Western District of Tennessee

 

Jackson, TN – Walter Griffin, 43, of Benton County, TN., has been sentenced to 220 months in federal prison for possession with intent to distribute over 50 grams of actual methamphetamine. D. Michael Dunavant, United States Attorney announced the sentence today.

According to information presented in court, on June 15, 2018, a Benton County Sheriff’s deputy observed Griffin traveling northbound on Highway 69A in Benton County. The deputy had prior knowledge that Griffin had an active warrant in Dickson County for failing to appear and an active Tennessee state parole violation warrant. As the deputy turned his vehicle around to conduct a traffic stop, he observed Griffin flee. After a short pursuit, Griffin made a hard turn in his vehicle and spun into a ditch and became stuck. Griffin was then taken into custody without incident.

A search of Griffin’s vehicle revealed 75 grams of crystal methamphetamine (ice), five oxycodone pills, eight hydrocodone pills, digital scales, and a pipe commonly used to smoke methamphetamine. The crystal methamphetamine was packaged for resale in 13 separate bags. It was later tested at a DEA laboratory and confirmed to have a purity level of 98%.

On May 3, 2019, Griffin pled guilty to possessing over 50 grams of actual methamphetamine with the intent to distribute. Griffin has an extensive criminal history with prior felony convictions for selling methamphetamine and possessing methamphetamine with intent to sell. As a result of these prior felony drug convictions, Griffin is classified as a career drug offender under federal law for purposes of sentencing.

On October 30, 2020, U.S. District Court Chief Judge S. Thomas Anderson sentenced Griffin to 220 months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release. Evidence at sentencing also revealed that one month prior to his present offense, Griffin was detained on I-40 in Dickson County and found to be in possession of one-half pound of methamphetamine. Chief Judge Anderson noted that Griffin presented a significant risk to public safety due his recidivist nature and his inability to conform to the law and cease his criminal activity. There is no parole in the federal system.

U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant said, "Deadly, addictive, and illegal drugs – especially pure methamphetamine – are ripping asunder small towns and rural communities in West Tennessee. Recidivist drug dealers who profit from the pain, addiction, violence and death caused by these dangerous substances deserve proper punishment, and this sentence does just that."

The Benton County Sheriff’s Office and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) investigated this case.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jerry Kitchen and Josh Morrow prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.

###

Jackson, TN – Christopher Lee Faulcon, a/k/a "Wheezy", 35, of Dyersburg, Tennessee, has been sentenced to life in federal prison for conspiracy to distribute 50 grams or more of actual methamphetamine. D. Michael Dunavant, United States Attorney announced the sentence today.

According to information presented in court, beginning in early 2017, the FBI and Dyersburg Police Department became aware of an ongoing drug trafficking organization in the West Tennessee area, specifically Dyer County, Tennessee. The investigation, which lasted approximately one year, revealed that the organization was trafficking crystal methamphetamine (ice) from multiple residential locations within the City of Dyersburg. As a result, law enforcement officers developed further information from numerous sources which led to the execution of search warrants at residences of targets, search warrants for a stash house and a storage unit, search warrants for Facebook information, and search warrants for text messages. In order to further the investigation, agents also conducted traffic stops, obtained information from confidential sources, and made controlled purchases from the targets.

The majority of the crystal methamphetamine (ice) recovered was tested at Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) laboratories and was determined to be 99% pure crystal methamphetamine. The investigation further revealed that the drug trafficking organization distributed over 14 kilograms of ice during the time in question. Law enforcement recovered five firearms and over $79,000 in currency. As a result of his three prior felony convictions, Faulcon is prohibited by federal law from possession of firearms or ammunition.

In February, 2018, Faulcon was charged in an 18-count indictment along with six other co-defendants with conspiracy to distribute 50 grams or more of actual

methamphetamine. https://www.justice.gov/usao-wdtn/pr/seven-suspects-arrested-west-tennessee-federal-drug-trafficking-charges-1

On November 8, 2018, Faulcon pled guilty to conspiracy to distribute more than 50 grams of methamphetamine. On November 4, 2020, U.S. District Court Judge J. Daniel Breen sentenced Faulcon to life in federal prison. There is no parole in the federal system.

U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant said: "Drug trafficking offenses are at the root of some of the gravest problems facing our country. The ‘fruit’ of the drug plague is everywhere; it fills our jails, our courts, our streets, and our nurseries. Accordingly, given that drug dealers themselves sentence many individuals to a lifetime of addiction and dependency, a life sentence for repeatedly dealing large quantities of dangerous drugs is a just and proper punishment in this case. Criminal enterprises that distribute harmful drugs into our rural communities can no longer hide, and this maximum sentence demonstrates our ability to dismantle their organizations."

Other members of the drug trafficking organization have been previously been sentenced, including:

• On May 3, 2019, Damien Nixon, 39, of Gates, TN, was sentenced to 240 months in federal prison. https://www.justice.gov/usao-wdtn/pr/damien-nixon-sentenced-240months-imprisonment-his-involvement-drug-trafficking

• On February 26, 2019, Patricia Wilson, a/k/a “PJ”, 31, of Dyersburg, TN, was sentenced to 240 months in federal prison. https://www.justice.gov/usao-wdtn/pr/dyersburg-resident-sentenced-20-years-imprisonment-federal-drug-trafficking-charges

The FBI’s Safe Streets Task Force and the Dyersburg Police Department investigated this case.

This prosecution is part of an extensive investigation by the Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). OCDETF is a joint federal, state and local cooperative approach to combat drug trafficking organizations, targeting national and regional level drug trafficking organizations and coordinating the necessary law enforcement entities and resources to disrupt and dismantle the targeted criminal organization and seize their assets.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Jerry Kitchen prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.

###

Jackson, TN – Bobby Joe Claybrook, Jr., 39, of Dyersburg, TN has been federally charged with discharging a firearm during an assault on a federal officer. D. Michael Dunavant, U.S. Attorney announced the filing of the federal criminal complaint today.

According to the federal complaint, on August 3, 2020, the United States Marshals Service (USMS) Gulf Coast Regional Fugitive Task Force based in Jackson, Tennessee received warrants for Attempted 2nd Degree Murder, three counts of Aggravated Assault, and Felon in Possession of Firearm from the Dyersburg Police Department for the arrest of Bobby Joe Claybrook, Jr. The U.S. Marshals Task Force adopted the case and began searching for Claybrook, who was on the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation’s (TBI) Most Wanted List.

On Monday, November 2, 2020, the USMS Task Force tracked Claybrook to a home on Morningside Drive in Jackson, Tennessee. As the Task Force approached the residence to knock and announce their presence, two Task Force officers sustained injuries as a result of multiple gunshots fired from the residence. A perimeter was established, and the Task Force called the Jackson Police Department for assistance. The Jackson Police Department’s SWAT Team and negotiators arrived, and after a lengthy standoff, Claybrook surrendered without further incident. One of the injured USMS Task Force members was a Tennessee Department of Correction (TDOC) Agent, and the other was a Deputy U.S. Marshal. Both members of the Task Force were treated for their injuries and released from a local hospital.

During the resulting investigation of the shooting incident, the TBI executed a state search warrant on the residence and located a .9mm firearm and several .9mm shell casings inside the residence near the window where Claybrook carried out his assault on the Task Force officers.

U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant said: "We take all threats against law enforcement very seriously, and we have zero tolerance for any assault on federal officers. I commend the outstanding investigative work of our federal and local law enforcement partners in quickly responding to apprehend this dangerous offender without further incident."

If convicted in federal court, Claybrook faces a sentence of up to 20 years in federal prison for the assault on a federal officer, and a mandatory minimum consecutive sentence of 10 years for discharging a firearm during a crime of violence. The case will be presented to a federal grand jury at a later date to consider an indictment against the defendant, where additional federal offenses may be charged. There is no parole in the federal system.

At the request of 26th Judicial District Attorney General Jody Pickens, the TBI has also charged Claybrook in state court with the offenses of one count of Criminal Attempt to Commit First Degree Murder Causing Serious Bodily Injury, four counts of Criminal Attempt to Commit First Degree Murder, five counts of Employing a Firearm in the Commission of a Dangerous Felony, and one count of Unlawful Carrying or Possession of a Weapon. Claybrook has multiple prior violent felony convictions from Dyer and Obion counties, including for attempted first-degree murder, eight aggravated assault convictions, and aggravated burglary.

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI), Jackson Police Department (JPD) Criminal Investigation Division, JPD SWAT and Gang Unit, Jackson-Madison County Metro Narcotics Unit, Tennessee Department of Correction (TDOC), and the United States Marshals Service (USMS).

Assistant United States Attorney Hillary Parham is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.

###

 

Memphis, TN – Joshua Beason, 26, has pleaded guilty to three (3) counts of Hobbs Act Robbery and three (3) counts of brandishing a firearm during those crimes of violence. D. Michael Dunavant, United States Attorney announced the guilty plea today.

According to information presented in court, on June 28, 2019, Beason, along with two co-defendants, robbed the Mapco Express on Raleigh Millington Road, and Murphy's Express and Exxon, both on Summer Avenue. Beason and one of the co-defendants entered the businesses brandishing firearms at the employees and/or customers and left after taking money from the cash registers. The other co-defendant acted as the getaway driver.

Shortly after committing the last robbery, Beason and co-defendants committed a home invasion and Beason’s two co-defendants were shot during the home invasion. Beason took his wounded co-defendants to Methodist Hospital North. While there, law enforcement identified Beason and his co-defendants from the businesses' surveillance video system. At the hospital, Beason was wearing a unique jeans brand and a red hoodie worn during each of the three business robberies.

Sentencing is scheduled for February 18, 2021, before U.S. District Court Judge John T. Fowlkes Jr, where Beason faces up to 20 years in federal prison for each the 3 Hobbs Act Robbery offenses, as well as a mandatory minimum consecutive sentence of 7 years on each of the 3 brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence offenses. There is no parole in the federal system.

U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant said: "Robberies of businesses with a firearm are especially dangerous and violent due to the high risk of death and serious bodily injury by the simple squeeze of a trigger. Business robberies also have a substantially negative impact on the local economy and interstate commerce, which victimizes the entire community. Within one day, this violent offender’s selfish and impulsive greed terrorized multiple victims. For that, his own future is now destroyed because he will spend decades in a federal prison."

The FBI’s Safe Street Task Force investigated this case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin Whitmore is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.

###

Memphis, TN –U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant today announced more than $2 million in Department of Justice grants to fight and prevent violent crime in the Western District of Tennessee. The grants, awarded by the Department’s Office of Justice Programs, are part of more than $458 million in funding to support state, local and tribal law enforcement efforts to combat violent crime in jurisdictions across the United States.

"One of the fundamental missions of government is to protect its citizens and safeguard the rule of law," said Attorney General William P. Barr. "The Department of Justice will continue to meet this critical responsibility by doing everything within its power to help our state, local and tribal law enforcement and criminal justice partners fight crime and deliver justice on behalf of all Americans."

The funding announced today continues the Trump Administration’s commitment to reducing crime and improving public safety. In the two years before President Trump took office, America had experienced a precipitous rise in crime, particularly in serious violent crime. The President elevated community safety to the top of his domestic agenda and crime rates have fallen steadily since. Recent data from the FBI and the Bureau of Justice Statistics for 2019 show a drop in crime and serious victimization for the third year in a row. However, a number of cities are experiencing conspicuous countertrends. Today’s grants will bolster crime-fighting efforts in those communities and in jurisdictions throughout the United States.

"Violence has become a tragic reality in too many of America’s communities," said OJP Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Katharine T. Sullivan. "Working with officials across the Trump Administration and with thousands of state, local and tribal crime-fighters across the country, the Department of Justice is leading the response to this urgent challenge. OJP is pleased to make these resources available to support innovative, tested and diverse solutions to violent crime."

U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant said: "Under Operation LeGend, we have intensified our focus on removing firearms from the hands of prohibited persons, and removing violent offenders from our streets. We are thankful to Attorney General Barr for providing these additional OJP grant resources to combat violent gun crime in Memphis, and we will continue to coordinate with our state and local law enforcement partners to use these resources to effectively target the real crime drivers in Memphis and Shelby County: gangs, guns, and drugs."

Of the more than $458 million awarded nationwide, OJP’s Bureau of Justice Assistance made 1,094 grants totaling more than $369 million to support a broad range of initiatives, including efforts in enforcement, prosecution, adjudication, detention and rehabilitation.

OJP’s Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention awarded more than $10 million across 24 jurisdictions to intervene in and suppress youth gang activity as well as $1 million to the Institute for Intergovernmental Research to continue operating the National Gang Center. OJP’s National Institute of Justice awarded $7.8 million to fund research and evaluation on the prevention and reduction of violent crime. OJP’s Bureau of Justice Statistics provided more than $69 million to strengthen the quality and accessibility of records within the National Instant Criminal Background Check System.

The following organizations received funding:

• Operation Relentless Pursuit
      Shelby County
      $1,428,571

• Project Guardian
      District Attorney General, 30th Judicial District
      $398,864

• Operation LeGend
      Shelby County
      $200,000

For a complete list of individual grant programs, award amounts, and jurisdictions that will receive funding, click here. More information about OJP and its components can be found at www.ojp.gov.

###

Memphis, TN – A West Tennessee psychiatrist was sentenced today to 48 months followed by three years of supervised release for unlawfully distributing opioids.

Richard Farmer, 83, of Memphis, Tennessee, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Thomas L. Parker. Farmer was found guilty by a jury on Feb. 21, 2020, of three counts of distribution of controlled substances outside the scope of professional practice and without a legitimate medical purpose.

The defendant was charged in an April 2019 indictment as part of the first Appalachian Regional Prescription Opioid (ARPO) Strike Force Takedown, and his conviction was the first guilty trial verdict for the ARPO Strike Force.

"The Department of Justice is committed to ensuring that physicians who abuse their power to promote and prolong drug addiction for their own benefit are punished accordingly," said Acting Assistant Attorney General Brian Rabbitt of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division.

"Opioid misuse and abuse is an insidious epidemic, created in large part by the over-prescribing and diversion of potent opioids," said U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant of the Western District of Tennessee. "This sentence demonstrates our ability and resolve to aggressively prosecute and hold accountable any medical personnel who misuse their positions of trust to exploit the very people coming to them for help."

"Doctors who prey on those who suffer from the disease of addiction are no better than street corner drug dealers," said Special Agent in Charge Todd Scott of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Louisville Division. "DEA remains committed to rooting out and locking up all healthcare practitioners who exploit the weak and put greed above patient care."

According to the evidence presented at trial, Farmer prescribed opioids to three sisters with whom he had ongoing sexual contact during the time he was prescribing. The evidence showed that between July 2016 and January 2019, Farmer prescribed over 1,200 pills, even though the three sisters showed clear signs of addiction. The evidence further showed that he kept almost no patient files on these women. Farmer also provided opioid prescriptions for the women’s friends, without keeping patient files for them or requiring medical examinations.

The DEA, along with the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office and the Jackson Police Department, investigated the case.

Trial Attorney Jillian Willis of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Damon Griffin of the Western District of Tennessee are prosecuting the case.

The Fraud Section leads the ARPO Strike Force. Since its inception in October 2018, the ARPO Strike Force, which operates in 10 districts, has charged more than 70 defendants who are collectively responsible for distributing more than 50 million pills. The ARPO Strike Force is part of the Medicare Fraud Strike Force Program, led by the Fraud Section. Since its inception in March 2007, the Medicare Fraud Strike Force, which maintains 15 strike forces operating in 24 districts, has charged more than 4,200 defendants who have collectively billed the Medicare program for approximately $19 billion. In addition, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with the HHS-Office of Inspector General, are taking steps to increase accountability and decrease the presence of fraudulent providers.

The year 2020 marks the 150th anniversary of the Department of Justice. Learn more about the history of our agency at www.Justice.gov/Celebrating150Years.

###

A west Tennessee psychiatrist was sentenced today to 48 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release for unlawfully distributing opioids. 

Richard Farmer, 83, of Memphis, Tennessee, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Thomas L. Parker.  Farmer was found guilty by a jury on Feb. 21, 2020, of three counts of distribution of controlled substances outside the scope of professional practice and without a legitimate medical purpose.

The defendant was charged in an April 2019 indictment as part of the first Appalachian Regional Prescription Opioid (ARPO) Strike Force Takedown, and his conviction was the first guilty trial verdict for the ARPO Strike Force.

“The Department of Justice is committed to ensuring that physicians who abuse their power to promote and prolong drug addiction for their own benefit are punished accordingly,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Brian Rabbitt of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. 

“Opioid misuse and abuse is an insidious epidemic, created in large part by the over-prescribing and diversion of potent opioids,” said U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant of the Western District of Tennessee.  “This sentence demonstrates our ability and resolve to aggressively prosecute and hold accountable any medical personnel who misuse their positions of trust to exploit the very people coming to them for help.”

“Doctors who prey on those who suffer from the disease of addiction are no better than street corner drug dealers,” said Special Agent in Charge Todd Scott of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Louisville Division.  “DEA remains committed to rooting out and locking up all healthcare practitioners who exploit the weak and put greed above patient care.”

According to the evidence presented at trial, Farmer prescribed opioids to three sisters with whom he had ongoing sexual contact during the time he was prescribing.  The evidence showed that between July 2016 and January 2019, Farmer prescribed over 1,200 pills, even though the three sisters showed clear signs of addiction.  The evidence further showed that he kept almost no patient files on these women.  Farmer also provided opioid prescriptions for the women’s friends, without keeping patient files for them or requiring medical examinations.

The DEA, along with the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office and the Jackson Police Department, investigated the case.

Trial Attorney Jillian Willis of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Damon Griffin of the Western District of Tennessee are prosecuting the case.

The Fraud Section leads the ARPO Strike Force.  Since its inception in October 2018, the ARPO Strike Force, which operates in 10 districts, has charged more than 70 defendants who are collectively responsible for distributing more than 50 million pills.  The ARPO Strike Force is part of the Medicare Fraud Strike Force Program, led by the Fraud Section.  Since its inception in March 2007, the Medicare Fraud Strike Force, which maintains 15 strike forces operating in 24 districts, has charged more than 4,200 defendants who have collectively billed the Medicare program for approximately $19 billion.  In addition, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with the HHS-Office of Inspector General, are taking steps to increase accountability and decrease the presence of fraudulent providers.

The year 2020 marks the 150th anniversary of the Department of Justice.  Learn more about the history of our agency at www.Justice.gov/Celebrating150Years.

WASHINGTON – Doctor Shoaib Qureshi, Doctor Imran Mirza, Memphis Primary Care Specialists, Lunceford Family Health Center, and Getwell Family Medicine agreed to pay $341,690 to resolve allegations that they violated the False Claims Act by knowingly charging Medicare for services rendered by nurse practitioners at the higher reimbursement rate for physician services, the Justice Department announced today.  

Doctor Qureshi and Doctor Mirza are family medicine physicians who practice in and around Memphis, Tennessee.  Doctor Qureshi owns and operates Memphis Primary Care Specialists and Lunceford Family Health Center; Doctor Mirza owns and operates Getwell Family Medicine.

“Healthcare providers who overcharge Medicare contribute to the soaring cost of health care,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Jeffrey Bossert Clark for the Department of Justice’s Civil Division.  “The department will continue to investigate and hold accountable those who seek to enrich themselves at the expense of federal health care programs and the American taxpayers.” 

"Falsely billing Medicare for services by absent physicians encourages fraud, waste, and abuse of taxpayer funds and can ultimately harm patients," said D. Michael Dunavant, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee. "Settlements like this achieve provider accountability, protect public funds, and safeguard the beneficiaries of federal health care programs."

“Medicare is a system based on trust and depends on the integrity of health care providers,” said Derrick L. Jackson, Special Agent in Charge at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General in Atlanta.  “Physicians have a duty to ensure claims are accurate in order to prevent the program from over-paying for the services rendered to patients.”

Medicare pays a higher rate for physician services than for non-physician services.  Medicare will pay the higher physician rate for services rendered by non-physician providers if the services are “incident to” the services of a physician.  Such “incident to” services, however, must be provided under the direct supervision of a physician.  The United States alleged that, from 2015 to 2018, Doctor Qureshi, Doctor Mirza, and their clinics billed Medicare as though the physicians had provided the services in question, when in fact nurse practitioners had treated the patients without the supervision required by Medicare’s “incident to” rules.  Indeed, the government alleged that the services were rendered when the physicians were out of the office, including times when they were traveling out of state or abroad.     

The settlement resolves allegations filed in a lawsuit by Michael Grace under the qui tam provisions of the False Claims Act, which permit private individuals to sue for false claims on behalf of the government and to share in any recovery.  The civil lawsuit is docketed in the Western District of Tennessee and is captioned United States; the States of California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Tennessee, and Texas; the Commonwealths of Massachusetts and Virginia; and the City of Chicago ex rel. Grace v. Tenet HealthCare Corp., St. Francis Hospital-Memphis, Desert Regional Medical Center, Apollo MD, Shoaib Qureshi, MD; and Imran Mirza, MD, Case No. 2:20-CV-2209.  As part of this settlement, Grace will receive $58,087 as his share of the government’s recovery. 

The resolution of this matter illustrates the government’s emphasis on combating health care fraud.  One of the most powerful tools in this effort is the False Claims Act.  Tips and complaints from all sources about potential fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement can be reported to the Department of Health and Human Services at 800-HHS-TIPS (800-447-8477).

This matter was investigated by the Civil Division’s Commercial Litigation Branch, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Tennessee, and the Office of Inspector General for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

The claims resolved by this settlement are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability.  

###

The year 2020 marks the 150th anniversary of the Department of Justice.  Learn more about the history of our agency at www.Justice.gov/Celebrating150Years.

 

Memphis, TN – Tarius Montez Taylor, a/k/a "T," 30, has pleaded guilty to conspiracy to participate in a racketeering enterprise. D. Michael Dunavant, U.S. Attorney announced the guilty plea today.

This guilty plea was the last conviction in a large RICO conspiracy case known as "Operation .38 Special", which was originally indicted in May, 2016, charging a total of 16 members of the Gangster Disciples criminal enterprise with racketeering. With the addition of this guilty plea, all 16 of the gang members have now been found guilty for their roles in the conspiracy.

According to the superseding indictment, Taylor held the rank of blackout squad/security team member. The superseding indictment further stated that the defendants named in the RICO conspiracy committed attempted murders; robberies; assaults; distribution of large quantities of cocaine, crack and marijuana; firearms trafficking; kidnappings; intimidations of witnesses and victims; extortion; obstruction of justice; and other offenses in furtherance of the Gangster Disciples criminal enterprise and to promote and enhance the members’ position within the gang. This prosecution significantly damaged the national Gangster Disciples organization, eliminating some of its most powerful leaders, removing the gang from its key territory, and dismantling an important part of its organization here in West Tennessee.

The leadership of the Gangster Disciples (GD) criminal enterprise is organized into different positions, including national board members; governors of governors who controlled multiple states or geographic regions; and governors, assistant governors, chief enforcers, chiefs of security, and security team members for each state or region within the state where the Gangster Disciples were active. They also have coordinators and leaders within each local group. To enforce discipline among Gangster Disciples and adherence to the criminal organization’s rules and structure, members and associates are routinely fined, beaten and even murdered for failing to follow the gang’s rules.

Other leaders and members of the Gangster Disciples have previously been sentenced for their roles in the RICO conspiracy:

• Byron Montrail Purdy, a/k/a "Lil B" or "Ghetto," 38, of Jackson, Tennessee, the GD Governor of Tennessee who received a sentence of 360 months;

• Derrick Kennedy Crumpton, a/k/a "38," 35, of Memphis, Tennessee, the GD Assistant Governor of Tennessee who was sentenced to 324 months;

• Henry Cooper, a/k/a "Big Hen," 37, of Memphis, Tennessee, the GD Chief Regional Enforcer who received a sentence of 360 months;

• Demarcus Crawford, a/k/a "Trip", 35 of Jackson, Tennessee, the Chief of Security of the State of Tennessee who was sentenced to 300 months;

• Tommy Earl Champion, Jr., a/k/a "Duct Tape," 29, of Jackson Tennessee, a GD Black Out Squad member who was sentenced to 360 months;

• Daniel Lee Cole, a/k/a "D-Money," 38, a GD Assistant Governor in Jackson, Tennessee who received a sentence of 292 months; and

• Gerald Hampton, a/k/a, "G-30", 33 of Jackson, Tennessee, a GD Blackout Squad member who was sentenced to 240 months consecutive to a 13 year state sentence.

The defendant is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge John T. Fowlkes Jr. on January 28, 2021. There is no parole in the federal system.

United States Attorney D. Michael Dunavant said: "Operation .38 Special demonstrates our ability and resolve to aggressively prosecute and hold accountable those who engage in organized criminal enterprises and gang conspiracies in furtherance of racketeering and violence. This successful federal prosecution has completely disrupted, dismantled, and devastated the leadership of the Gangster Disciples street gang here in West Tennessee, and ‘T’ is now teed up for a long prison sentence as well. The message from this case is clear: No matter what your role is in the conspiracy, or what your position, title, or gang nickname is, if you are a member of a criminal gang, your days are numbered and there will be a reckoning."

This prosecution was brought as part of the Department of Justice’s Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) program. OCDETF was established in 1982 to conduct comprehensive, multilevel attacks on major drug trafficking and money laundering organizations, and to diminish the violence and other criminal activity associated with the drug trade. Today, OCDETF combines the resources and expertise of its member federal agencies in cooperation with state and local law enforcement. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt, and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking, money laundering, and violent organizations.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI); the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF); Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA); Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI); JPD Gang Enforcement Team; Memphis Police Department; Shelby County Sheriff’s Office; 28th Judicial District West Tennessee Drug Task Force; 26th, 25th, and 30th Judicial District Attorney’s General’s Offices; Sheriff’s Offices for Tipton, DeSoto, Madison, and Fayette Counties; and the Police Departments of Bartlett, Germantown and Columbia investigated this case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Beth Boswell of the Western District of Tennessee and Trial Attorney Shauna Hale of the Criminal Division Organized Crime and Gang Section are prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.

###

 

Memphis, TN – Demetrius Lay, 41, has been sentenced to 120 months in federal prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm, possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. D. Michael Dunavant, U.S. Attorney announced the sentence today.

According to information presented in court, on July 24, 2018, officers with the Memphis Police Department performed a traffic stop on Faxon Street. The driver, Demetrius Lay, pulled into the driveway of a residence near that location. When officers approached, Lay fled the vehicle and threw a rifle over a fence and into an adjacent yard. Officers recovered the rifle, and a large plastic bag next to the rifle. The rifle was reported stolen on July 5, 2018. Inside the plastic bag were three smaller plastic bags all containing a white rock-like substance suspected to be crack cocaine. The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation forensic laboratory tested the narcotics and determined the defendant possessed over 28 grams of cocaine.

Lay is a prohibited person with a prior felony conviction history that includes voluntary manslaughter, possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. As a result, he is prohibited by federal law from the possession of firearms or ammunition.

On December 13, 2018, Lay was indicted for one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm, one count of possession of a controlled substance with the intent to distribute, and one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. On July 23, 2020, Lay pled guilty as charged in the indictment.

On October 27, 2020, U.S. District Court Judge Mark S. Norris sentenced the defendant to 120 months in federal prison followed by four years supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.

U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant said, "This offender presented a triple threat of serious bodily injury and death: a prior violent convicted felon in possession of a stolen firearm while distributing a deadly and addictive substance on the streets. This sentence protects the community by incapacitating a repeat dangerous offender, and achieves justice by providing proper punishment according to law."

The Memphis Police Department and Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Task Force investigated this case. The PSN initiative is a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. In 2017, PSN was reinvigorated as part of the Justice Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally based strategies to reduce violent crime.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Wendy K. Cornejo prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.

###

Memphis, TN – Cortez Young, 24, has been sentenced to 624 months in federal prison for committing nine (9) armed business robberies across Memphis. D. Michael Dunavant, United States Attorney announced the sentence today.

According to information presented in court, on October 17, 2017, at approximately 10:50pm, three male individuals armed with handguns entered the Sonic Drive-In on South Perkins Road, waving the firearms and demanding money. The suspects pointed the guns at the employees and forced them to open the cash drawer. One of the suspects put the cash into a bag and all suspects fled towards the Cottonwood Apartments. This incident was captured on surveillance video.

It was determined that Young had the following history:

• On December 11, 2017, at approximately 10:30am, a male entered the Dollar Tree on Park Avenue, pointed a black handgun at a store employee and said, "you know what this is, hurry up and give me the money." After getting money from the register, the victim grabbed the drawer of the register and gave it to the suspect. The incident was captured on surveillance video.

• On December 16, 2017, at approximately 7:15pm, two armed male suspects entered the Dollar Tree on East Parkway demanding money from the employees. When the employees could not open the register, one of the men "cocked" his weapon and began breaking apart the register. They were unable to obtain anything from the store and fled the scene.

• On December 16, 2017, at approximately 9:00pm, two armed males entered the Family Dollar Store on South Perkins Road, threatening the employees and demanding money. One suspect pointed a gun at an employee’s face, and said, "I know you love your life, give it to us" and knocked items over near the counter. The suspects took the entire drawer and fled the scene.

• On December 21, 2017, at approximately 9:00pm, two armed males entered the Family Dollar on Summer Avenue, shouting and demanding money. The suspects ordered the employees to open the cash registers and the safe. One of the suspects shouted, "I know you love your life, I will blow your face off!" The suspects fled the scene with several hundred dollars in cash.

• On January 3, 2018, at approximately 8:15pm, two armed males entered the Circle K on Mt. Moriah Extended, demanding money. Before the employee could open the cash register, a customer in the store began firing shots at the suspects. The suspects fled the scene and the customer followed. As shots continued, one of the suspects, Devonte Gary, 21, was shot. Gary and Cortez Young got into a red vehicle driven by Cortez Young’s uncle, Arkiest Young, 38, who drove Gary to Delta Medical Hospital. The description of the vehicle at the hospital matched the description of the vehicle fleeing the Circle K.

• On January 22, 2018, at approximately 9:30pm, two male suspects entered the Family Dollar on Summer Avenue. The males approached an employee as he was restocking items in the store; one pointed a handgun and demanded money from the register. The suspects fled with an unknown amount of money. Upon reviewing the surveillance video, officers determined the suspect with the gun was Cortez Young.

• On January 22, 2018, at approximately 8:30pm, two armed male suspects entered the Dollar Tree on East Parkway and demanded money from the employees. An employee ran to a back office and called 911. The suspects fled without obtaining anything, and a witness described a red vehicle fleeing the scene.

• On January 24, 2018, at approximately 8:40am, one suspect entered the Subway on Lamar Ave, armed with a handgun. The suspect forced the employee to give him money from the register, followed her into the rear of the store, demanding to open the safe. The suspect left scene. The victim positively identified Cortez Young as the person responsible for the robbery.

• On January 25, 2018, officers with the Memphis Police Department and the FBI’s Safe Streets Task Force executed an arrest warrant for Cortez Young at his residence on Yale Avenue. Young was found hiding between a mattress and the wall in a back bedroom. As officers were executing the warrant, Arkeist Young arrived on the scene driving a stolen red Chevrolet HHR, which was similar in description as having been on the scene of several of the robberies. Inside the vehicle was a .380 caliber handgun, and a box of blue latex gloves. Victims of several of the robberies indicated the suspects were wearing blue latex gloves. Inside the residence were several boxes of .380 caliber ammunition, which matched some of the shell casings recovered from the shootout at the Circle K. Police investigators showed surveillance photos to Cortez Young, and he identified himself in at least one of the photos.

On June 19, 2018, a federal grand jury for the Western District of Tennessee returned a 16-count indictment charging Arkeist Young, Cortez Young, and Davonte Gary with the crimes of Hobbs Act robbery affecting interstate commerce; attempted robbery affecting interstate commerce; using, carrying, and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence; and discharging a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence.

On August 14, 2019, Cortez Young entered a guilty plea to all 16 counts of the indictment as charged. On February 7, 2020, Arkeist Young pled guilty to attempted Hobbs Act robbery and was sentenced to 60 months imprisonment for his role in these crimes. https://www.justice.gov/usao-wdtn/pr/getaway-driver-sentenced-5-years-role-armed-business-robbery Charges against Davonte Gary are still pending.

On October 28, 2020, U.S. District Court Judge Thomas L. Parker sentenced Cortez Young to 624 months and 1 day in federal prison followed by three years supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.

U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant said: "Business owners and employees have a fundamental right to be safe from armed robbers who terrorize our communities with their lawlessness. The senselessness of gun violence has a long lasting effect on victims of armed robbery, and we will no longer allow gun crime to rule our streets. Young’s violent crime spree is over, for good. This 52-year sentence for a 24 year-old offender sends a clear message that there will always be a reckoning, a real and significant consequence, for the commission of violent crimes."

The Memphis Police Department and the FBI - Safe Streets Task Force investigated this case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin Whitmore and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Samuel D. Winnig prosecuted this case on behalf of the government. SAUSA Winnig is currently assigned from the Shelby County District Attorney General’s Office to prosecute violent crimes and firearms offenses in federal court.

###

Memphis, TN – Angelo Bunting, 22, has pled guilty to multiple carjackings and brandishing a firearm during those crimes of violence. D. Michael Dunavant, U.S. Attorney announced the guilty plea today.

According to information presented in court, on June 28, 2018, victim R.D. was driving southbound on Shelby Drive when flagged down by two males with children asking for a ride. The victim pulled over, and one of the males pointed a handgun and told him to get out of the vehicle, a 2014 Toyota Corolla. When the victim did not immediately comply, the men assaulted him with a firearm. The males fled in his vehicle, leaving him with injuries to his knee, lip, and face. On July 1, 2018, the vehicle was located on Sanford Road. Angelo Bunting’s fingerprints were discovered on the vehicle. The victim observed Bunting in a photo lineup and stated he resembled the man with a firearm at the driver’s window.

On July 6, 2018, victim E.S. was at the Shell station onMillbranch Road when he observed two males exit a red vehicle and approach him as he returned to his car after paying inside. The first suspect pointed a firearm at the victim and demanded his keys, while the second suspect put a firearm to the victim’s back and demanded money. The victim gave the suspects his keys, wallet, and cell phone. Both fled in the victim’s vehicle, a 2011 Chevrolet Impala; an unidentified individual drove the red vehicle away separately. The victim’s vehicle was later located on Elvis Presley Boulevard. The victim identified Bunting in a photo lineup and stated that he looked similar to one of the suspects.

On July 13, 2018, victim J.M. was washing his car, a 2013 Volkswagen Passat, at a carwash on Holmes Road when approached by two suspects, both of whom pointed firearms at him and demanded his vehicle. The victim complied, and the suspects left the scene. The vehicle was tracked by GPS in Southaven, Mississippi. Bunting’s fingerprints were found in the interior of the vehicle. Victim J.M. positively identified Angelo Bunting as one of the suspects who carjacked him. Co-defendant Carlos Jones previously entered a guilty plea in federal court to this carjacking and firearms offense on September 23, 2020, and is scheduled for sentencing on January 7, 2021. /usao-wdtn/pr/man-pleads-guilty-armed-carjacking-local-car-wash

On July 31, 2018, Bunting was arrested by officers with the Memphis Police Department’s Victim Crime Unit and the Multi Agency Gang Unit in connection with these crimes, as well as other robbery charges, which are still pending in state court. Bunting was originally indicted for these violent crimes on October 23, 2018. https://www.justice.gov/usao-wdtn/pr/five-men-indicted-carjacking-and-armed-robbery-memphis On October 26, 2020, Bunting pleaded guilty to the offenses as charged.

Sentencing is scheduled for January 28, 2021 before U.S. District Court Judge Mark Norris, where Bunting faces up to 15 years for each of the 3 carjacking offenses, as well as a mandatory minimum consecutive sentence of 7 years on each of the 3 brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence offenses. There is no parole in the federal system.

U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant said, "Armed carjacking is a cowardly act involving short sighted gain with long term consequences for both victims and offenders. In the short period of just over two weeks, this young offender not only injured and terrorized multiple victims, but he also senselessly wasted his own life by committing successive violent gun crimes. When violent criminals act impulsively, we will respond deliberately with the full weight and force of federal sanctions to suppress, punish, and incapacitate them, and Bunting will now pay the price with decades in federal prison."

The Memphis Police Department – Violent Crimes Unit (VCU) and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) investigated this case.

Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Samuel D. Winnig and Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth Rogers are prosecuting this case on behalf of the government. SAUSA Winnig is currently assigned from the Shelby County District Attorney General’s Office to prosecute violent crimes and firearms offenses in federal court.

###

 

Memphis, TN –Argel Hernandez-Escobar, 33, last residing in Memphis, was sentenced to 60 months in federal prison for one count of possessing a firearm as an illegal alien and one count of illegally re-entering the United States. D. Michael Dunavant, United States Attorney announced the sentence today.

According to the information presented in court, on Sunday, September 30, 2018, at approximately 3 p.m., Memphis Police officers responded to a 911 call from a woman who said her son had been accidentally shot by the son’s father (later identified as Mr. Hernandez-Escobar) at their residence in Memphis, Tennessee.

Responding officers found Hernandez-Escobar on the front porch with a gunshot wound to his leg. Officers also found a 3-year-old male victim on the porch with a gunshot wound to his chest. A Mini Draco 7.62X39mm caliber pistol and a high capacity magazine were located near the front porch. Officers determined that Hernandez-Escobar had accidentally shot himself in the leg and the bullet struck his 3-year-old son who was playing nearby.

The child was transported to LeBonheur but later succumbed to his injuries. Hernandez-Escobar was transported to Regional One Medical Center. Hernandez-Escobar later gave a statement and admitted to possessing the Draco firearm with 30 round clip on his lap and stated that it accidentally went off, hitting himself in the leg and also striking his son. He stated the reason he had his firearm outside on his porch was because he was concerned about some unknown individual walking up and down in front of his house. A witness stated that Hernandez-Escobar had been drinking alcohol prior to the shooting.

Further investigation revealed Hernandez-Escobar is a citizen of Mexico and he did not have lawful status to be or remain in the United States. Specifically, it was determined that Hernandez-Escobar had the following history:

• On October 15, 2009, he was apprehended by Border Patrol Agents and served with an order of Expedited Removal and removed to Mexico the same day.

• On March 28, 2013, Hernandez-Escobar was apprehended by ICE agents in Memphis, and served a Notice of Intent to Reinstate Prior Order of Removal.

• On April 13, 2013, he was again removed to Mexico.

• On July 11, 2013, Hernandez-Escobar was apprehended by Border Patrol Agents in Texas and again served with a Notice of Intent to Reinstate Prior Order of Removal and other documents, which advised him that he was prohibited from entering or being in the United States for a period of 20 years.

• On July 16, 2013, he was convicted of illegal entry in the Western District of Texas.

• On August 9, 2013, he was again removed to Mexico.

• On September 30, 2018, he was again found to be unlawfully present in the United States after deportation.

A search of the relevant immigration records reflect that the defendant never obtained the consent or permission of the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security to reenter into the United States, and was therefore charged with violation of 8 U.S.C. 1326(a). As a result of his illegal alien status, Hernandez-Escobar is prohibited by federal law from possession of a firearm or ammunition, and was therefore charged with a violation of 18 U.S.C. 922(g)(5). In May 2020, Hernandez-Escobar pled guilty as charged to the federal charges.

On October 23, 2020, U.S. District Court Judge Jon P. McCalla sentenced Hernandez- Escobar to 60 months in federal prison followed by two years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system. Hernandez-Escobar awaits trial in Shelby County Criminal Court for state charges of Reckless Homicide and Aggravated Child Abuse. Following his ultimate release from federal and state custody, Hernandez-Escobar will again be subject to deportation and removal from the United States.

U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant said, "Criminal aliens not only threaten the sovereignty of our nation, but also threaten the safety of our communities. Keeping guns out of the hands of presumptively risky people who are difficult to track and who have an interest in eluding law enforcement serves the public safety objectives and Congressional intent of federal firearms laws. The U.S. Attorney’s Office has prioritized and renewed our commitment to immigration enforcement, and this case demonstrates our focus on those criminal aliens who continue to illegally reenter and violate our laws after deportation.

We will aggressively and unapologetically enforce U.S. immigration laws and federal firearms statutes, and seek stiff penalties against those who violate them."

The Department of Homeland Security - Border Enforcement Security Task Force in conjunction with the Memphis Police Department investigated this case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen Hall prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.

###

Memphis, TN – Several individuals have been convicted for conspiracy to burglarize pharmacies. D. Michael Dunavant, U.S. Attorney announced the convictions today.

According to information presented in court, from February 3, 2017 to December 6, 2018, in the Western District of Tennessee, Northern District of Mississippi, Middle District of Tennessee, Southern District of Ohio, and elsewhere, a roving band of burglars in various combinations burglarized over 90 businesses and pharmacies.

In most instances, the suspects would wear masks or an article of clothing to conceal their face, and gloves so as not to leave prints. Entry was typically gained utilizing a crow bar to pry open the door. Once entry was made, two to three suspects would enter the business, taking various types of controlled substances for purposes of redistribution. During these burglaries, several variations of vehicles were being utilized, many of which had temporary operation plates, "dealer drive-out" tags, no tags at all, or were found to be stolen vehicles.

• On May 16, 2019, defendants Nicholas Wright, 28, Tony Bowen, 26, Brandon Clay, 24, Marquis Presley, 29, Bryan Presley, 30, and Anwar Gates, 42, were indicted for conspiracy to burglarize a number of pharmacies in the Western District of Tennessee and elsewhere in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2118(d). In addition, Bowen, Presley, and Clay were indicted for the burglary of the Walgreens located at 1424 Union Avenue, Memphis, TN on October 19, 2017.

• Wright and Bowen were also indicted for the burglary of the Walgreens located at 4890 N. Highland Street, Columbus, OH., during which a federal agent was assaulted. Bowen was also indicted for being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm.

• Bryan Pressley was also indicted for burglary of the Homewood Drug Company located at 2280 North Washington Avenue, Brownsville, TN. On December 6, 2018, Pressley assaulted a Brownsville Police Officer.

All of the defendants have since pleaded guilty, and have been sentenced as follows by United States District Court Judge Jon P. McCalla:

• Bowen was sentenced to 180 months imprisonment followed by 3 years supervised release and ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $191,656.87.

• Brian Presley was sentenced to 102 months imprisonment followed by 5 years supervised release and ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $24,905.86.

• Marquis Presley was sentenced to 60 months imprisonment followed by 2 years supervised release and ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $53,994.63.

• Gates was sentenced to 40 months imprisonment followed by 2 years supervised release and ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $15,107.26.

• Clay was sentenced to 42 months imprisonment followed by 3 years supervised release and ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $14,002.89.

On October 16, 2020, Wright pled guilty and is scheduled for sentencing on January 22, 2021 before United States District Court Judge Jon P. McCalla.

U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant said, "Pharmacy burglaries and theft of controlled substances not only harm the business owner, but also present the dangerous risk of hundreds of prescription opioids being unlawfully distributed into the community, causing further potential addiction, injury, and death. As demonstrated in this case, we will not tolerate this lawlessness by organized criminal enterprises, and will use all available resources to punish and remove dangerous offenders from our communities for a very long time."

The Shelby County Sheriff’s Office, Memphis Police Department, and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) investigated this case.

Assistant United States Attorney Michelle Kimbril-Parks and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Griffith are prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.

###

Memphis, TN – U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant today announced $398,864 in Department of Justice grant funding awarded to the Shelby County District Attorney’s Office to hire special prosecutors to try federal firearms cases originating in Memphis. The award supports violence reduction efforts as part of Operation LeGend and other Department-led initiatives in cities across the country. An additional $500,000 is available to support a Real Time Crime Center in Memphis that will provide police with rapid intelligence and instant information to help identify emerging crime patterns.

"Keeping its citizens safe is the primary responsibility of government," said Attorney General William P. Barr. "Cities plagued by violent crime need the resources to tackle it, and these grant awards will help do that. On the enforcement side, Real Time Crime Centers will make policing more efficient and targeted; and on the prosecution side, Special Assistant U.S. Attorneys (SAUSAs) will help bring more federal firearms cases to justice."

Attorney General Barr announced that the Department of Justice’s Office of Justice Programs is making up to $5.3 million available in grants to support Operation LeGend sites nationwide. More than $1.3 million will fund special prosecutors who have been cross-designated to try federal firearms cases originating in Albuquerque, New Mexico; Kansas City, Missouri; Memphis, Tennessee; and St. Louis, Missouri. In addition, these and other LeGend cities will be eligible for up to $500,000 in grant funding to support Real Time Crime Centers. These centers are a considerable financial investment for any law enforcement agency. The funding being made available to each LeGend city can assist police departments in purchasing critical equipment and paying for the overtime to keep these centers staffed around the clock.

"We are pleased to support the outstanding work being undertaken through Operation LeGend to reduce violent crime by focusing on cases involving illegal firearms," said OJP Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Katharine T. Sullivan. "The Office of Justice Programs is pleased to make these resources available to support the brave crime-fighters who work so hard to deter violence and keep our communities safe."

U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant said: "Under Operation LeGend, we have intensified our focus on removing firearms from the hands of prohibited persons, and removing dangerous offenders from our streets. We are thankful to Attorney General Barr for providing these additional SAUSA resources to enforce federal firearms laws, and we will continue to coordinate with Shelby County District Attorney General Amy Weirich and the Memphis Police Department in our joint efforts to combat violent gun crime. Rest assured that, with our successful results and sustained resolve under Operation LeGend, we will aggressively prosecute the trigger-pullers, traffickers, straw purchasers, and prohibited persons who illegally possess firearms in Memphis and Shelby County."

A grant to the Shelby County District Attorney General’s Office will support the hiring of two (2) full-time local prosecutors who will be empowered to try firearms cases in federal court. Prosecuting gun crimes is central to the Justice Department’s strategy under Operation LeGend and other violence reduction initiatives led by the Department. These efforts follow a sustained, systematic and coordinated approach to gun violence in which federal law enforcement agencies work closely with state and local officials to fight violent crime. Funding comes from the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA), a component of the Justice Department’s Office of Justice Programs.

The Department of Justice launched Operation LeGend in July, following the murder of four-year-old LeGend Taliferro, who was shot and killed while he slept in his Kansas City home. The initiative was subsequently expanded from Kansas City to Albuquerque, Chicago, Cleveland, Detroit, Memphis, Milwaukee, St. Louis and Indianapolis. Since the summer launch, officials in Operation LeGend sites have made more than 5,500 arrests, including approximately 276 for homicide, and seized more than 2,000 firearms. Of the more than 5,500 individuals arrested, approximately 1,124 have been charged with federal offenses.More than 600 of those defendants have been charged with firearms offenses.

More information about OJP and its components can be found at www.ojp.gov.

The year 2020 marks the 150th anniversary of the Department of Justice. Learn more about the history of our agency at www.Justice.gov/Celebrating150Years.

###

Memphis, TN – After a three-day jury trial with proper COVID-19 health and safety protocols, Jeremy Fields, 35, was found guilty as charged for being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm. D. Michael Dunavant, U.S. Attorney announced the guilty verdict in what was the second post-COVID-19 federal trial held in Memphis.

According to information presented in court, on March 28, 2019, U. S. Probation and Parole Officers conducted a home inspection at the residence of Jeremy Fields, a convicted felon, who was on supervised release for possessing a firearm and body armor in conjunction with his duties as a bounty hunter. During the search, officers observed suspicious items in the home that led them to believe Fields was still engaged in the bounty hunting business. They discovered a handgun in a case containing Fields’ bounty hunter ID and badge, handcuffs, and two holsters, along with other personal documents in Fields’ bedroom.

Fields explained to the officers that the gun must belong to his brother (friend) Julian Williams, 36. When Williams arrived, he initially told officers nothing in the home belonged to him. After some time on the scene, Williams mentioned he stayed with Fields previously and might have left a gun there some time ago. At trial, Williams took the stand and told the jury that he did not know Fields was a convicted felon. He said he left his gun under Fields' bed in the case without telling Fields it was there. The jury rejected that defense, and found Fields guilty as charged in the indictment.

Sentencing is set for December 18, 2020 before U.S. District Court Judge Samuel H. Mays, where Fields faces a possible sentence of up to 10 years in federal prison followed by up to 3 years supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.

U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant said, "Convicted felons who possess firearms are an inherent danger to community, and in this case, this offender stubbornly continued to possess a firearm despite his prior felony conviction history and his supervised probation status. Fields has demonstrated his refusal to accept responsibility for his criminal conduct, and as a result of this guilty verdict, he will now face a significant consequence for his brazen recidivism."

U.S. Probation and Parole, the Bureau of Alcohol, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Memphis Police Department – Crump Station and Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Task Force investigated the case.

The Project Safe Neighborhoods initiative is a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. In 2017, PSN was reinvigorated as part of the Justice Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally based strategies to reduce violent crime.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Neal Oldham and Jennifer Musselwhite are prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.

###

 

Memphis, TN –During a visit with law enforcement in Memphis today, Attorney General William P. Barr announced updates on Operation LeGend, which was expanded to Memphis on Aug. 6, 2020.

Since Operation LeGend’s launch in July 2020, nearly 5,500 arrests – including approximately 276 for homicide, 66 of which occurred in Memphis – have been made; more than 2,000 firearms have been seized; and nearly 28 kilos of heroin, nearly 16 kilos of fentanyl, more than 200 kilos of methamphetamine, more than 30 kilos of cocaine, and more than $7.3 million in drug proceeds have been seized.

Of the more than 5,500 individuals arrested, approximately 1,124 have been charged with federal offenses. Approximately 602 of those defendants have been charged with firearms offenses, while approximately 441 have been charged with drug-related crimes. The remaining defendants have been charged with various offenses.

The Attorney General launched the operation as a sustained, systematic and coordinated law enforcement initiative in which federal law enforcement agencies work in conjunction with state and local law enforcement officials to fight violent crime.

Breakdown of Operation LeGend charges:

The initiative, which was first launched first in Kansas City, MO., on July 8, 2020, is named in honor of four-year-old LeGend Taliferro, who was shot and killed while he slept early in the morning of June 29 in Kansas City. The operation was subsequently expanded to Chicago and Albuquerque on July 22, 2020; to Cleveland, Detroit, and Milwaukee on July 29, 2020; to St. Louis and Memphis on Aug. 6, 2020; and to Indianapolis on Aug. 14, 2020. A breakdown of the federal charges in each district is below.

Kansas City, MO

174 defendants have been charged with federal crimes outlined below.

• 67 defendants have been charged with narcotics-related offenses;

• 94 defendants have been charged with firearms-related offenses; and

• 13 defendants have been charged with other violent crimes.

Chicago, IL

176 defendants have been charged with federal crimes outlined below.

• 40 defendants have been charged with narcotics-related offenses;

• 130 defendants have been charged with firearms-related offenses; and

• 6 defendants have been charged with other violent crimes.

Albuquerque, NM

126 defendants have been charged with federal crimes outlined below.

• 52 defendants have been charged with narcotics-related offenses;

• 64 defendants have been charged with firearms-related offenses; and

• 10 defendants have been charged with other violent crimes.

Cleveland, OH

101 defendants have been charged with federal crimes outlined below.

• 59 defendants have been charged with narcotics-related offenses;

• 38 defendants have been charged with firearms-related offenses; and

• 4 defendants have been charged with other violent crimes.

Detroit, MI

100 defendants have been charged with federal offenses outlined below.

• 33 defendants have been charged with narcotics-related offenses;

• 64 defendants have been charged with firearms-related offenses; and

• 3 defendants have been charged with other violent crimes.

Milwaukee, WI

57 defendants have been charged with federal crimes outlined below.

• 25 defendants have been charged with narcotics-related offenses;

• 27 defendants have been charged with firearms-related offenses; and

• 5 defendant has been charged with other violent crimes.

St. Louis, MO

274 defendants have been charged with federal crimes.

• 125 defendants have been charged with narcotics-related offenses;

• 125 defendants have been charged with firearms-related offenses; and

• 24 defendants have been charged with other violent crimes.

Memphis, TN

64 defendants have been charged with federal offenses.

• 35 defendants have been charged with narcotics-related offenses;

• 16 defendants have been charged with firearms-related offenses; and

• 13 defendants have been charged with other violent crimes.

Indianapolis, IN

65 defendants have been charged with federal crimes outlined below.

• 10 defendants have been charged with narcotics-related offenses;

• 46 defendants have been charged with firearms-related offenses; and

• 9 defendants have been charged with other violent crimes.

###

The year 2020 marks the 150th anniversary of the Department of Justice. Learn more about the history of our agency at www.Justice.gov/Celebrating150Years.

Jackson, TN – Shontavis Rivers, 21, a resident of Bolivar, Tennessee has been sentenced to 60 months in federal prison for his role in a conspiracy to distribute in excess of 50 grams of actual methamphetamine within the Whiteville Correctional Facility. D. Michael Dunavant, U.S. Attorney announced the sentence today.

According to information presented in court, on September 25, 2019, a criminal complaint was filed against Rivers for attempting to smuggle narcotics into the Whiteville Correctional Facility. Rivers, a correctional officer, began removing his personal items to pass through the security checkpoint when a K-9 dog barked. Rivers quickly turned and left the building. Correctional employees followed Rivers as he attempted to leave. When approached by employees he stated that he had forgotten his identification. Rivers was informed that he would have to pass through security screening before he could retrieve his identification.

Whiteville Police Department officers were called to the scene and questioned Rivers who admitted that he had several packages concealed on his person. Each package contained approximately 77 grams of actual methamphetamine at 98% purity and 6.82 grams of cocaine. Rivers admitted to bringing packages of narcotics into the facility on two prior occasions.

On October 16, 2020, Chief United States District Court Judge S. Thomas Anderson sentenced Rivers to 60 months in federal prison followed by 3 years supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.

U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant said: "Official misconduct by public officers in positions of trust and authority undermines the foundational integrity of our government institutions and the security of correctional facilities. We will root out, expose, and hold accountable those officials who violate their oath for personal gain by introducing illegal narcotics into jails and prisons."

The Tennessee Department of Correction (TDOC), Whiteville Police Department, and the Hardeman County Sheriff’s Department investigated this case.

Assistant United States Attorney Jerry Kitchen prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.

###

 

Local Tax Business Alleged to be Responsible for $1.1 Million in Fraudulently Obtained COVID-19 Related Economic Injury Disaster Loans

Memphis, TN – Brandy D. Scaife, 42, Janisha L. Jones, 22, and Sharika L. Carpenter, 42, of Better Days Tax Service, have been charged with wire fraud and conspiracy to defraud the United States. D. Michael Dunavant, U.S. Attorney announced the unsealing of the federal criminal complaint today.

According to information presented in the complaint, between April 2020 and June 2020, Scaife, Jones and Carpenter, participated in a fraud scheme to obtain COVID-19 relief funds from the Small Business Administration in excess of $1 million. Further, the scheme resulted in 401 fraudulently filed applications seeking Economic Injury Disaster loans made available to those impacted by the coronavirus pandemic. Numerous applications were submitted using false information for the purpose of facilitating the fraudulent activity. Evidence revealed approved loan applications netted approximately $1.1 million in fraudulently obtained funds.

If convicted, each defendant faces up to 30 years in federal prison. There is no parole in the federal system.

United States Attorney D. Michael Dunavant said, "Protection of the United States Treasury is a top priority for the Department of Justice, and our office is absolutely committed to bringing to justice those who would seek to take unfair advantage of critical government resources through fraud during this challenging and uncertain time of the COVID-19 pandemic. I commend the outstanding investigation by our federal law enforcement partners in this brazen and disturbing case."

The Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation, the U.S. Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, and the Small Business Administration Office of Inspector General investigated this case.

For information about the Department of Justice’s efforts to stop illegal COVID-19-related activity, visit www.justice.gov/coronavirus. For the most up-to-date information on COVID-19, consumers may visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and WHO websites. The public is urged to report suspected fraud schemes related to COVID-19 (the Coronavirus) to the National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) hotline by phone at (1-866-720-5721) or via an online reporting form available at www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/webform/ncdf-disaster- complaint-form.

The Western District of Tennessee Coronavirus Fraud Coordinator is Assistant U.S. Attorney Tony Arvin.

The charges and allegations contained in the complaint are merely accusations of criminal conduct, not evidence. The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt, and convicted through due process of law.

###

 

Jackson, TN – Nickolas Atkins, 41, a resident of Selmer, Tennessee has pled guilty to his role in a conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute in excess of 50 grams of actual methamphetamine. D. Michael Dunavant, U.S. Attorney announced the guilty plea today.

In March 2018, a joint-task force investigation was initiated into the activities of a Drug Trafficking Organization run by Timmy Jermaine Cole (Cole). The investigation involved the trafficking of large quantities of methamphetamine, marijuana, and cocaine from individuals in Mexico into West Tennessee for distribution. Nickolas Atkins (Atkins) was a member of the drug conspiracy to distribute over 50 grams of actual methamphetamine, cocaine, marijuana, and hydrocodone pills.

On April 15, 2019, a federal grand jury for the Western District of Tennessee, Eastern Division, returned a three-count Indictment against Timmy Jermaine Cole, Lynnie Ray

Pettigrew, Rolando Garibaldi-Alvarado, Juan Javier Acosta-Melendez, Kelvin Pettigrew, Anthony McElrath, Nickolas Atkins, Marcus Canty, Richard Trevino, Bayrin Hinson, Cornelius Talley, Robert Winters, Steven Williams, Scotty Tubbs, and Cindy Cannon. https://www.justice.gov/usao-wdtn/pr/nineteen-members-drug-trafficking-organization-indicted-distributing-methamphetamine.

After his arrest, Atkins was released on bond. During his pre-trial release, law enforcement officers utilizing a confidential informant, purchased hydrocodone pills while Atkins was on bond. Atkins was re-arrested by agents with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) for distributing approximately 600 hydrocodone pills. His pre-trial bond was revoked and Atkins was detained. Thereafter, Atkins was indicted for possession with the intent to distribute and distribution of hydrocodone pills. https://www.justice.gov/usao-wdtn/pr/mcnairy-county-man-re-arrested-and-indicted-distribution-hydrocodone-while-pre-trial.

During Atkins’ change of plea hearing on October 13, he admitted to being a member of the Cole drug conspiracy and admitted to distributing over 50 grams of actual methamphetamine, 3 ounces of cocaine, 100 pounds of marijuana and 600 hydrocodone pills.

Sentencing is scheduled for January 21, 2021, before Chief U.S. District Judge S. Thomas Anderson, where Atkins faces a sentence of not less than 10 years and up to life in the Federal Bureau of Prisons. There is no parole in the federal system.

U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant said, "Criminal enterprises that distribute harmful drugs into our rural communities can no longer hide. We are taking the fight to the drug trafficking organizations in order to dismantle them and remove them from our streets."

The case was investigated by the FBI Safe Streets Task Force, Selmer Police Department, McNairy County Sheriff's Department, Hardeman County Sheriff's Department, Decatur County Sheriff's Department, Lexington Police Department, Dyersburg Police Department, 24th Judicial District Drug Task Force and Jackson Police Department.

Assistant United States Attorney Jerry Kitchen and Assistant United States Attorney Hillary Parham are prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.

###

 

Jackson, TN – Anne Taylor Davis, 28, has been sentenced to 151 months in federal prison for distribution and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. D. Michael Dunavant, U.S. Attorney announced the sentence today.

According to information presented in court, in 2019, agents with the Federal Bureau of Investigation and officers with the Dyersburg Police Department began an investigation into a large-scale methamphetamine trafficking organization in Dyersburg, and Eastern Arkansas.

During the investigation, Davis sold methamphetamine to an undercover operative, and was found in possession of ice methamphetamine. Evidence revealed Davis intended to distribute more than two kilograms of methamphetamine, which was 98% pure. Davis has an extensive criminal history, including multiple convictions for theft and drug charges. On October 9, 2020, Chief United States District Judge S. Thomas Anderson sentenced Davis to 151 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.

U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant said, "This sentence represents another great example of law enforcement working together to hold meth traffickers accountable. Criminal enterprises that distribute these harmful drugs into our rural communities can no longer hide. We are taking the fight to the drug trafficking organizations in order to dismantle them and remove them from our streets."

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Dyersburg Police Department.

Assistant United States Attorney Matt Wilson prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.

###

MEMPHIS, TN – United States Attorney D. Michael Dunavant announced today that Assistant United States Attorney (AUSA) Scott Smith will lead the efforts of his office in connection with the Justice Department’s nationwide Election Day Program for the upcoming November 3, 2020, general election. AUSA Smith has been appointed to serve as the District Election Officer (DEO) for the Western District of Tennessee, and in that capacity is responsible for overseeing the District’s handling of complaints of election fraud and voting rights concerns in consultation with Justice Department Headquarters in Washington.

United States Attorney Dunavant said, "Every citizen must be able to vote without interference or discrimination and to have that vote counted without it being stolen because of fraud. The Department of Justice will always act appropriately to protect the integrity of the election process."

The Department of Justice has an important role in deterring election fraud and discrimination at the polls, and combating these violations whenever and wherever they occur. The Department’s long-standing Election Day Program furthers these goals, and also seeks to ensure public confidence in the integrity of the election process by providing local points of contact within the Department for the public to report possible election fraud and voting rights violations while the polls are open through election day.

Federal law protects against such crimes as intimidating or bribing voters, buying and selling votes, impersonating voters, altering vote tallies, stuffing ballot boxes, and marking ballots for voters against their wishes or without their input. It also contains special protections for the rights of voters, and provides that they can vote free from acts that intimidate or harass them. For example, actions of persons designed to interrupt or intimidate voters at polling places by questioning or challenging them, or by photographing or videotaping them, under the pretext that these are actions to uncover illegal voting may violate federal voting rights law. Further, federal law protects the right of voters to mark their own ballot or to be assisted by a person of their choice (where voters need assistance because of disability or illiteracy).

The franchise is the cornerstone of American democracy. We all must ensure that those who are entitled to the franchise exercise it if they choose, and that those who seek to corrupt it are brought to justice. In order to respond to complaints of election fraud or voting rights concerns during the voting period that ends on November 3, 2020, and to ensure that such complaints are directed to the appropriate authorities, United States Attorney Dunavant stated that AUSA Smith will be on duty in this District while the polls are open. He can be reached by the public at the following telephone numbers: 901-544-4231.

In addition, the FBI will have special agents available in each field office and resident agency throughout the country to receive allegations of election fraud and other election abuses on election day. The local FBI field office can be reached by the public at 901-747-4300.

Complaints about possible violations of the federal voting rights laws can be made directly to the Civil Rights Division in Washington, DC by phone at 800-253-3931 or by complaint form at https://civilrights.justice.gov/.

Please note, however, in the case of a crime of violence or intimidation, please call 911 immediately and before contacting federal authorities. State and local police have primary jurisdiction over polling places, and almost always have faster reaction capacity in an emergency.

United States Attorney Dunavant said, "Ensuring free and fair elections depends in large part on the cooperation of the American electorate. It is imperative that those who have specific information about discrimination or election fraud make that information available to my Office, the FBI, or the Civil Rights Division."

The year 2020 marks the 150th anniversary of the Department of Justice. Learn more about the history of our agency at www.Justice.gov/Celebrating150Years.

###

Jackson, TN – William Frank Perry, 49, has been sentenced to 151 months in federal prison for three counts of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, crack cocaine and marijuana. D. Michael Dunavant, U.S. Attorney announced the sentence today.

According to information presented in court, on December 11, 2018, when officers with the FBI Safe Streets Task Force, Dyersburg Police Department and the United States Marshals Service attempted to execute an arrest warrant for Perry at his residence, he was not home. Officers observed the defendant's sister in the driveway getting into a vehicle and instructed her to contact Perry. When he arrived to the residence, he was immediately placed into custody. While searching the vehicle, officers observed a black bag in the front passenger floorboard of the vehicle. The defendant's sister denied ownership of the bag or knowledge of its contents.

Perry admitted to possessing the bag and provided a statement as to its contents. A search revealed 6.58 grams of crack cocaine, 5.57 grams of methamphetamine, 1.3 lbs. of marijuana and over $3,000 in U.S. currency on Perry’s person.

Perry has an extensive criminal history with prior convictions for multiple drug felonies, including possession with the intent to distribute cocaine; possession of marijuana with the intent to manufacture, sell or deliver; attempt to distribute controlled substances; and possession with the intent to distribute and attempt to possess marijuana. As a result of these prior drug felony convictions, Perry is considered to be a career drug offender under federal law for purposes of sentencing.

On October 1, 2020, U.S. District Court Judge J. Daniel Breen sentenced Perry to 151 months in federal prison followed by three years supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.

U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant said, "This defendant has a long criminal history of felony drug convictions, yet continued his persistent pattern of drug trafficking. Mr. Perry has devoted his adult life to a career of repeated criminal conduct, and that prior history has finally caught up with him. This sentence removing him from the community for more than 12 years is well-deserved, and will make Dyersburg and West Tennessee a safer place."

The FBI Safe Streets Task Force, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and Dyersburg Police Department investigated this case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Hillary Lawler Parham prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.

###

Jackson, TN – Christopher Ethan Webb, 24, of Crockett County, TN has been sentenced to 57 months in federal prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm. D. Michael Dunavant, U.S. Attorney announced the sentence today.

According to information presented in court, on December 3, 2019, Webb was released from a five-year state sentence on two counts of aggravated assault where the defendant shot an individual during an altercation. On January 24, 2020, the West Tennessee Violent Crimes and Drug Task Force was executing a search warrant at Webb’s residence in rural Alamo, Tennessee, when they recovered a Glock .40 caliber pistol hidden in an air duct. The defendant admitted that he had been in possession of that firearm.

On October 7, 2020, U.S. District Court Judge J. Daniel Breen sentenced Webb to 57 months in federal prison followed by three years supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.

U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant said: "Less than 2 months after being released from state custody for a violent gun offense, Webb was again found with a gun. Clearly, he did not learn a lesson from his prior state convictions, and continues to be a danger to the community. Now, he will be rightly punished for his recidivism and incapacitated in federal prison, where there is no sentence discount or sanctuary of parole."

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and the West Tennessee Violent Crimes and Drug Task Force investigated this case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Hillary Lawler Parham prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.

###

Jackson, TN – Michael Peoples, 27, of Milan, TN, has been sentenced to 49 months in federal prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm. D. Michael Dunavant, U.S. Attorney announced the sentence today.

According to information presented in court, on July 7, 2018, Peoples was released from a six-year state sentence for convictions of two counts of aggravated assault in Gibson County. On October 10, 2018, Milan Police Department was called to a vehicle at a stop sign on Ellis Street. An officer arrived on the scene and discovered the individual later identified as the defendant, asleep in the driver's seat. The officer knocked on the window until the defendant awoke. After performing poorly on a series of field sobriety tasks, Peoples was placed into custody for driving under the influence.

A search of the vehicle revealed a loaded Smith and Wesson 9mm pistol under the driver's seat. As a result of his prior felony convictions, Peoples is prohibited by federal law from possession of firearms or ammunition, and was charged accordingly.

On February 10, 2020, the defendant pled guilty as charged to the federal offense of being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm.

On October 2, 2020, U.S. Chief District Court Judge S. Thomas Anderson sentenced Peoples to 49 months in federal prison followed by three years supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.

U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant said: "It is well known that past violence is predictive of future violence. Clearly, Peoples did not learn a lesson from his prior state convictions and sentence for violence, and continues to be a danger to the community. Now, he will be rightly punished for his recidivism and incapacitated in federal prison, where there is no sentence discount or sanctuary of parole."

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF); West Tennessee Violent Crimes and Drug Task Force; and the Milan Police Department investigated this case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Hillary Lawler Parham prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.

###

 

Jackson, TN – Justin Coffman, 29, has been federally charged with being a drug user in possession of firearms, and has been indicted in state court for the criminal offense of possession of a hoax device. D. Michael Dunavant, U.S. Attorney announced the unsealing of the federal criminal complaint, and 26th Judicial District Attorney General Jody Pickens announced the state indictment by the Madison County Grand Jury today.

According to a federal complaint unsealed today, on June 1, 2020, Jackson Police Department began investigating Coffman who was posting photographs to his Facebook page and another page titled, "The Gunpowder Plot" that depicted him holding a Molotov cocktail near the Jackson City Court building. The photo also showed a Jackson Police Department transport van. Above the photo was a quote, "You will bathe in the flames born from your hatred." Coffman was also seen at two protests against police violence in the days leading up to the investigation.

Officers obtained a state search warrant for Coffman’s residence to search for the potential incendiary device, and located a glass bottle containing a liquid substance fashioned to appear like a Molotov cocktail, as well as two firearms: a Spikes Tactical model ST15 multi caliber AR type rifle, and a Sarsilmaz model SARK2P 9mm pistol in Coffman’s bedroom. Marijuana was also recovered.

As a result of further investigation by law enforcement, a federal criminal complaint was filed charging Coffman with being an unlawful user of drugs in possession of firearms, in violation of 18 USC §922(g)(3).

Coffman was also indicted by the Madison County Grand Jury and charged in state court by the 26th Judicial District Attorney General, Jody Pickens, for the Class C Felony offense of possession of a hoax device in violation of T.C.A. §39-17-1302, as well as the Class A misdemeanor offenses of possession of a Schedule VI controlled substance in violation of T.C.A. §39-17-418 and five counts of possession of drug paraphernalia in violation of T.C.A. §39-17-425.

U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant said: "Prohibited persons in possession of firearms such as unlawful users of illegal narcotics are always a public safety concern, but especially so when multiple weapons are recovered during a potentially volatile situation, such as civil unrest. We take all threats against law enforcement very seriously, and I commend the outstanding investigative work of our federal and local law enforcement partners in quickly responding to remove firearms and potentially dangerous devices from this offender."

Madison County District Attorney General Jody Pickens said: "I applaud the work of law enforcement in the investigation of this matter. It stands as a great example of cooperation between state and federal law enforcement."

If convicted, Coffman faces a sentence of up to 10 years in federal prison, followed by three years supervised release and a fine of $250,000 for the federal firearms offense; and a sentence from 3-15 years for the state felony hoax device offense. The federal charges will be presented to a federal grand jury at a later date to consider an indictment against the defendant. There is no parole in the federal system.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and Jackson Police Department investigated this case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Hillary Lawler Parham is prosecuting this case on behalf of the United States. The Madison County District Attorney General’s Office is prosecuting the case on behalf of the State of Tennessee.

The charges and allegations contained in the federal criminal complaint and state indictment are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

###

 

MEMPHIS, TN - At a roundtable with law enforcement in Albuquerque today, Attorney General William P. Barr announced updates on Operation LeGend, which was expanded to Albuquerque on July 22, 2020.

Since Operation LeGend’s launch in July 2020, more than 5,000 arrests – including approximately 263 for homicide – have been made; more than 2,000 firearms have been seized; and nearly 22 kilos of heroin, more than 15 kilos of fentanyl (enough to deliver more than 7.5 million fatal doses), more than 130 kilos of methamphetamine, more than 28 kilos of cocaine, and more than $7.3 million in drug proceeds have been seized.

Of the more than 5,000 individuals arrested, approximately 1,057 have been charged with federal offenses. Approximately 568 of those defendants have been charged with firearms offenses, while approximately 411 have been charged with drug-related crimes. The remaining defendants have been charged with various offenses.

The Attorney General launched the operation as a sustained, systematic and coordinated law enforcement initiative in which federal law enforcement agencies work in conjunction with state and local law enforcement officials to fight violent crime.

Breakdown of Operation LeGend charges:

The initiative, which was first launched first in Kansas City, MO., on July 8, 2020, is named in honor of four-year-old LeGend Taliferro, who was shot and killed while he slept early in the morning of June 29 in Kansas City. The operation was subsequently expanded to Chicago and Albuquerque on July 22, 2020; to Cleveland, Detroit, and Milwaukee on July 29, 2020; to St. Louis and Memphis on August 6, 2020; and to Indianapolis on August 14, 2020. A breakdown of the federal charges in each district is below.

Kansas City, MO.

136 defendants have been charged with federal crimes outlined below.

- 49 defendants have been charged with narcotics-related offenses;

- 76 defendants have been charged with firearms-related offenses; and

- 11 defendants have been charged with other violent crimes.

Chicago, Ill.

176 defendants have been charged with federal crimes outlined below.

- 40 defendants have been charged with narcotics-related offenses;

- 130 defendants have been charged with firearms-related offenses; and

- 6 defendants have been charged with other violent crimes.

Albuquerque, NM.

113 defendants have been charged with federal crimes outlined below.

- 47 defendants have been charged with narcotics-related offenses;

- 56 defendants have been charged with firearms-related offenses; and

- 10 defendants have been charged with other violent crimes.

Cleveland, OH.

94 defendants have been charged with federal crimes outlined below.

- 54 defendants have been charged with narcotics-related offenses;

- 36 defendants have been charged with firearms-related offenses; and

- 4 defendants have been charged with other violent crimes.

Detroit, MI.

96 defendants have been charged with federal offenses outlined below.

- 31 defendants have been charged with narcotics-related offenses;

- 62 defendants have been charged with firearms-related offenses; and

- 3 defendants have been charged with other violent crimes.

Milwaukee, WI.

54 defendants have been charged with federal crimes outlined below.

- 25 defendants have been charged with narcotics-related offenses;

- 25 defendants have been charged with firearms-related offenses; and

- 4 defendant has been charged with other violent crimes.

St. Louis, MO.

274 defendants have been charged with federal crimes.

- 125 defendants have been charged with narcotics-related offenses;

- 125 defendants have been charged with firearms-related offenses; and

- 24 defendants have been charged with other violent crimes.

Memphis, TN.

51 defendants have been charged with federal offenses.

- 30 defendants have been charged with narcotics-related offenses;

- 14 defendants have been charged with firearms-related offenses; and

- 7 defendants have been charged with other violent crimes.

Indianapolis, Indiana

65 defendants have been charged with federal crimes outlined below.

- 10 defendants have been charged with narcotics-related offenses;

- 46 defendants have been charged with firearms-related offenses; and

- 9 defendants have been charged with other violent crimes.

***

Memphis, TN – Today, the Justice Department announced it has charged more than 14,200 defendants with firearms-related crimes during Fiscal Year (FY) 2020, despite the challenges of COVID-19 and its impact on the criminal justice process. These cases have been a Department priority since November 2019 when Attorney General William P. Barr announced his commitment to investigating, prosecuting, and combatting gun crimes as a critical part of the Department’s anti-violent crime strategy. These firearms-related charges are the result of the critical law enforcement partnership between United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), led by Acting Director Regina Lombardo, who has made firearms-related investigations a priority.

"The number one priority of government is to keep its citizens safe," said Attorney General Barr. "By preventing firearms from falling into the hands of individuals who are prohibited from having them, we can stop violent crime before it happens. Violating federal firearms laws is a serious crime and offenders face serious consequences. The Justice Department is committed to investigating and prosecuting individuals, who illegally buy, sell, use, or possess firearms. Reducing gun violence requires a coordinated effort, and we could not have charged more than 14,000 individuals with firearms-related crimes without the hard work of the dedicated law enforcement professionals at the ATF, our U.S. Attorneys’ Offices across the country, and especially all of our state and local law enforcement partners."

"Protecting the public from violent crime involving firearms is at the core of ATF’s mission," commented ATF Acting Director Regina Lombardo. "Every day the men and women of ATF pursue and investigate those who use firearms to commit violent crimes in our communities, many of whom are prohibited from possessing firearms from previous convictions. ATF, in collaboration with the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices across the nation, is committed to bringing these offenders to justice for their egregious and violent criminal acts."

U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant said: "Gun crime remains a pervasive problem in too many communities across West Tennessee. Since becoming U.S. Attorney in 2017, I have intensified our focus on removing firearms from the hands of prohibited persons, and removing violent gun offenders from our streets. In order to reduce violent crime and save lives, we will continue to aggressively prosecute the trigger-pullers, traffickers, straw purchasers, and prohibited persons who illegally use and possess firearms in West Tennessee."

Of the more than 14,200 cases charged, a total of 203 federal firearms-related cases have been brought in the Western District of Tennessee in FY 2020, announced U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant.

Under federal law, it is illegal to possess a firearm if you fall into one of nine prohibited categories including being a felon, illegal alien, or unlawful user of a controlled substance. Further, it is unlawful to possess a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense or violent crime. It is also illegal to purchase – or even to attempt to illegally purchase - firearms if the buyer is a prohibited person or illegally purchasing a firearm on behalf of others. Lying on ATF Form 4473, which is used to lawfully purchase a firearm, is also a federal offense. The Department is committed to prosecuting these firearms offenses as well as using all modern technologies available to law enforcement such as the National Integrated Ballistic Information Network, known as NIBIN, to promote gun crime intelligence. Keeping illegal firearms out of the hands of violent criminals will continue to be a priority of the Justice Department and we will use all appropriate, available means to keep the law abiding people of this country safe from gun crime.

For more information on the lawful purchasing of firearms, please see: https://www.atf.gov/qa-category/atf-form-4473.

###

 

Memphis, TN – Markeis Ivy, 24, has been sentenced to 75 months in federal prison for possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant for the Western District of Tennessee announced the sentence today.

According to information presented in court, on May 2, 2019, while on targeted patrol in the area of Springdale and Howell area, undercover law enforcement encountered a blue Camaro that had stopped in the middle of the road as the occupants in the vehicle talked to people standing along the street. As the officers pulled around the Camaro, the driver pointed an AR type rifle at one of the undercover officers. Law enforcement then radioed for assistance.

Arriving to the scene, law enforcement spotted the suspect vehicle with its passenger side door open in front of a residence on Howell Street. The officers gave commands for the occupants to show their hands when the passenger side door closed and the vehicle reversed at a high rate of speed. The vehicle made a U-turn and accelerated, hitting the undercover vehicle and chain link fence at the rear of the apartment complex. The car then stopped.

As one man attempted to run, he was captured and placed into custody. Officers saw Ivy reaching for the driver’s side floorboard and pulled him out of the car. There was a struggle, and officers were required to restrain Ivy by the use of a taser before placing him into custody. As they picked him up off the ground, a plastic Ziploc bag containing four other small plastic bags fell from his person, which contained 73 oxycodone pills, 12 Xanax pills, marijuana, and $1,879 in U.S. currency.

Officers found a black assault rifle on the driver’s side floorboard of the vehicle and a black assault-style handgun on the passenger side floorboard, a 70-round magazine, a Glock 40 caliber magazine, and a FN 57 magazine.

On November 26, 2019, law enforcement served a search warrant at Ivy’s residence in Cordova, Tennessee and found 29.94 grams of marijuana in two bags, a digital scale, and approximately $6,000 in U.S. currency on his person.

Also found in the residence were the following:

• MAG Tactical AR15 Model G4 Variant Pistol, one round in the chamber and a loaded 30 round magazine, 5.56 caliber ammunition, a 24 round 5.56 caliber magazine removed from the pistol.

• American Tactical Hybrid .223 caliber Short Barrel Rifle with a loaded 60 round extended magazine.

• Glock 9mm handgun loaded with an extended magazine, 32 total rounds.

• Ruger 9mm pistol with one round in the chamber and a loaded magazine.

• Sig 229 magazine, and 12 Speer .40 caliber rounds.

• Body armor vest.

• 19 rounds of 9mm ammunition in a baggie on the kitchen counter.

• Three rounds of assorted ammunition on the kitchen counter.

• One round of Riocchi ammunition.

• 50 round drum magazine located on the kitchen counter.

On October 7, 2020, U.S. District Court Judge Sheryl H. Lipman sentenced Ivy to 75 months in federal prison followed by 3 years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.

U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant said, "Armed drug dealers pose a significant public safety risk to our communities and law enforcement, and must be punished and incapacitated in a meaningful way. This outstanding investigation removed multiple firearms from the hands of a dangerous offender, and this sentence will reduce the threat of addiction, injury, violence, and death in Memphis."

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and the Memphis Police Department – Crump Station Task Force.

Assistant U.S. Attorney P. Neal Oldham prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.

###

Memphis, TN – After a three-day jury trial with proper COVID-19 health and safety protocols, Frederick Coleman, 29, was found guilty of conspiracy to commit multiple armed business robberies and brandishing a firearm during crimes of violence, in the first post-COVID-19 federal trial held in Memphis. D. Michael Dunavant, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee announced the guilty verdict today.

According to information presented in court, from July 8, 2019-July 15, 2019, Coleman and co-defendant Raphael Hall, committed three armed business robberies at the following locations in Memphis: Dixie Queen at 4092 S. Third Street; Waffle House at 4313 American Way; and Captain D’s at 2238 Frayser Boulevard. Hall was the gunman and Coleman served as the lookout and getaway driver in the robberies. In the Waffle House robbery, Coleman entered the business, but stayed at the door holding a silver revolver, while Hall pointed a shotgun at the cashier and then took the money.

On January 14, 2020, a federal grand jury returned an indictment against Hall and Coleman, charging them with the 3 business robberies affecting interstate commerce and brandishing a firearm during those crimes of violence. On September 15, 2020, Hall pled guilty as charged, and has yet to be sentenced.

On October 8, 2020, the jury found Coleman guilty of the robberies and firearms offenses involving the Waffle House and Captain D’s businesses. The jury was unable to reach a verdict as to the charges involving the Dixie Queen.

Sentencing is set for January 8, 2021, before U.S. District Court Judge Jon P. McCalla, where Coleman faces sentences of up to 20 years in federal prison and $250,000 fine for each of the business robberies, and a mandatory minimum consecutive sentence of 7 years imprisonment for each firearm offense.

U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant said: "Business owners and employees have a fundamental right to be safe from armed robbers who terrorize our communities with their lawlessness. The senselessness of gun violence has a long lasting effect on victims of armed robbery, and we will no longer allow gun crime to rule our streets. This verdict sends a clear message that there will always be a reckoning, a real and significant consequence, for the commission of violent crimes."

The FBI’s Safe Street Task Force investigated this case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin Whitmore is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.

###

Western District of Tennessee Has Charged 25 Cases in FY 20

Memphis, TN – Today, the Department of Justice announced it has charged more than 500 domestic violence cases involving firearms during Fiscal Year (FY) 2020. A Department priority since 2019 when Attorney General William P. Barr created the Department of Justice’s first ever-Domestic Violence Working Group, these charges are the result of the critical law enforcement partnership between United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, led by Acting Director Regina Lombardo, who has made domestic violence firearms-related investigations a priority.

"Keeping firearms out of the hands of dangerous criminal offenders is one of the Department of Justice’s top priorities," said Attorney General Barr. "This is especially important when it comes to individuals with prior domestic violence convictions. The statistics are clear that when domestic violence offenders have access to guns, their partners and their families are at much greater risk of falling victim to gun violence. In fact, in some communities across America, roughly half of the homicides are related to domestic violence. The Department of Justice is committed to keeping guns out of the hands of those who are prohibited from having them, and we will continue investigating and prosecuting all domestic violence firearms related crimes."

"According to the CDC, data suggests that about one in six homicide victims are killed by an intimate partner," said ATF Acting Director Lombardo. "Nearly half of female homicide victims in the U.S. are killed by a current or former male intimate partner. ATF is committed to aggressively pursuing prohibited possession of firearms due to domestic violence convictions and certain protective orders. It is another way we prevent violent gun crime within our communities."

U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant said: "Persons with histories of domestic violence present a known and immediate risk of violence to their families and the community at large. The presence of a firearm during a crime of domestic violence dramatically increases the chances that the victim or other family members in the household, including children,will be fatally shot. A central component of PSN is that safe neighborhoods begin with safe homes, and through our aggressive federal prosecution of these known abusers, we can incapacitate and hold dangerous offenders accountable, send a strong message of deterrence, reduce violent crime rates, and ultimately save lives."

Of the more than 500 cases charged, 25 cases have been brought by the Western District of Tennessee in FY 2020, announced U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant. Here in the Western District of Tennessee, the U.S. Attorney’s Office has dramatically increased the number of defendants charged with domestic violence-related firearms offenses over the last 3 years:

FY 2016 FY 2017 FY 2018 FY 2019 FY 2020

Defendants charged 1 15 33 22 25

Examples of successful federal prosecutions of firearms offenses committed by domestic abusers in West Tennessee over the last year include the following:

• Domestic Abuser Sentenced to 6 Years for Unlawful Possession of Multiple Firearms: https://www.justice.gov/usao-wdtn/pr/domestic-abuser-sentenced-6-years-unlawful-possession-multiple-firearms

• Convicted Felon with Prior Domestic Violence History Given 5 Year Sentence for Gun Possession: https://www.justice.gov/usao-wdtn/pr/convicted-felon-prior-domestic-violence-history-given-5-year-sentence-gun-possession

• Convicted Felon Sentenced to Over 7 Years for Possession of Firearm During Domestic Violence Incident and Possession of Ammunition After Threatening and Evading Law Enforcement: https://www.justice.gov/usao-wdtn/pr/convicted-felon-sentenced-over-7-years-possession-firearm-during-domestic-violence

• Convicted Felon Sentenced to Federal Prison for Possession of a Firearm During Domestic Violence Incident: https://www.justice.gov/usao-wdtn/pr/convicted-felon-sentenced-federal-prison-possession-firearm-during-domestic-violence

• Convicted Felon in Possession of a Firearm During Domestic Violence Incident Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal Prison: https://www.justice.gov/usao-wdtn/pr/convicted-felon-possession-firearm-during-domestic-violence-incident-sentenced-10-years

• Convicted Felon with Prior Domestic Violence Conviction Sentenced to Federal Prison for Being in Possession of Ammunition: https://www.justice.gov/usao-wdtn/pr/convicted-felon-prior-domestic-violence-conviction-sentenced-federal-prison-being

This significant increase in federal charges and convictions in this category is a direct result of the Justice Department’s aggressive effort to keep guns out of the hands of domestic abusers. This effort, combined with the re-invigoration of Project Safe

Neighborhoods (PSN) and the Justice Department’s concerted efforts to prosecute violent crime through Project Guardian and Operation LeGend, has resulted in this success.

Under federal law, individuals with domestic violence misdemeanor and felony convictions, as well as individuals subject to domestic violence protective orders, are prohibited from possessing firearms. The data shows that offenders with domestic violence in their past pose a high risk of homicide. In fact, domestic violence abusers with a gun in the home are five times more likely to kill their partners.

The Working Group, chaired by U.S. Attorney Erin Nealy Cox, of the Northern District of Texas, disseminates legal guidance on keeping guns out of the hands of domestic violence abusers using three federal statutes:

• 18 USC § 922 (g)(1), felon in possession of a firearm

• 18 USC § 922 (g)(9), possession of a firearm by a prohibited person (misdemeanor crime of domestic violence)

• 18 USC § 922 (g)(8), possession of a firearm while subject to a domestic violence protective order

Based on the Working Group’s guidance, in FY 2020, U.S. Attorneys’ Offices nationwide brought 337 domestic violence felon-in-possession charges, 54 possession while subject to a protective order charges, and 142 possession by a prohibited person charges.

For more information on domestic violence or to get help, visit the National Domestic Violence Hotline website or call 1-800-799-SAFE (7233).

###

WASHINGTON – An indictment was unsealed today charging John David McAfee with tax evasion and willful failure to file tax returns, announced Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Richard E. Zuckerman of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant for the Western District of Tennessee. The June 15, 2020 indictment was unsealed following McAfee’s arrest in Spain where he is pending extradition.

According to the indictment, John McAfee earned millions in income from promoting cryptocurrencies, consulting work, speaking engagements, and selling the rights to his life story for a documentary. From 2014 to 2018, McAfee allegedly failed to file tax returns, despite receiving considerable income from these sources. The indictment does not allege that during these years McAfee received any income or had any connection with the anti-virus company bearing his name.

According to the indictment, McAfee allegedly evaded his tax liability by directing his income to be paid into bank accounts and cryptocurrency exchange accounts in the names of nominees. The indictment further alleges McAfee attempted to evade the IRS by concealing assets, including real property, a vehicle, and a yacht, in the names of others.

If convicted, McAfee faces a maximum sentence of five years in prison on each count of tax evasion and a maximum sentence of one year in prison on each count of willful failure to file a tax return. McAfee also faces a period of supervised release, restitution, and monetary penalties.

An indictment merely alleges that crimes have been committed. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Zuckerman and U.S. Attorney Dunavant commended special agents of IRS-Criminal Investigation, who conducted the investigation, and Trial Attorney William Guappone of the Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew Wilson and Damon Griffin, who are prosecuting the case.

Additional information about the Tax Division and its enforcement efforts may be found on the Division’s website.

###

Jackson, TN – Justin Simmons, 36, has been sentenced to 140 months in federal prison for possession with intent to distribute more than 50 grams of actual methamphetamine. D. Michael Dunavant, U.S. Attorney announced the sentence today.

According to information presented in court, on March 14, 2018, investigators with the Paris, Tennessee Police Department observed a blue van speeding. Upon stopping the vehicle, it was determined that the driver’s license had been revoked. Simmons was the front seat passenger. After obtaining consent to search the vehicle, investigators found 62 grams of marijuana and 37 grams of methamphetamine.

On or about May 29, 2018, Paris, Tennessee Police Department investigators observed Simmons operating a vehicle and attempted to stop him; he fled in his vehicle, nearly hitting another officer’s vehicle. Simmons was then pursued by law enforcement on Elkhorn Road in Paris, Tennessee, until he ran off the left side of the road.

A search of the vehicle revealed approximately 2.205 ounces of marijuana in a plastic container. Investigators located a green army can beside Simmons’s vehicle which contained approximately 1.167 pounds of methamphetamine, a set of digital scales, plastic baggies, and $2,178 in United States currency.

On October 6, 2020, Chief U.S. District Court Judge S. Thomas Anderson sentenced Simmons to 140 months in federal prison followed by 5 years supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.

U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant said, "Methamphetamine that is trafficked in and through West Tennessee is increasing in dangerous purity, and continues to destroy individuals, families, and communities. Drug dealers who profit from the pain, addiction, violence and death caused by these dangerous substances deserve proper punishment, and this sentence does just that."

The Paris, Tennessee Police Department, Henry County Sheriff’s Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Jackson, Tennessee Task Force investigated this case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Jerry Kitchen prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.

###

 

Jackson, TN – Seventeen individuals have been charged in federal court with operating a multiple–state drug trafficking organization. D. Michael Dunavant, U.S. Attorney announced the unsealing of the federal criminal complaint today.

U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant said, "Criminal enterprises that distribute harmful drugs into West Tennessee can no longer hide. We are taking the fight to the gangs in order to dismantle their drug trafficking organizations and remove them from our streets. I commend the outstanding investigative efforts by DEA and our state and local law enforcement partners in this important and impactful case."

The following individuals have been arrested and charged with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, heroin, fentanyl, cocaine and marijuana into and throughout West Tennessee. In March 2019, a DEA investigation was initiated in the Jackson, Tennessee area. Investigators used wiretaps along with other surveillance, confidential sources, traffic stops, search warrants, and gang intelligence to investigate this drug trafficking organization. Agents seized 106.5 lbs. of methamphetamine (ice), 500 fentanyl pills, and an additional 1.25 lbs. of fentanyl, and 3.5 grams of heroin. Each defendant’s role in the drug trafficking conspiracy is outlined in the criminal complaint:

Methamphetamine Conspiracy:

• Terry Smith, a/k/a "Ali," a/k/a "Cockeye", 33 of Lauderdale County (TDOC Custody)

• Rodney Ayers, a/k/a "P-Rod," 47 of Shelby County

• Horace McNeary, a/k/a "HB," 35 of Henry County

• Brianna Norsworthy, 23 of Calloway County, Kentucky

• -SEALED-

• Dustin Chambers, a/k/a "SNOW," 35 of Madison County

• Anthony Hines, a/k/a "BYRD," 41 of Shelby County

 

• Kayla Henderson, 28 of Shelby County

• Teddy Reed, a/k/a "PT," 40 of Shelby County

• Jermichael Buggs, 33 of Shelby County

• -SEALED-

• Danielle Cunningham, 35 of Shelby County

• Aerielle Coleman, 31 of Shelby County, and

• James Dumas, a/k/a "DOO DOO," 45 of Shelby County

Fentanyl Conspiracy:

• Terry Smith, a/k/a "ALI," a/k/a "COCKEYE"

• Rodney Ayers, a/k/a "P-ROD,"

• Anthony Hines, a/k/a "BYRD,"

• Kayla Henderson

• Teddy Reed, a/k/a "PT," and

• James Dumas, a/k/a "DOO DOO"

Cocaine Conspiracy:

• Rodney Ayers, a/k/a "P-ROD,"

• Anthony Hines, a/k/a "BYRD,"

• Teddy Reed, a/k/a "PT"

• Jermichael Buggs

• -SEALED-

• Michael Broady, 49 of Shelby County

• -SEALED-

• Tracy Coleman, 49 of Shelby County, and

• James Dumas, a/k/a "DOO DOO"

Heroin Conspiracy:

• Terry Smith, a/k/a "ALI," a/k/a "COCKEYE

• Rodney Ayers, a/k/a "P-ROD,"

• Horace McNeary, a/k/a "HB,"

• Kayla Henderson,

• Teddy Reed, a/k/a "PT,"

• -SEALED-, and

• James Dumas, a/k/a "DOO DOO"

Marijuana Conspiracy:

• Terry Smith, a/k/a "ALI," a/k/a "COCKEYE

• Rodney Ayers, a/k/a "P-ROD,"

• Anthony Hines, a/k/a "BYRD,"

• Kayla Henderson

• Teddy Reed, a/k/a "PT"

• Jermichael Buggs

• Michael Broady and

• James Dumas, a/k/a "DOO DOO"

Further investigation revealed that Terry Smith a/k/a "Ali," a/k/a "Cockeye", Chief of Security for the Vice Lords street gang, arranged large quantities of methamphetamine, marijuana, cocaine, heroin and fentanyl to be shipped into the Western District of Tennessee from Texas and Arizona. He utilized a large distribution network that ranged from Western Kentucky to Northwest Mississippi. Smith was arrested by the U.S. Marshals Service while in TDOC custody at the West Tennessee State Penitentiary, and transferred to federal pre-trial custody.

This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA); West Tennessee Drug Task Force; Jackson Police Department; Jackson-Madison County Metro Narcotics Unit; Madison County Sheriff’s Department; Paris, Tennessee Police Department; Henry County Sheriff’s Department; Murray, Kentucky Police Department; Kentucky State Police; Arkansas State Police; Tennessee Department of Correction Office of Investigations & Compliance (TDOC-OIC); and the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS).

The charges and allegations contained in the complaint are merely accusations of criminal conduct, not evidence. Each charged defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt, and convicted through due process of law. The case will be presented to a federal grand jury at a later date to consider an indictment against the defendants.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Hillary Lawler Parham is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.

###

An indictment was unsealed today charging John David McAfee with tax evasion and willful failure to file tax returns, announced Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Richard E. Zuckerman of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant for the Western District of Tennessee. The June 15, 2020 indictment was unsealed following McAfee’s arrest in Spain where he is pending extradition.

According to the indictment, John McAfee earned millions in income from promoting cryptocurrencies, consulting work, speaking engagements, and selling the rights to his life story for a documentary. From 2014 to 2018, McAfee allegedly failed to file tax returns, despite receiving considerable income from these sources. The indictment does not allege that during these years McAfee received any income or had any connection with the anti-virus company bearing his name.

According to the indictment, McAfee allegedly evaded his tax liability by directing his income to be paid into bank accounts and cryptocurrency exchange accounts in the names of nominees. The indictment further alleges McAfee attempted to evade the IRS by concealing assets, including real property, a vehicle, and a yacht, in the names of others.

If convicted, McAfee faces a maximum sentence of five years in prison on each count of tax evasion and a maximum sentence of one year in prison on each count of willful failure to file a tax return. McAfee also faces a period of supervised release, restitution, and monetary penalties.

An indictment merely alleges that crimes have been committed. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Zuckerman and U.S. Attorney Dunavant commended special agents of IRS-Criminal Investigation, who conducted the investigation, and Trial Attorney William Guappone of the Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew Wilson and Damon Griffin, who are prosecuting the case.

Additional information about the Tax Division and its enforcement efforts may be found on the Division’s website.

Memphis, TN – After a week-long federal jury trial in September 2019, James Jackson, 58, of Memphis, Tennessee, was convicted of 13 counts of mail fraud, aggravated identity theft, access device fraud and theft of mail. Jackson has now been sentenced to 207 months in federal prison. D. Michael Dunavant, United States Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee announced the sentence today.

According to the information presented in court, in 2014-2015, Jackson devised a scheme to steal money from banks, financial companies and other individuals. Jackson obtained the personal identifying information of numerous individuals, most of whom were deceased, and used this information to take over the victims’ financial accounts (stock, credit card, and bank accounts). Jackson would search online obituaries and noteworthy articles to discover the identities of recently deceased individuals and then he would research the individuals to determine if they had any credit accounts or financial investment accounts. He would then impersonate the victims (both male and female) and use their information when contacting customer service representatives of banks, credit card companies and financial firms. Jackson would convince the businesses to mail new bank/credit cards to other addresses (vacant homes and hotels in Memphis area) and also caused the sale of over $340,000 of stock out of one victim’s investment account. Jackson recruited another individual to use the cards to withdraw funds from the victim accounts and to purchase gift cards.

On February 27, 2015, Jackson called the Cordova Post Office claiming to be a Charles Fulks and inquired about a credit card package that should have been delivered the day before to 10022 Cameron Ridge Trail. United States Postal Inspectors and members of the Tennessee Highway Patrol Identity Crimes Unit determined this was an imposter because the true Charles Fulks had died on February 2, 2015 and the 10022 Cameron Ridge Trail address was a vacant house at the time. Later, agents watched the package containing credit cards be delivered to the mailbox at 10022 Cameron Ridge Trail. Twelve hours later, agents observed Jackson emerge from a house at 10027 Cameron Ridge Trail and walk across the street to retrieve the credit card package from the mailbox and then went back into his residence. No one answered the door when agents announced their presence. Later, agents noticed smoke coming out of the home. Agents eventually located Jackson in the house pretending to be asleep. Numerous small fires had been set throughout the house in what appeared to be an attempt to destroy evidence. In the home, agents located items associated with identity theft, including documents and a guide entitled "How to Find Anyone and Anything" and computers. A search of Jackson’s computers revealed that he had been researching the deceased victims. This was done through use of numerous online obituary sites and nationwide news articles. In a subsequent search of Jackson’s mother’s house, agents found a box of Jackson’s business cards, wherein he claimed to be the "Father of Identity Theft."

In August 2018, Jackson was arrested again in Charlotte, North Carolina, while attempting to purchase a $43,000 Corvette using the name and personal information of a recently deceased individual.

Jackson had prior federal convictions for mail fraud, credit card fraud and bank fraud from the Southern District of New York and mail fraud, credit card fraud and social security fraud from the Western District of Tennessee. Jackson’s life and fraud schemes were highlighted in a 2004 book entitled "Your Evil Twin- Behind the Identity Theft Epidemic."

On September 30, 2020, U.S. District Court Judge John T. Fowlkes, Jr., sentenced Jackson to 207 months in federal prison followed by 5 years supervised release. Jackson was also ordered to pay over $300,000 in restitution. There is no parole in the federal system.

U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant said, "Aggravated identity theft and schemes to defraud or compromise the personal and financial security of vulnerable and deceased victims will not be tolerated. This case demonstrates our commitment to protect the personal and financial information of citizens and institutions, and to hold offenders accountable for these disturbing crimes of dishonesty. This self-proclaimed ‘Father of Identity Theft’ will now have to change his name to ‘Father Time’, because he will be doing plenty of it in federal prison."

This case was investigated by the United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security, Tennessee Highway Patrol and the Memphis Police Department.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen Hall prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.

###

Memphis, TN – Erin Pealor, 36, of Maryville, TN, has been sentenced to 36 months in federal prison for attempting to acquire or obtain a controlled substance by misrepresentation, fraud, forgery, deception, or subterfuge. D. Michael Dunavant, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee and Brian Rabbitt, Acting Assistant Attorney General Justice Department’s Criminal Division, announced the sentence today.

According to information presented in court, beginning in November 2017 and continuing through February 2018, the defendant knowingly and intentionally attempted to obtain Schedule II controlled substances, namely methylphenidate and amphetamine, by fraud, forgery, deception, and subterfuge by filling out prescriptions with false and fraudulent patient names and forging the signature of a local physician. Pealor then attempted to fill those false and fraudulent prescriptions for controlled substances at various pharmacies.

U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant said, "Opioid misuse and abuse is an insidious epidemic, and unfortunately, causes individuals to engage in criminal behavior that contributes to the problem. Just as this office will hold medical professionals accountable for over-prescribing opioids, we will also pursue federal charges against any person who exploits the medical profession for their own selfish desire to obtain highly addictive prescription drugs by dishonest methods."

In addition to the conduct charged in the September 2019 indictment in the Western District of Tennessee, Pealor admitted to the following facts related to conduct in the Eastern District of Tennessee:

On February 18, 2019, law enforcement made contact with Pealor in a parking lot at a CVS Pharmacy in Maryville, Tennessee. Law enforcement advised Pealor of her Miranda rights and she consented to have law enforcement search her vehicle. Law enforcement found four fake Arkansas drivers' licenses, a bottle of methylphenidate (Ritalin) 20mg in the name of a minor, an empty pill bottle in the name of another minor, CVS Pharmacy sales receipts, prescriptions in the names of two other doctors along with two ledgers that contained children's names, dates of birth, addresses and pharmacy names, and an iPhone.

Evidence revealed Pealor was the manager of Youth Opportunity Services and had been knowingly stealing personal identifying information belonging to children in the Department of Children's Services database and using that information to write and pass fraudulent prescriptions at numerous pharmacies in Blount and Knox counties. No one authorized the prescriptions, and Pealor's use of the children’s identities was unauthorized. Ms. Pealor forged prescriptions in the name of two doctors who did not authorize Pealor to place their names and signatures on the prescriptions. Some of those false and fraudulent prescriptions were found in her vehicle, but prior to being taken into custody, Pealor had successfully made unauthorized use of the identities of dozens of children in order to obtain Ritalin by means of forged prescriptions.

Through this scheme, Ms. Pealor obtained an estimated 5,000 pills. She also stole the TennCare numbers for these children and used the children's TennCare benefits to pay for the prescriptions. Accordingly, she was knowingly using, without lawful authority, the identities of both children and physicians in order to commit the offense of health care fraud in violation of Title 18, United States Code Section 1347 and making false statements in connection with a health care matter in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1035.

Pealor was among several defendants charged in the Second Appalachian Region Prescription Opioid (ARPO) Strike Force Takedown in September, 2019: https://www.justice.gov/usao-wdtn/pr/second-appalachian-region-prescription-opioid-strikeforce-takedown-results-charges

On September 29, 2020, U.S. District Court Judge Thomas L. Parker sentenced Pealor to 36 months in federal prison followed by one year supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.

The Appalachian Region Prescription Opioid (ARPO) Strike Force, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and the State of Tennessee Office of Inspector General (OIG) investigated this case. Since its inception in October 2018, the ARPO Strike Force, which operates in 10 federal judicial districts, has charged more than 300 individuals with schemes involving more than 6 billion dollars in alleged healthcare fraud, and millions of prescription opioids.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Erskine and Trial Attorney Emily Petro of the DOJ Fraud Section prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.

###

 

Jackson, TN – Ryan Decker, 37, of Union City, TN, has been sentenced to 210 months in federal prison for conspiracy to distribute Methamphetamine. U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant announced the sentence today.

According to information presented in court, in 2018, the Weakley County Sheriff’s Department executed a search warrant at a residence on Maywood Drive in Martin, Tennessee. Officers recovered a small quantity of methamphetamine, along with four firearms. As a result, the investigation expanded to target multiple co-defendants, including Decker.

On August 1, 2018, Decker delivered two ounces of methamphetamine to an agreed upon location, and was taken into custody. Decker provided a Mirandized statement to officers admitting his involvement in the drug trafficking organization (DTO).

On June 17, 2019, a Federal Grand Jury sitting in the Jackson returned a four-count superseding indictment against Decker and the other members of the DTO: Rudy Powers, John Paul Henry, Daniel Nunez, Kwantrez Pitts, Nelson Urias and Jimmie Goodman for conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute over 50 grams of actual methamphetamine. On August 24, 2020, Daniel Nunez was sentenced to 248 months in federal prison for his role in the drug trafficking conspiracy: https://www.justice.gov/usao-wdtn/pr/union-city-man-sentenced-20-years-federal-prison-meth-distribution-and-firearm

On September 29, 2020, Chief U.S. District Court Judge Thomas Anderson found that Decker was responsible for the distribution of over 50 kilograms of actual methamphetamine in furtherance of the conspiracy, and sentenced him to 210 months in federal prison followed by 5 years supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.

U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant said, "Methamphetamine continues to destroy individuals, families, and communities in West Tennessee, and we will continue to aggressively investigate, prosecute, and punish drug dealers to hold them accountable. With a long stint in prison like his poison-pushing partners, Decker will at last make the community safer by no longer being a part of it."

This case was investigated by the Weakley County Sheriff’s Department, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation Drug Unit, Dyer County Sheriff’s Department and the 27th Judicial District Drug Task Force.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Jerry Kitchen prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.

###

 

Memphis, TN – Leon Cooper, 51 has been sentenced to 120 months in federal prison for conspiracy to distribute more than 1 kilogram of heroin. D. Michael Dunavant, U.S. Attorney announced the sentence today.

According to information presented in court, in late 2015 the Shelby County Sheriff's Office and the Drug Enforcement Administration began an investigation into a group of drug traffickers in Memphis. Their investigation led to several individuals pooling their money together to buy kilograms of heroin from a source of supply in Chicago. The Memphis co-conspirators were arrested on March 5, 2016, with a kilogram of heroin in their possession and sentenced in late 2016.

As the investigation continued, officers and agents identified the drug supplier as a Jeffrey Brooks of Chicago, Illinois, who was charged and convicted as a co-defendant. Cooper was also identified as a member of the conspiracy, who helped the Memphis co-conspirators contact Brooks to request the heroin. The object of the conspiracy was to bring heroin to Memphis and distribute it in small amounts to users and addicts. During the course of the conspiracy, over 15 kilograms of heroin was trafficked between Chicago and Memphis.

On September 29, 2020, U.S. District Court Judge John T. Fowlkes Jr., sentenced Leon Cooper to 120 months in federal prison followed by 5 years supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.

United States Attorney D. Michael Dunavant said: "Our nation and our district are suffering from the heroin and opioid epidemic, causing increases in drug trafficking, violence, addiction, and overdose deaths that are tearing our communities apart. We will not tolerate out-of-state poison pushers who threaten West Tennessee citizens for profit.

This Chicago trafficker brought large quantities of heroin into Memphis for resale, and will now reap a long prison sentence for his harmful crimes."

This case was investigated by the Shelby County Sheriff's Office and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).

Special Assistant Joseph Griffith prosecuted this case on behalf of the United States. This case is part of the Heroin Initiative in collaboration with the Shelby County District Attorney's Office.

###

Memphis, TN – Fred Lee Williams, 37, has been sentenced to 108 months in federal prison for being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm. D. Michael Dunavant, U.S. Attorney announced the sentence today.

According to information presented in court, on July 12, 2018, at approximately 7:30 p.m., DEA Task Force Officers conducted surveillance at North Watkins Street in Memphis, Tennessee. Officers observed Williams, who was sitting in a 2007 Honda Accord in a parking lot with the driver’s side door open, pull a bag from the driver’s side door, and show it to another male. Williams then pulled a gun from the center area of the car and began waving it around. Williams put the gun down and exited the vehicle. He was temporarily detained while officers assessed the situation.

The gun, which had been reported stolen, was found in plain view, on the driver’s side floorboard. While opening the door to retrieve the gun, officers observed a clear bag of marijuana in the driver's door, weighing 114.9 grams. The gun, a Smith and Wesson .40 caliber pistol, was loaded with five rounds of ammunition. Further evidence proved Williams purchased the gun that same day in exchange for three grams of marijuana.

As a result of his two prior felony convictions for aggravated assault in 2007 and 2012, and three prior felony convictions for possession of marijuana with intent to sell in 2003, 2009, and 2017, Williams is prohibited by federal law from possession of firearms or ammunition. Additionally, Williams was on probation for a drug trafficking offense at the time of his arrest for the instant offense.

On September 25, 2020, U.S. District Court Judge Jon P. McCalla sentenced Williams to 108 months in federal prison followed by three years supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.

U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant said, "Targeted, persistent law enforcement can make a difference in our neighborhoods. Each illegal firearm that we can take off the streets and every dangerous felon in possession that we can punish and incapacitate makes our communities a safer place to live."

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and the Memphis Police Department (MPD) investigated this case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Raney Irwin prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.

###

Jackson, TN– Following a week-long trial with proper COVID-19 health and safety protocols, a federal jury has convicted Charles Ray Smith, 71, of Crump, Tenn., of defrauding three banks in Tennessee and Alabama. D. Michael Dunavant, U.S. Attorney announced the guilty verdict today.

According to information presented in court, Smith owned and operated several aggregate materials businesses in Tennessee, Alabama and Louisiana. From March 2009 until February 2012, Smith defrauded Central Bank in Savannah, Tenn., by depositing and directing others to deposit more than $116 million in fraudulent bank checks into his companies’ bank account. Smith also defrauded Wayne County Bank, in Waynesboro, Tenn., and First Metro Bank, in Muscle Shoals, Ala., by falsifying collateral to obtain loans. As a result, Smith stole more than $ 9.9 million from the victim banks.

The jury convicted Smith of all of the counts in the indictment, charging him with conspiracy to commit bank fraud, and seven counts of bank fraud.

The sentencing hearing is scheduled for January 5, 2021, before Chief U.S. District Judge S. Thomas Anderson, who also presided over the trial. Smith faces up to 30 years in prison for each count in the indictment, and a $1 million fine. There is no parole in the federal system.

U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant said, "The financial fraud committed by this defendant is massive, and had a significant negative impact on the shareholders, employees and customers of his bank victims. The U.S. Attorney’s Office places a high priority on protecting the security and integrity of transactions, deposits and assets of financial institutions, and this guilty verdict demonstrates that commitment. Smith has now been held accountable for his brazen crimes of dishonesty."

The case was investigated by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, Office of Inspector General, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Dean DeCandia and Matt Wilson prosecuted this case on behalf of the United States.

###

Memphis, TN – Carlos Jones, 21, has pled guilty to armed carjacking and brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence. D. Michael Dunavant, U.S. Attorney announced the guilty plea today.

According to information presented in court, on July 13, 2018, at approximately 9 p.m., the victim was washing his 2013 Volkswagen Passat at a local carwash on Holmes Road when approached by two suspects, both of whom pointed firearms and demanded his vehicle. The victim said one of the suspects pointed a gun at him from behind and said, "Get the hell away from the car and go."

Surveillance video showed the suspects entered the carwash in a white vehicle, exited the vehicle and approached the victim. Footage captured the victim's vehicle leaving the carwash, followed by the suspect's vehicle. The victim's vehicle was tracked by GPS and later recovered from an apartment complex in Southaven, Mississippi.

Fingerprints belonging to co-defendant Angelo Bunting, 22, were recovered from the interior of the vehicle. The victim positively identified both co-defendants as the suspects responsible for the carjacking.

On September 23, 2020, Jones entered a guilty plea to the charges of carjacking and brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence.

Jones’ sentencing is scheduled for January 7, 2021, before U.S. District Court Judge Mark S. Norris, where Jones faces up to 15 years on the carjacking charge, and a mandatory minimum consecutive sentence of 7 years for brandishing a firearm. Charges against Bunting are still pending. There is no parole in the federal system.

U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant said, "Armed carjacking is a cowardly act involving short sighted gain with long term consequences for both victims and offenders. When violent criminals act impulsively, we will respond deliberately with the full weight and force of federal sanctions to suppress, punish, and incapacitate."

The Memphis Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) investigated this case.

Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Samuel D. Winnig and Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth Rogers are prosecuting this case on behalf of the government. SAUSA Winnig is currently assigned from the Shelby County District Attorney General’s Office for prosecuting violent crimes and firearms offenses in federal court.

###

Memphis, TN – Erik Macklin, 24, has pleaded guilty to possessing a stolen gun. D. Michael Dunavant, U.S. Attorney announced the guilty plea today.

According to information presented in court, on November 1, 2019, members of the Germantown Police Department were conducting surveillance on Macklin, a suspect in multiple aggravated burglaries in Germantown, Tennessee. Macklin also had an outstanding arrest warrant.

Officers located Macklin at a local business. As they approached and asked him to step outside, Macklin pulled away from the officers and grabbed a firearm from his waistband. Law enforcement was able to restrainMacklin, which caused him to drop the firearm, and he was taken into custody.

The firearm was a.45 caliber pistol that had been reported stolen from West Memphis, Arkansas, several weeks prior. Macklin waived his Miranda rights and admitted to possessing the firearm.

As a result of his prior felony convictions, including aggravated burglary, felony theft, and felony vandalism, Macklin is prohibited by federal law from possession of firearms or ammunition.

On September 23, 2020, Macklin entered a guilty plea to being a felon in possession of a firearm. Sentencing is scheduled for December 16, 2020, before U.S. District Court Judge John T. Fowlkes Jr., where he faces up to 10 years in federal prison followed by three years supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.

U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant said, "A stolen firearm in the hands of a convicted felon threatens everyone, including law enforcement. There is a good reason that federal law prohibits and punishes such illegal gun possession, and this conviction resulting in prison with no parole will help to reduce gun crime in Memphis."

The Germantown Police Department and Project Safe Neighborhoods Task Force investigated this case. The Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) initiative is a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. In 2017, PSN was reinvigorated as part of the Justice Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally based strategies to reduce violent crime. Project Guardian is a new DOJ initiative designed to reduce gun violence and enforce federal firearms laws across the country by focusing on investigating, prosecuting, and preventing gun crimes.

Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Samuel D. Winnig is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government. SAUSA Winnig is currently assigned from the Shelby County District Attorney General’s Office for prosecuting violent crimes and firearms offenses in federal court.

###

 

Jackson, TN – Jeffery Lee Davis, 58, of Trenton, Tennessee, has been sentenced to 210 months in federal prison for possession with the intent to distribute more than 5 grams of actual methamphetamine. D. Michael Dunavant, U.S. Attorney announced the sentence today.

According to information presented in Court, on July 6, 2017, agents with the 28th Judicial District Drug Task Force, as well as deputies with Gibson Co. Sheriff's Office, were attempting to serve an arrest warrant on the defendant, Jeffery Lee Davis, at his home in Trenton, Tennessee.

Prior to entering Davis's home, an agent observed Davis sitting at a desk weighing methamphetamine on a set of digital scales. Also in plain view were two clear plastic bags containing approximately 13 grams of methamphetamine. Law enforcement entered the home and took Davis into custody. While searching Davis, agents found another clear plastic bag containing 14 grams of methamphetamine. Davis later admitted that the drugs were his and this offense was his "third-strike."

On May 8, 2018, the Drug Enforcement Administration issued a Chemical Analysis Report confirming the drugs contained 27 grams of actual methamphetamine with a 98% purity level.

In January, 2020, Davis proceeded to trial where a jury convicted him of possession with the intent to distribute more than 5 grams of actual methamphetamine in violation of 21 U.S.C. 841(a)(1). In addition to the evidence concerning the July 6, 2017 incident, the government also presented evidence concerning Davis's sale of methamphetamine to an individual at his home on February 28, 2017. Testifying in his own defense, Davis attempted to place the blame on other individuals for his conduct on

July 6 and February 28, 2017. The jury rejected Davis's claims and returned a guilty verdict against him.

Davis has an extensive criminal history, including four prior felony convictions involving the manufacturing and/or distribution of methamphetamine, as well as convictions for assault and burglary.

On September 18, 2020, Chief U.S. District Judge S. Thomas Anderson sentenced Davis to 210 months imprisonment followed by four years of supervised release. Chief Judge Anderson also found that Davis obstructed justice in this case by testifying falsely at trial, and that he used his residence for the purpose of storing and distributing methamphetamine.

U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant said, "Davis is a recidivist drug offender who was destroying this rural community by his sale of highly potent and poisonous drugs, and despite his refusal to accept responsibility, his prior felony convictions have finally caught up with him. This sentence removing him from the community for 17 years is just punishment for the countless people he has victimized with his repeated criminal conduct."

The 28th Judicial District Drug Task Force, the Gibson County Sheriff’s Office and the Drug Enforcement Administration investigated this case.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Josh Morrow and Matt Wilson prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.

###

Charges Announced Against 26 Defendants Alleged to Operate a Violent Drug Trafficking Organization in Milwaukee

 

Memphis, TN – At a press conference in Milwaukee today, Attorney General William P. Barr announced updates on Operation LeGend. He was joined by Matthew D. Krueger, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, who announced charges against 26 defendants who allegedly operated a violent drug trafficking organization in Milwaukee. Law enforcement resources allocated by Operation LeGend contributed to the investigation and today’s enforcement operation.

Since Operation LeGend’s launch in July 2020, more than 3,500 arrests – including approximately 200 for homicide – have been made; more than 1,000 firearms have been seized; and nearly 19 kilos of heroin, more than 11 kilos of fentanyl (enough to deliver more than five million fatal doses), more than 94 kilos of methamphetamine, nearly 14 kilos of cocaine, and more than $6.5 million in drug proceeds have been seized.

Of the more than 3,500 individuals arrested, approximately 815 have been charged with federal offenses. More than 440 of those defendants have been charged with firearms offenses, while more than 300 have been charged with drug-related crimes. The remaining defendants have been charged with various offenses.

The Attorney General launched the operation as a sustained, systematic and coordinated law enforcement initiative in which federal law enforcement agencies work in conjunction with state and local law enforcement officials to fight violent crime. A prime example of that partnership is the announcement made today by U.S. Attorney Krueger.

This morning, federal, state, and local law enforcement officers arrested 21 of the 26 defendants charged by criminal complaint with offenses related to a violent drug-trafficking organization that obtained multi-kilogram quantities of cocaine and marijuana

from California for distribution in the Milwaukee area. The officers also executed search warrants in both Milwaukee and California, resulting in the seizure of approximately 33 firearms, $170,000, and over 700 grams of heroin from one location, as well as additional heroin, cocaine, and marijuana from other locations.

Included among the defendants is Louis R. Perez III, also known as "Eight Ball," who is alleged to be a Mexican Posse gang member and the current leader of the nationwide drug trafficking organization. Several other Mexican Posse gang members have also been charged and arrested.

The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

Breakdown of Operation LeGend charges:

The initiative, which was first launched first in Kansas City, MO., on July 8, 2020, is named in honor of four-year-old LeGend Taliferro, who was shot and killed while he slept early in the morning of June 29 in Kansas City. The operation was subsequently expanded to Chicago and Albuquerque on July 22, 2020; to Cleveland, Detroit, and Milwaukee on July 29, 2020; to St. Louis and Memphis on Aug. 6, 2020; and to Indianapolis on Aug. 14, 2020. A breakdown of the federal charges in each district is below.

Kansas City, MO.

147 defendants have been charged with federal crimes outlined below.

- 54 defendants have been charged with narcotics-related offenses;

- 80 defendants have been charged with firearms-related offenses; and

- 13 defendants have been charged with other violent crimes.

Chicago, Ill.

150 defendants have been charged with federal crimes outlined below.

- 37 defendants have been charged with narcotics-related offenses;

- 108 defendants have been charged with firearms-related offenses; and

- 5 defendants have been charged with other violent crimes.

Albuquerque, NM.

60 defendants have been charged with federal crimes outlined below.

- 23 defendants have been charged with narcotics-related offenses;

- 30 defendants have been charged with firearms-related offenses; and

- 7 defendants have been charged with other violent crimes.

Cleveland, OH.

72 defendants have been charged with federal crimes outlined below.

- 42 defendants have been charged with narcotics-related offenses;

- 26 defendants have been charged with firearms-related offenses; and

- 4 defendants have been charged with other violent crimes.

Detroit, MI.

65 defendants have been charged with federal offenses outlined below.

- 16 defendants have been charged with narcotics-related offenses;

- 46 defendants have been charged with firearms-related offenses; and

- 3 defendants have been charged with other violent crimes.

Milwaukee, WI.

47 defendants have been charged with federal crimes outlined below.

- 24 defendants have been charged with narcotics-related offenses;

- 19 defendants have been charged with firearms-related offenses; and

- 4 defendant has been charged with other violent crimes.

St. Louis, MO.

205 defendants have been charged with federal crimes.

- 93 defendants have been charged with narcotics-related offenses;

- 90 defendants have been charged with firearms-related offenses; and

- 22 defendants have been charged with other violent crimes.

Memphis, Tenn.

27 defendants have been charged with federal offenses.

- 10 defendants have been charged with narcotics-related offenses;

- 13 defendants have been charged with firearms-related offenses; and

- 4 defendants have been charged with other violent crimes.

Indianapolis, Indiana

45 defendants have been charged with federal crimes outlined below.

- 7 defendants have been charged with narcotics-related offenses;

- 33 defendants have been charged with firearms-related offenses; and

- 5 defendants have been charged with other violent crimes.

###

Each weekday, the Department of Justice will highlight a case that has resulted from Operation Legend. Today’s case is out of the Western District of Tennessee.  Operation Legend launched in Memphis on Aug. 6, 2020, in response to the city facing increased homicide and non-fatal shooting rates.

United States vs. Kendrick Monger, Corey Groves, and Martez Banks

 On Sept. 10, 2020, a federal grand jury returned a two-count indictment against three Memphis men for conspiracy and theft of firearms from a federally licensed firearms dealer.

“The proliferation of stolen firearms on the streets of Memphis contributes to the increased frequency and severity of shooting incidents and violent crime in our neighborhoods,” said U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant for the Western District of Tennessee.  “Under Operation LeGend, we are surging federal resources to assist local law enforcement, and we are committed in our resolve to reduce violent crime by aggressively prosecuting federal firearms offenses.  This indictment does just that.”

According to the indictment, on Aug. 2, 2020, Kendrick, Monger, 24; Corey Groves, 25; and Martez Banks, 25, all of Memphis, stole 32 firearms from the Shoot Point Blank gun range, a federally licensed firearms dealer in Memphis.

If convicted, the defendants each face up to 10 years in prison.  There is no parole in the federal system.

The details contained in the charging document are allegations.  The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

Background on Operation Legend
Since its inception, Operation Legend has yielded more than 2,000 local, state, and federal arrests, with more than 592 defendants charged with federal crimes.

President Trump promised to assist America’s cities that have been plagued by violence.  In July, Attorney General William P. Barr announced the launch of Operation Legend, a sustained, systematic and coordinated law enforcement initiative across all federal law enforcement agencies working in conjunction with state and local law enforcement officials to fight violent crime in cities across America that were experiencing an uptick in violence.  Operation Legend is named after four-year-old LeGend Taliferro, who was shot and killed on June 29th in Kansas City, Missouri, while asleep in his home.

Operation Legend was launched in Kansas City, Mo., on July 8, 2020, and expanded to Chicago and Albuquerque on July 22, 2020; to Cleveland, Detroit, and Milwaukee on July 29, 2020; to St. Louis and Memphis on Aug. 6, 2020; and to Indianapolis on Aug. 14, 2020.  As part of Operation Legend, Attorney General Barr has directed federal agents from the FBI, U.S. Marshals Service, DEA and ATF to surge resources to these cities to help state and local officials fighting violent crime.  The Department of Homeland Security is also contributing agents to these efforts in St. Louis.

Jackson, TN – Calvin Cole a/k/a “Fathead,” 46, of Jackson, TN, has been sentenced to 170 months in federal prison for conspiracy to distribute controlled substances. D. Michael Dunavant, U.S. Attorney announced the sentence today.

According to information presented in Court, in April 2017, agents with the 28th Judicial District Drug Task Force received a phone call from a concerned citizen that a heavyset male traveling to and from a residence on London Road in Alamo, Tennessee, was selling “dope” regularly.

Agents conducted surveillance and observed Cole on an almost daily basis arrive at a residence on London Road, driving different automobiles on different days and distributing crack cocaine throughout the day. Throughout the investigation, it was determined that multiple people would approach Cole and exchange money and crack cocaine.

In March of 2016 and April of 2016, agents with the Drug Task Force and the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation made five separate undercover drug transactions with Cole on separate dates utilizing multiple reliable confidential sources (CSs) to purchase crack cocaine. Agents continually monitored the CSs throughout the meeting with Cole; after each transaction, the CS would turn over the crack cocaine to agents. The substance was then forwarded to the DEA crime laboratory for analysis, which determined that the substance was crack cocaine.

The transactions also included a co-defendant, identified as Tony “Bone” Douglas. Douglas was seen on surveillance video assisting Cole with distributing crack cocaine. Douglas would arrive to the location site prior to Cole’s arrival, search the customers for wires, and then sell crack cocaine to the large number of customers. Douglas was previously sentenced to 120 months in federal prison for his involvement in the drug conspiracy. Other co-defendants, including Arvis "Shorty" Ball of Alamo, TN, and Bob

Terry of Bells, TN were part of the Calvin Cole Drug Trafficking Organization, and were indicted along with Cole and Douglas in February, 2018:

https://www.justice.gov/usao-wdtn/pr/four-suspects-arrested-west-tennessee-federal-drug-trafficking-and-money-laundering.

During the sentencing hearing, the government presented numerous photographs and one video of Cole distributing crack cocaine to multiple drug buyers. Based upon statements from the drug buyers who were identified from the surveillance video, each person described when they began purchasing crack cocaine from Cole and for how long. Cole was ultimately found responsible for distributing approximately 2.8 kilograms of crack cocaine in Crockett County.

On September 16, 2020, U.S. District Court Judge J. Daniel Breen sentenced Cole to 170 months in federal prison followed by five years supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.

United States Attorney D. Michael Dunavant said: "Fathead Cole and his fellow drug dealers will no longer sell poison for profit with impunity. We will not tolerate illegal drug activity disrupting and destroying the daily lives of citizens in our small communities, and this lengthy sentence will rightly punish and incapacitate Cole for his harmful criminal conduct. This is a high impact case that will improve public safety and the quality of life in Crockett County and across West Tennessee."

The 28th Judicial District Drug Task Force, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI), Jackson-Madison County Metro Narcotics Unit, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Crockett County Sheriff’s Department, Gibson County Sheriff’s Department, Madison County Sheriff’s Department, Jackson Police Department and Gibson County SWAT Team investigated this case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Jerry Kitchen prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.

###

 

Memphis, TN – Jeremy Pruitt, 33, has been sentenced to 92 months in federal prison for being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm. D. Michael Dunavant, U.S. Attorney announced the sentence today.

According to the information presented in Court, on May 8, 2018, Memphis Police officers pulled over a vehicle on Depass Street because the people inside were not wearing their seatbelts. The driver side rear passenger, Jeremy Pruitt, got out of the car and would not obey officer commands. The officer saw a firearm in Pruitt's hand as he exited the vehicle. As Pruitt ran from law enforcement, he stumbled. A scuffle ensued and Pruitt attempted to take the officer’s drawn service firearm. Pruitt broke away and began to raise his hand to shoot the officer. As a result, Pruitt was shot in the hand. The officer’s Body Worn Camera (BWC) captured the entire scene.

Memphis Police officers continued their search and located Pruitt at a residence on Salem Avenue. Law enforcement knocked on the door, an occupant answered the door and told police that he had the person they were looking for. Pruitt was sitting on the couch near the front door. This was recorded on the BWC. After officers took Pruitt into custody, they began to search for his firearm. The loaded firearm was found on the fence line in the yard behind the residence on Salem. This was also recorded by the officer’s BWC. As a result of his prior felony conviction, Pruitt is prohibited by federal law from possession of firearms or ammunition.

Pruitt admitted to law enforcement to possessing the firearm, and on December 19, 2019, Pruitt pled guilty in U.S. District Court to possessing the firearm.

On September 17, 2020, U.S. District Court Judge Mark S. Norris sentenced Pruitt to 92 months in federal prison followed by two years supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.

U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant said, "Convicted felons who possess firearms are an inherent danger to both the community and law enforcement, as seen in this case. This sentence is just punishment for such a brazen attack on police, and will incapacitate Pruitt from committing additional gun violence for a significant period of time, making us all safer."

The Memphis Police Department investigated this case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney P. Neal Oldham prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.

###

 

Jackson, TN – After a 3-day jury trial with proper COVID-19 health and safety protocols,William Farrell Russell, 47, has been found guilty of possession and distribution of child pornography depicting the sexual abuse of children under twelve years of age. D. Michael Dunavant, U.S. Attorney announced the guilty verdict today.

According to information presented in Court, investigators with the Faulkner County, Arkansas, Sheriff’s Department learned that a user of the Kik instant messaging service was distributing child pornography under the screen name "funfortaboo." The investigators assumed undercover identities and began communicating with funfortaboo in late June 2016. Between July 1 and July 7, 2016, funfortaboo distributed to the undercover investigators images of child sexual abuse. The Faulkner County, Arkansas investigators and members of the FBI Project Safe Childhood Task Force for the Western District of Tennessee, identified "funfortaboo" as William Farrell Russell, who was then living in Cedar Grove, TN.

On July 28, 2016, members of the FBI Project Safe Childhood Task Force executed a search warrant at Russell's Cedar Grove home, and recovered the cellular telephone that Russell had used to distribute the child sexual abuse materials. On that telephone, Russell possessed hundreds of images and videos of child sexual abuse, including the images that he had distributed to the undercover officers under the screen name funfortaboo.

That same day, July 28, 2016, Russell waived his Miranda rights and admitted to using the cellular telephone to communicate with and send photographs to the undercover officers.

A sentencing hearing is scheduled for January 5, 2021, before Chief U.S. District Court Judge S. Thomas Anderson. Russell faces up to 20 years in federal prison for each count of the indictment, and a $250,000 fine. There is no parole in the federal system.

U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant said, "Child pornography is an abhorrent offense that scars the children affected forever. And it doesn’t take an economist to know that demand drives supply. By repeatedly distributing hundreds of images and videos of young children being sexually abused, Russell contributed to their past victimization. And by fueling the demand for child pornography, his conduct likely also contributed to the future harm done to children in the name of profit. This office will always aggressively prosecute and seek significant and mandatory sentences for such depraved and predatory behavior in order to protect children and hold offenders accountable."

The FBI Project Safe Childhood Task Force and Faulkner County, Arkansas Sheriff’s Office investigated this case.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Gregory Allen and Lauren Delery are prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.

###

Memphis, TN – On September 10, 2020, a federal grand jury returned a two-count indictment against three individuals for conspiracy and theft of firearms from a federally licensed firearms dealer. D. Michael Dunavant, U.S. Attorney announced the indictment today.

According to the indictment, on August 2, 2020, at approximately 11:12 p.m., the Shoot Point Blank gun range, a federally licensed firearms dealer located at 1740 Century Center Cove in Memphis, Tennessee was burglarized. Three suspects took a total of 32 firearms from the business.

The defendants are listed below:

• Kendrick Monger, 24, Memphis, Tennessee

• Corey Groves, 25, Memphis, Tennessee

• Martez Banks, 25, Memphis, Tennessee

If convicted, the defendants each face up to 10 years imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system.

U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant said, "The proliferation of stolen firearms on the streets of Memphis contributes to the increased frequency and severity of shooting incidents and violent crime in our neighborhoods. Under Operation LeGend, we are surging federal resources to assist local law enforcement, and we are committed in our resolve to reduce violent crime by aggressively prosecuting federal firearms offenses. This indictment does just that."

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) investigated this case as part of Operation LeGend, a sustained, systematic and coordinated law enforcement initiative in which federal law enforcement agencies work in conjunction with state and local law enforcement officials to fight violent crime, particularly gun violence, in Memphis.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth Rogers is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.

The charges and allegations contained in the indictment are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

###