Prosecutors want rapper Quando Rondo to stay away from Chatham County until trial
Chatham County prosecutors are requesting the Chatham County Superior Court not allow Tyquian Bowman, a Savannah resident and rapper also known by the name Quando Rondo, from entering Chatham County as he awaits trial, because he “has been the target of a recent shooting, which fits a pattern, and his presence poses a danger to the citizens of Chatham County,”
In June, Bowman was indicted by a Chatham County grand jury on charges of violating the street gang terrorism act and conspiracy to violate the Georgia Controlled Substances act.
In April, according to the indictment, Bowman instructed a co-conspirator to negotiate marijuana prices with another co-conspirator’s father. On June 4, Bowman and other co-conspirators allegedly traveled to Macon to purchase marijuana. On June 12, Bowman, who the indictment states was managing the “Rollin’ 60’s” gang, directed other gang members to not carry firearms in cars he rode in.
According to the indictment, other gang members trafficked more than four grams of cocaine, about 20 grams of M30 pills, hydrocodone pills and 28 grams of fentanyl. Some used jail phones to schedule drug sales. Others sold drugs out of a house located at 1301 E. 39th St.
Bowman currently lives in Midway, Georgia, according to the motion. The restriction would allow Bowman to visit Chatham County for “exceptions,” such as work, medical treatment, court appearances, and meetings with counsel, according to the motion.
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To support the motion, Chatham County Assistant District Attorney (ADA) Brian DeBlasiis detailed multiple incidents in which Bowman was allegedly targeted.
On Sept. 20, at 9:38 p.m., near the Center Stage Barber Shop and A Fifth of Ink Tattoo Shop on 7010 Skidaway Road, a group of people shot at a group that included Bowman. According to the motion, witnesses reported hearing between 20 and 30 gunshots, and police recovered nearly 30 shell casings from the scene. At least four firearms were used in the attack, possibly including an AR-15 assault rifle. At least two people were shot during this incident.
“Preliminary investigation suggests that the defendant and/or members of his entourage were the targets of this attack,” the motion alleges.
“Unfortunately, this latest incident fits a pattern in which the defendant has been targeted by violent attacks,” the motion read. DeBlasiis then cited an incident that occurred on May 3, 2021, when Bowman and his entourage were shot at several times at a gas station in Blackshear, Georgia.
On Aug. 20, 2022, Bowman was in Los Angeles with close friend and distant cousin, Saviaya Robinson. The two were traveling together in a black Cadillac Escalade when they were shot at. Robinson died as a result of this attack. Bowman was not injured.
“These incidents show that there are individuals or groups of individuals that are actively seeking to harm the defendant,” the motion states. “The assailants have time and again indicated that they have no respect for the lives of other humans, including members of the Chatham County Community. While the police are working diligently to solve the latest aggravated assault, it is clear that the defendant's continued presence in Chatham County poses a significant risk to members of our community.”
A statement provided by a public relations consultant for Quando Rondo LLC, Kevin Grogan, claims the Chatham DA and the Savannah Police Department (SPD) have "targeted" Bowman.
"Tyquian is no stranger to trouble or tragedy," the statement reads. "The issue now? Does he get the same chance everyone else gets? No. He has been accused of serious crimes but hasn’t been convicted of them. There have been over 249 aggravated assaults in Savannah this year, are the victims or potential victims being asked to leave the county? They aren’t."
In the statement, Grogran claims Bowman was not the intended target of the shooting on Skidaway Road nor was he the intended target in the murder of Robinson.
"Banning Mr. Bowman from Chatham County without a conviction is another unprecedented step the District Attorney’s office has attempted since he was charged with violations of the controlled substances and street gang and Anti-terrorism act back in June of this year," the statement reads.
A trial docket call is scheduled for Nov. 29.
Drew Favakeh is the public safety and court reporter for Savannah Morning News. You can reach him at [email protected].
This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: Prosecutors petition court to keep rapper Quando Rondo out of Chatham County