By Joe Johnson
A Clarke County grand jury this week indicted a Jackson County man for allegedly murdering an Athens resident last year.
According to Athens-Clarke County police, 31-year-old Christpher Tyrone Rollins of Jefferson fatally shot 27-year-old Quamiek Malik Aziz on Dec. 29, 2020 at the Rolling Ridge apartment complex during an altercation over Rollins’ use of a counterfeit $100 bill. Another victim, Deundre Moses, 23, of Athens was injured by gunfire during the incident.
“There was an argument about Rollins' use of a counterfeit $100 bill. This led to the altercation that ultimately resulted in the shooting,” said Lt. Shaun Barnett, ACCPD’s public information officer. He said what the fake currency was being used for has not been confirmed by police.
Police previously identified Aziz as a street gang member, but they did not say if his killing was gang-related.
According to the indictment that was filed Tuesday in Clarke County Superior Court, Rollins was charged with malice and felony murder, two counts of aggravated assault, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, and possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime.
Rollins has been in custody since Jan. 6, and he was indicted after the defendant’s public defender filed a motion to dismiss charges or reduce bond amounts due to the District Attorney’s Office failure to abide by a Superior Court rule that requires the judicial circuit’s chief judge to be notified when an alleged offender is in custody for more than 45 days without being indicted.
The indictment was filed one day before a scheduled hearing on the defense motion.
Rollins on Wednesday continued to be detained at the county jail in lieu of a $250,000 bond.