UNITED STATES OF AMERICA v. PATE

1
IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
FOR THE MIDDLE DISTRICT OF GEORGIA
VALDOSTA DIVISION
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, 	:
:
v. 	:
: 	CASE NO.: 7:25-CR-03 (WLS-ALS)
DONALD BENJAMIN PATE, 	:
:
Defendant. 	:
:
ORDER
Before the Court is a Joint Announcement of Case Resolution (Doc. 36), filed by
Defendant on April 24, 2026. Therein, Defendant notifies the Court that this case has been
effectively transferred to the United States District Court for the Southern District of Georgia,
Statesboro Division, pursuant to Federal Rule of Criminal Procedure 20, and that Defendant
subsequently entered a plea in that court to the charges contained in the Indictment filed in
this case. (Doc. 36 ¶¶ 2–3). Defendant requests that the Docket in this case be updated to
reflect the transfer and resolution by plea agreement. (Id. ¶ 4). Previously, the Parties notified
the Court of the pending transfer, stating that they intended this case to be resolved by
Defendant pleading together with a related case in the Southern District. (Doc. 35).
Under Rule 20, a prosecution may be transferred from the district where the indictment
is pending to the district where the defendant is arrested, held, or present if:
(1) the defendant states in writing a wish to plead guilty or nolo contendere and
to waive trial in the district where the indictment . . . is pending, consents in
writing to the court's disposing of the case in the transferee district, and files the
statement in the transferee district; and (2) the United States attorneys in both
districts approve the transfer in writing.
Fed. R. Crim. P. 20(a)(1)–(2). Here, Defendant filed the required statement of consent in the
Southern District on February 9, 2026, in case number 6:26-CR-00002. All necessary transfer
documents were executed by the United States Attorneys in this District as well as the
Southern District. (Doc. 35 at 1).
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Upon review, the requirements of Rule 20 have been met, and the above-captioned
case in the Middle District of Georgia, Valdosta Division has been resolved by virtue of the
transfer. Accordingly, the Clerk is DIRECTED to close this case in this Court as transferred,
pursuant to Rule 20.
SO ORDERED, this 4th day of May 2026.
/s/ W. Louis Sands
W. LOUIS SANDS, SR. JUDGE
UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
Case 7:25-cr-00003-WLS-ALS Document 37 Filed 05/04/26 Page 2 of 2