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Memphis trio sentenced to life for deadly drug robbery in Georgia

By FOX 5 Atlanta Digital Team
Published  July 17, 2025 10:15pm EDT
Gwinnett County
FOX 5 Atlanta

The Brief

    • Three Memphis men were convicted of murder in the 2021 shooting death of Kapri Kadeem Ward during a botched armed robbery in Lawrenceville.
    • Emarion Boyland, Jamar Quarles, and Theus Hopson received life sentences, with Quarles and Hopson also sentenced to additional probation for firearm possession during a felony.
    • The defendants traveled from Memphis to Georgia to rob Ward, leading to a gunfight that resulted in Ward's death and Quarles being wounded; evidence linked them to the crime, and the alleged driver, Aaron Rakir Todd, still faces charges.

LAWRENCEVILLE, Ga. - Three men from Memphis have been convicted of murder in the 2021 shooting death of a Lawrenceville marijuana dealer during a botched armed robbery, Gwinnett County prosecutors announced Thursday.

What we know:

A Gwinnett County jury found Emarion Boyland, 20, Jamar Quarles, 23, and Theus Hopson, 19, guilty of two counts of felony murder, criminal attempt to commit armed robbery, and aggravated assault in the killing of 29-year-old Kapri Kadeem Ward. Quarles and Hopson were also convicted of possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony.

Quarles and Hopson were each sentenced to life in prison plus five years on probation. Boyland received a life sentence.

According to investigators, Boyland recruited his then-15-year-old brother, Hopson, and Quarles to help rob Ward, who was known to sell marijuana. The three traveled from Memphis to Georgia, where they met up with 23-year-old Aaron Rakir Todd, who drove them to Ward’s Lawrenceville apartment on July 1, 2021.

Prosecutors said Todd stayed in the vehicle while the other three followed Ward to his apartment. A gunfight broke out on the stairwell, and Ward was shot in the chest and killed. Quarles was also shot during the encounter.

After the shooting, Boyland, Quarles, and Todd fled the scene. When police arrived, they found Ward dead and Quarles wounded. Officers transported Quarles to a hospital, unaware of his involvement. He later left the hospital and returned to Tennessee before he could be questioned by detectives.

Evidence presented at trial linked all three men to the attempted robbery and killing. Todd, the alleged driver, is still facing charges including murder, aggravated assault, and armed robbery.

What they're saying:

"This victim’s death was senseless, and we grieve with his family," District Attorney Patsy Austin-Gatson said in a statement. "These defendants crossed three state lines to satisfy their greed and took a life in the process. We hope that the guilty verdicts and sentences serve as justice and closure for the family and loved ones of the deceased victim."

The Source: The Gwinnett County District Attorney's Office provided the details for this article.

Gwinnett CountyNewsCrime and Public Safety