  

“The recent expansion of the Attorney General's Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit and new regional team in Macon is a win for Middle Georgia and the entire state,” said President Pro Tem John F. Kennedy. “They will continue to build on the strides we have made to crack down on human trafficking across the state, hold these perpetrators accountable for their actions, and keep families and children in our community safe.” 

New Hires for the Attorney General’s Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit   

Alicia Gassett has served the Houston County community for more than 10 years. She was most recently an Assistant District Attorney in the Houston County District Attorney’s Office, where she handled an array of cases involving homicide, child abuse, child molestation, rape, sexual assaults, and other violent felonies. Gassett led the Special Victims Unit starting in July 2022, and she served as lead prosecutor in the Malice Murder trial against Jared Carter. She previously worked as an Assistant District Attorney in the Hall County District Attorney’s Office, where she served as lead prosecutor in the Aggravated Child Molestation trial against Timothy Lavalley. Gassett represented the Houston County District Attorney’s Office as a member of the county’s Sexual Assault Response Team, Child Fatality Review, and Multidisciplinary Team. She earned her bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice with a minor in History from the University of Georgia in 2010 and her J.D. from Mercer University’s Walter F. George School of Law in 2014.    

Shunda Carswell has served the Macon-Bibb County community for more than 15 years. She joined the Bibb County Sheriff’s Office in 2008, where she was most recently the Sergeant Investigator of the Crimes Against Children Unit. Carswell also worked as a phlebotomist with the Medical Center of Central Georgia for roughly seven years. She earned her associate’s degree in Criminal Justice from Central Georgia Technical College in 2008 and her bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice from Columbia Southern University in 2012.   

Wil Patterson has served the Peach County community for more than 10 years. He most recently worked as the Detective Sergeant over the Investigations Division with the Byron Police Department. Prior to this, Patterson was a Police Officer with the Fort Valley Police Department. He also served on the SWAT Team for Peach County. Patterson was awarded the “Purple Heart” and “Medal of Valor” from the Byron Police Department in 2017.