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15-time felon sentenced on federal charges after Atlanta park standoff

By FOX 5 Atlanta Digital Team
Published  January 6, 2026 3:18pm EST
Atlanta
FOX 5 Atlanta

The Brief

    • 15-time felon Quartez Rashad Goodman was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison.
    • The sentence follows a 2024 incident involving a Beltline robbery and a shooting in a public park.
    • Prosecutors noted that none of Goodman's 15 prior state convictions resulted in more than a year of jail time.

ATLANTA - A repeat offender with 15 previous felony convictions has been sentenced to 10 years in federal prison for illegal firearm possession, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Georgia.

Repeat-offender sentenced

What we know:

U.S. District Judge Sarah E. Geraghty sentenced Quartez Rashad Goodman, 34, of Atlanta, on Tuesday. The sentence includes three years of supervised release following his prison term.

Atlanta park standoff

The backstory:

The sentencing stems from a May 2024 incident at D.H. Stanton Park in southwest Atlanta. Witnesses reported a shirtless man beating a dog and firing a pistol near a splash pad and playground. When Atlanta police arrived, they found Goodman brandishing a firearm. After a brief standoff, Goodman was arrested. The dog, which had been shot, later died.

Just before the park incident, authorities say Goodman robbed two women at gunpoint while they were bicycling on the Beltline trail.

Goodman's criminal history

Dig deeper:

U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg said federal intervention was necessary because Goodman’s previous 15 felony convictions in state court resulted in sentences that were probated or commuted, never exceeding one year of confinement.

Goodman’s criminal history dates back to 2008 and includes multiple convictions for battery and aggravated assault, including an incident where he struck a woman with a nail gun. He also has convictions for assaulting and obstructing officers, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and use of a weapon during the commission of crimes.

What they're saying:

"This federal sentence removes a dangerous individual from our community," Atlanta Police Chief Darin Schierbaum said. "Our priority is keeping dangerous individuals off our streets through strong partnerships."

FBI, APD investigate shooting

What's next:

The case was a joint investigation by the FBI and the Atlanta Police Department. Because the case was prosecuted at the federal level, Goodman will serve the full term without the possibility of parole.

The Source: Information in this article came from the U.S. Attorney for the Norther District of Georgia via an emailed press release. 

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