Keith, Tonja T

Tenure Summary

Tonja T. Keith began as a CSM Correctional Unit Manager in 2018, then served as Deputy Warden at Telfair State Prison from January 2019 through at least the end of 2025, according to GPS position records. GPS records attribute 56 deaths to Keith’s leadership tenure, all at Telfair State Prison. During those same years, multiple civil-rights lawsuits were filed in federal court naming Keith as a defendant, all subsequently terminated without a recorded financial settlement. The facility faced ongoing scrutiny over severe understaffing, contraband smuggling by a correctional sergeant, and a wave of inmate homicides documented by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and local coroner records.

What happened on their watch

Keith was the deputy warden at Telfair State Prison for the entire period from 2019 through at least the end of 2025. GPS records attribute 56 deaths to the facility during that tenure. The sample of death records provided shows a pattern dominated by homicides, many involving stabbings, alongside deaths from overdoses, suicide, and one environmental heat exposure. Among the documented homicides were:

• 2020: Aldrich Norval Cain (multiple stab wounds), Marcus Derrelle Pearson (multiple stab wounds), Cedric Latroy Johnson (strangulation), and Luis Garcia-Palacio (blunt impact head injuries), all per the AJC Georgia Prison Homicides Investigation and coroner records.
• 2021: Juan Carlos Arguello-Revelles (stabbing), reported by the AJC with 11 other inmates allegedly involved.
• 2022: Xavier Lamar Warren (stab wound to torso), involving four other inmates, according to incident reports cited by the AJC.
• 2023: De’ahmoz Oshmic Floyd died from a stab wound to the neck; a claim filed against the state, as reported by the AJC, alleged he was stabbed by several prisoners when no prison staff were in the dorm. Kwesi Jamal Stultz died of multiple head injuries.
• 2024: Joey Lebron Kilgore (homicide, with reports of the victim being stabbed while asleep in an open dorm), Lamar Jarmaine Wilson (injuries from a fight, per GDC), Zoumana Madiou Sarre (multiple sharp force injuries to neck and torso), Henry Earl Crump (homicide), and Eric Leigh Whitehead (fight with another inmate). Aaron Joshua Smith was found stabbed in his cell, reported by 13WMAZ.
• 2025: Homicides continued with Lester James Smith (stab wound to torso), Malindzo Eddy Hatcher (stab wound of chest, after a fight witnessed on video), Preston C. Phelps (stabbed during a gang fight between Muslims and Bloods, according to GPS intelligence), Ezra Dangelo Ford (assault/stabbing), and Deandre Moody (homicide due to strangulation).

Non-homicide deaths with noted circumstances included:

• Juan Carlos Ramirez Bibiano (July 2023): GPS records state he was left in an outdoor recreation cage for five hours on a day when the heat index reached 105°F; his internal body temperature was 107°F at the hospital. GDC reported the death as “natural causes.”
• William Hiram Lumpkin (August 2021): The death was officially classified as natural causes, but a GPS published account and family report alleged medical neglect — that a doctor refused to see him after he complained of chest pain.
• Tony Morales Adame (June 2025): Drug overdose, confirmed by Telfair County coroner records.
• Robert Baker (October 2025): Suicide by hanging, per the coroner.

Coroner records from Telfair County show many of the 56 deaths have causes still listed as pending toxicology or autopsy, and several occurred while the prison was operating with severe staffing deficits. According to the AJC, by March 2024, Telfair State Prison had 79% of correctional officer positions unfilled, leaving only 32 officers to supervise about 1,400 prisoners. The AJC also reported that Sergeant Desiree Briley was sentenced in 2023 for helping an inmate smuggle meth into Telfair for at least two years. A federal prosecution, Operation Ghost Busted, targeted a drug network that extended inside the prison, involving the Ghost Face Gangsters gang. GPS intelligence reports, based on Telegram relay monitoring, documented lockdowns after stabbings, a visitation fight, and an inmate finger amputation during Keith’s tenure, indicating ongoing violence and disorder.

Litigation

GPS records list four federal lawsuits naming Keith as a defendant, all filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Georgia:

• Mckinney v. White (3:22-cv-00062), filed June 13, 2022, terminated September 8, 2022.
• Hall v. Mcfarlane (3:23-cv-00094), filed November 29, 2023, terminated March 4, 2024.
• Powell v. White (3:23-cv-00096), filed December 4, 2023, terminated March 28, 2024.
• Thomas v. White (3:23-cv-00100), filed December 21, 2023, terminated February 23, 2024.

Court records show each case was terminated, and none report a monetary settlement amount.

Sources

• GPS records — personnel positions, death tallies, death descriptions, and intelligence reports (family reports, Telegram relays).
• Telfair County Coroner records — multiple individual death reports for 2025 (cited in GPS death notes).
• Atlanta Journal-Constitution — Georgia Prison Homicides Investigation series; reports on staffing shortages, contraband smuggling by Sgt. Briley, and systemic dysfunction.
• 13WMAZ, WTOC, WGXA — coverage of specific homicides (e.g., Aaron Smith, Preston Phelps).
• Court Listener — federal dockets for Mckinney v. White, Hall v. Mcfarlane, Powell v. White, and Thomas v. White.

Synthesized by GPS Intelligence System on Jun 21, 2026 from positions, attributed deaths, lawsuits, intel reports, and news mentions in the public corpus. The supporting data tables follow below.