By Joe Johnson
Shabazz Wingfield has been in and out of jail his entire adult life, beginning in 2009 when arrested for carrying a concealed weapon at the age of 17.
When convicted on federal drug and gun charges
at age 22, Wingfield was given the benefit of the doubt by then-U.S. Attorney Michael Moore.
“Although a young man, Shabazz Wingfield has already accumulated a regrettable number of arrests for charges involving firearms,” Moore said in January 2015. “I sincerely hope that Mr. Wingfield emerges after five years in federal prison as a changed man; in the meantime, the streets of Athens will be a safer place.”
Superior Court records show that within a few years, Wingfield was again accumulating felony criminal cases, one of which landed him in state prison.
Now 32, Wingfield has once more found himself behind bars.
On January 29, police responded to the downtown Waffle House because employees wanted to have him barred for refusing to pay his bill.
He was arrested when found to be in possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
That case was indicted on Tuesday and Wingfield remains incarcerated without bail pending his April 7 arraignment.