Jermaine Rimson was sentenced to life in prison plus 20 years after being convicted in the 2022 killing of Abel Castellanos, who was 21. The charges included felony murder, armed robbery, aggravated assault and criminal attempt to commit a robbery. Rimson is now 21.
According to Atlanta News First, Rimson was identified by the Gwinnett County district attorney's office as the second person convicted in the case. The outlet reports that Castellanos wanted to sell a .380 handgun, and Miguel Flores arranged a meeting to buy it. Prosecutors say Flores actually planned to rob Castellanos at gunpoint, and recruited Rimson and Joshua Poteat to help carry it out.
How the Deal Turned Deadly
The meeting took place at Castellanos' apartment in Suwanee, Georgia, the station reported. During the encounter, Rimson shot Castellanos in the chest and took another handgun from him. Castellanos died of the gunshot wound. Flores, Rimson and Poteat fled.
Rimson and Poteat were both 17 at the time. Poteat, identified as the alleged getaway driver, is still awaiting trial, according to the station.
Co-Defendant Sentenced Last Year
Flores was convicted in September 2025 of three counts of felony murder, theft by taking, aggravated assault and criminal attempt to commit a robbery, according to the district attorney's office. He received life in prison with the possibility of parole, rather than the life-plus-20-years sentence imposed on Rimson.
How parole eligibility works in Georgia
A life sentence with the possibility of parole allows an incarcerated person to be considered for release, but the timing depends on the applicable eligibility rules. As general context—not a determination of Flores’ individual eligibility—the Georgia State Board of Pardons and Paroles says parole-eligible offenders serving life for a serious violent felony committed on or after July 1, 2006, are not considered for parole until they have served 30 years. Parole consideration does not guarantee release: the board says inmates have no right to be released on parole simply because they are eligible for consideration.
Poteat is the remaining defendant awaiting trial.
