Macon woman indicted on human trafficking, RICO charges involving teen
Kathleen Angel Lowery is among eight defendants accused of trafficking a 17-year-old girl across Georgia. Law enforcement recovered the teen in December 2025.
MACON, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) — A 48-year-old Macon woman faces three human trafficking charges and a RICO charge in a multi-county investigation involving a 17-year-old girl who had been reported missing.
In a news release, Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr identified the Macon woman as Kathleen Angel Lowery.
A Bibb County grand jury indicted Lowery Thursday on one count of violating the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act and three counts of trafficking a person for sexual servitude.
A 40-year-old Thomson man, Jimmy Lavont Mance, and a 47-year-old Augusta woman, Shawanna Brown Mance, were also indicted in Bibb County.
Jimmy Mance faces one RICO count, six counts of trafficking a person for sexual servitude and one pimping count. Shawanna Mance faces one RICO count, one trafficking count and one pimping count.
The Attorney General’s Office says the girl had previously been reported missing and was recovered by law enforcement in December 2025.
“Human trafficking is a crime that preys upon the vulnerable and often crosses jurisdictional lines, which is why cooperation among law enforcement agencies is so important,” Bibb County Sheriff David Davis said. “The recovery of this young victim and the indictments resulting from this investigation demonstrate what can be accomplished when local, state and federal partners work together. The Bibb County Sheriff’s Office is proud to have assisted in this effort, and we will continue working with our partners to protect victims, pursue those who exploit them, and make our communities safer.”
The Bibb County indictment is one of three secured by the Attorney General’s Human Trafficking and Gang Prosecution Units in Bibb, Richmond and McDuffie counties.
Carr’s office says eight defendants formed a criminal enterprise and conspired to traffic the girl throughout Georgia. Each defendant faces at least one RICO count.
The case is believed to be affiliated with the Gangster Disciples, according to the indictments.
Prosecutors say Jimmy Mance and his co-defendants took explicit photos of the girl, posted advertisements of her online, transported her for commercial sex and financially benefited from those acts.
The indictments also accuse Jimmy Mance of helping an adult woman engage in prostitution by posting commercial sex advertisements online. He is also accused of shooting co-defendant Christopher Jerome Carter, who suffered non-life-threatening injuries.
“This is exactly what happens when all levels of law enforcement work together to do one thing – keep Georgians safe,” Carr said. “With our Human Trafficking and Gang Prosecution Units, we’re fighting each day to remove violent criminals and predators from our streets, and this is just the latest example. With each new case, we’re sending a message – if you come after our children, we’re coming for you.”
Richmond and McDuffie County charges
A Richmond County grand jury indicted Jimmy Mance, a 58-year-old Thomson man named Larry James Mance and Shawanna Mance Tuesday.
Jimmy Mance faces one RICO count, three trafficking counts and one pimping count in Richmond County.
Larry Mance faces one RICO count, one trafficking count and two counts of sexual exploitation of a child. Shawanna Mance faces one RICO count, one trafficking count and one pimping count.
A McDuffie County grand jury indicted five defendants Wednesday:
- Jimmy Mance faces one RICO count, five counts of violating the Street Gang Terrorism and Prevention Act, two trafficking counts, two counts of sexual exploitation of a child, three aggravated assault counts, one count of possessing a firearm during a crime and one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
- A 48-year-old Thomson man named Christopher Jerome Carter faces one RICO count, seven Street Gang Terrorism and Prevention Act counts, one trafficking count and one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
- A 43-year-old Thomson man named Moses Lavar Leverette faces one RICO count, six Street Gang Terrorism and Prevention Act counts, one trafficking count and one rape count.
- A 33-year-old Lincolnton man named John Peyton Norman faces one RICO count, four Street Gang Terrorism and Prevention Act counts and one trafficking count.
- A 31-year-old Thomson man named Robert Richard Vantassell faces one RICO count and three Street Gang Terrorism and Prevention Act counts.
Carr’s office previously secured an indictment against Jimmy Mance in June on charges related to the trafficking and sexual exploitation of the girl in McDuffie County. The Attorney General’s Office says that indictment was replaced by the charges filed in the three new indictments.
Law enforcement conducted raids and arrests in McDuffie and Lincoln counties August 14 as part of the investigation.
The GBI’s Thomson Regional Investigative Office and the Attorney General’s Human Trafficking and Gang Prosecution Units investigated the case.
The Bibb County Sheriff’s Office, McDuffie County Sheriff’s Office, Thomson Police Department, Richmond County Sheriff’s Office, Columbia County Sheriff’s Office, Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office, Paulding County Sheriff’s Office and U.S. Marshals Service also assisted.
The Attorney General’s Office says it can’t release additional information about the investigation or indictments at this time.
