MACON, Ga. — The FBI wants to spread the word about three remaining escaped Bibb County inmates along the east coast.
The agency's Atlanta office says they want to get their names and faces to as many people as possible. The FBI says it's possible Joey Fournier, Johnifer Barnwell and Marc Anderson could be in South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia or West Virginia.
The Atlanta office says this does not mean they're expanding the search.
Instead, the agency says all three inmates may have ties in those states, but they have no specific reason to believe they're anywhere in particular. The FBI says they're only sending information to news outlets in those states to get extra tips and get people to keep a lookout for the inmates.
13WMAZ obtained their news release from our sister station WFMY in Greensboro, NC. It includes wanted posters for each inmate, with Barnwell noted as specifically wanted by the FBI.
Court records show Barnwell had three convictions prior to the most recent one that landed him in the Bibb County jail.
In January 2005, Barnwell was convicted of purchase, possession, manufacture, distribution or sale of marijuana. It's a misdemeanor that got him six months of probation and a $100 fine.
Nearly five years later in November 2009, an Ohio court found Barnwell had possession of Crack cocaine. He served 15 months in jail.
In March 2015, he was convicted in Bibb County Superior Court for aggravated assault and violation of Georgia street gang laws. Barnwell was sentenced to six years in jail and nine years of probation.
According to a US Attorney's Office filing from July, FBI evidence showed Barnwell was a leader in a "drug trafficking organization." They screened his phone calls and found Barnwell communicated with other members about collecting money owed, locations used for the resupply of narcotics.
Barnwell's most recent conviction came Oct. 2 in federal court. A jury found him guilty on six counts of drug trafficking charges. No part of the jury's verdict mentions those allegations. Instead, they focus on conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and possession with intent to distribute drugs like fentanyl, heroin and meth.
Last week, the US Attorney's Office filed a brief asking a judge to delay sentencing until after they find Barnwell. Assistant US Attorney Joy Odom wrote if Barnwell knows he's sentenced to life in prison, he'd have no incentive to turn himself in. She says he might use deadly force to avoid arrest, which could put law enforcement at risk.