Western District of Tennessee

Memphis, TN – A local man has been sentenced to 188 months in federal prison for being a convicted felon illegally possessing firearms in the furtherance of drug trafficking crimes. U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant announced the sentence today.

According to information presented in court, on May 19, 2016, MPD officers responded to a shooting at 1082 Palmetto. When officers entered the residence they saw Tony King a/k/a Tony Suggs, 40, on a bed with the victim, Christina Allen, who was unresponsive. Officers also found approximately 8 grams of heroin in the defendant's possession. At approximately 8:50 p.m., paramedics with the Memphis Fire Department pronounced the victim dead on the scene.

The defendant admitted to shooting and killing Ms. Allen. According to testimony presented in court, he threatened to kill her approximately one week prior to shooting her.

A firearm was not recovered at the scene, but officers located a 9mm shell casing. Agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) ran the shell casing through the National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN), which identified the firearm used in the shooting as a Sig Sauer 9mm pistol which had already been tagged as evidence in another felony MPD investigation.

In September 2016, MPD received a Crime Stoppers tip that heroin was being sold at 3677 Gillie in Memphis. Officers collected information and performed surveillance on the home, which they used to obtain a search warrant. On September 30, 2016, officers executed the search warrant and found the defendant Tony King, a/k/a Tony Suggs on a mattress in a bedroom of the home with three loaded firearms, one of which was reported stolen. In another bedroom, officers found over 70 grams of heroin, 37 alprazolam pills, 43 oxycodone pills and over 10 grams of methamphetamine.

The defendant was a convicted felon during all times relevant to this investigation.

U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant said, "We know that drugs and crime go hand-in-hand, and that drug trafficking is an inherently violent business. If you want to collect a drug debt, you can’t file a lawsuit in court; you collect it by the barrel of a gun. If you are a drug trafficker with a gun, we will not look the other way and be willfully blind to your conduct. To turn back the rising tide of violent crime and confront the opioid crisis in West Tennessee, this office will continue to aggressively pursue the guilty and protect the innocent. This significant sentence demonstrates that resolve, and we commend our federal and local law enforcement partners for their outstanding work in removing a violent drug dealer from our streets."

Tony King a/k/a/ Tony Suggs pleaded guilty to illegally possessing firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking. On December 12, 2018, U.S. District Court Judge Sheryl H. Lipman sentenced Tony King a/k/a/ Tony Suggs to 188 months imprisonment and 2 years supervised release.

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (AFT) and the Memphis Police Department Organized Crime Unit (OCU).

Assistant U.S. Attorney J. WilliamCrow prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.

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Memphis, TN –19 individuals have been indicted and arrested on various federal drug and firearms violations, including seven documented gang members. U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant announced the indictments and arrests today.

On Thursday, November 29, 2018, Project Safe Neighborhoods Task Force (PSN), which is comprised of agents and representatives from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Memphis Police Department, Shelby County Sheriff’s Office, Shelby County District Attorney’s Office, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), assisted by the United States Marshals’ Service (USMS), conducted a PSN Outstanding Federal Fugitives End of the Year Round-up known as "Operation Gun Done."

During the months of October and November of this year, the PSN Task Force conducted the investigative operation which focused on convicted felons and other prohibited persons in possession or use of firearms in Memphis and Shelby County. Many of these targets also committed other state and federal violations.

During the two month investigation, 19 defendants were federally indicted and arrested during the recent fugitive roundup. Federal charges on these defendants include:

• Possession of a firearm or ammunition by a convicted felon

• Possession of a firearm by a person convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence

• Carrying or use of a firearm during a crime of violence or a drug trafficking offense

• Unlawful manufacture, possession, or distribution of a controlled substance

• Unlawful shipment, transfer, or receipt of a firearm by a convicted felon

Of the 19 defendants indicted and arrested, 7 of them are identified gang members affiliated with the Gangster Disciples, the Grape Street Crips, and the Vice Lords.

U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant said, "Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is a proven violent crime reduction strategy that works, and is now reinvigorated with additional resources and commitment from our law enforcement partners. Since October 2017, the U.S. Attorney’s Office has increased the number of federal firearms cases filed by over 58 percent, and the number of defendants charged with firearms offenses has increased over 68 percent. These efforts provide targeted prosecution of the worst-of-the-worst offenders to enhance public safety in Memphis and West Tennessee by removing guns from the hands of dangerous people and removing violent offenders from our communities. Reported gun crimes in Memphis and Shelby County are down 17% over the first 3 quarters of 2018, including the categories of murder, business robberies, and aggravated assaults. Putting the right people in prison incapacitates the most violent offenders, upholds the rule of law, deters criminal conduct with a strong message of significant consequences, and makes us all safer."

For more than a decade, law enforcement agencies within the Memphis metropolitan area have, and continue to utilize a crime prevention initiative to target gun crimes in Shelby County. The Project Safe Neighborhoods initiative is the flagship violent crime reduction strategy of the United States Department of Justice (DOJ), and was launched in 2001 to bolster the nation’s previously existing gun crime reduction efforts. PSN was reinvigorated in 2017 as part of the 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.

If convicted on firearms charges, the defendants face possible sentences of up to 15 years in federal prison.

The charges and allegations in the indictments are merely accusations, and each of the defendants are considered innocent unless and until proven guilty.

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Jackson, TN – A federal grand jury has returned a five-count indictment against Jonathan Edward White, 40, for manufacture, possession, and transfer of an explosive device in violation of the National Firearms Act. U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant announced the indictment today.

On August 24, 2018, TBI Special Agents began investigating a series of threats posted on social media by Jonathan Edward White, of Hardin County. During the course of the investigation, agents determined that White may be in possession of an explosive device. That same evening, White met with agents working in an undercover capacity and provided them with a pipe bomb. Special Operations personnel from the Tennessee Highway Patrol responded and rendered the explosive device safe. Jonathan White was arrested without incident and charged with one count of Possession of a Prohibited Weapon under state law. He was booked into the Hardin County Jail on a $500,000 bond. In the resulting federal investigation, the ATF Explosives Enforcement Branch examined the device and determined it to be an explosive bomb which qualifies as a prohibited destructive device, as defined by Title 26, USC, § 5845.

The federal indictment charges that White knowingly and unlawfully made, possessed, and transferred a prohibited destructive device, more commonly known as a pipe bomb, in violation of Title 26, USC, § 5861 and 5871.

If convicted, White faces up to 10 years imprisonment; 3 years supervised release; and a $250,000 fine.

U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant said: "This office, along with our law enforcement partners, takes all bomb threats seriously, and we are vigilant to protect and prevent property damage, bodily injury, and death from any explosive device in West Tennessee. We commend the quick, thorough, and coordinated response of all of the federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies involved in this investigation."

This case was investigated by the Hardin County Sheriff’s Office; Savannah Police Department; Tennessee Bureau of Investigation; Tennessee Highway Patrol; Tennessee Department of Public Safety and Homeland Security; and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).

This case is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Tennessee on behalf of the government.

The charges and allegations in this indictment are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

Memphis, TN – On December 6, 2018, a federal grand jury indicted a formerMemphis Police Officer, Sam Blue, and co-conspirator, Anthony Davis, on federal criminal civil rights violations which include the violent crimes of robbery and kidnapping. U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant announced the indictment today.

As charged in Count 1 of the indictment, from January 2014 to July 13, 2018, officer Sam Blue and Anthony Davis conspired to deprive persons of civil rights under color of law by injuring, oppressing, threatening, and intimidating them. The civil rights violations included taking property from persons suspected to be in possession of narcotics or drug proceeds by using force, violence, and intimidation, thereby committing robbery and kidnapping.

Prior to the planned robberies, officer Blue would provide his civilian co-conspirators with targeting information of the victims, as well as police equipment, including an official MPD badge, and a car dashboard blue light to use during the planned robberies so that they could falsely appear to be law enforcement officers.

In Count 2, Blue and Davis are charged with knowingly conspiring with each other during the same time period to unlawfully obstruct, delay and affect commerce and the movement of articles and commodities by robbery and threatened physical violence to other persons, in furtherance of plan and purpose to commit robbery. Under federal law, it is illegal to interfere with interstate commerce by unlawfully taking property belonging to another by physical violence, under color of official right.

In Count 3, Blue and Davis are charged with depriving an individual of his civil rights by kidnapping. On July 13, 2018, Blue and Davis, along with other individuals posing as law enforcement kidnapped the victim, demanding to know the whereabouts of drugs or drug proceeds.

U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant said: "A very low percentage of law enforcement officers engage in official misconduct and corruption, but when they do, it tarnishes the entire criminal justice system and damages the trust and confidence of citizens in proper police authority. When police officers use their badges to violate and oppress civil rights by robbery and kidnapping, it is our duty to expose their corruption, hold them accountable, and protect society from their violence and dishonesty. This indictment and significant potential sentences will hopefully deter other corrupt police behavior, restore the public’s faith in honest officers, and send a strong message that nobody is above the law."

"Law enforcement corruption undermines the public trust and can threaten the overall safety of our community," said M.A. Myers, Special Agent in Charge of the Memphis Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. "These indictments show that we will target those who abuse their authority and through their actions tarnish the reputation of the vast number of law enforcement officers who execute their duties with integrity and in the best interests of the public on a daily basis."

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation Tarnished Badge Task Force.

If convicted on count 1, the defendants each face up to life imprisonment, or may be sentenced to death and a $250,000 fine; on count 2, the defendants each face not more than 20 years imprisonment and a $250,000 fine; and on count 3, the defendants each face up to life imprisonment or may be sentenced to death and a $250,000 fine.

Assistant U.S. Attorney David Pritchard is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.

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

Memphis, TN – Joe Arnold, 21, pled guilty to being a felon in possession of ammunition and a firearm. U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant announced the guilty plea today.

According to information presented in court, on February 8, 2018, Memphis Police responded to a shooting near the 6700 block of Summer Trace in Memphis, TN. Joe Arnold fired shots at his girlfriend after an argument. Officers recovered several .40 caliber cartridge casings on the scene.

On March 12, 2018, officers responded to an aggravated assault at the Woodchase Apartment Complex in Cordova, TN where Joe Arnold was responsible for shooting at an occupied vehicle multiple times. Arnold then led police on a brief vehicle pursuit before being apprehended and placed into custody. Officers were able to retrace the path of the pursuit and located a .40 caliber Glock handgun.

On March 19, 2018, the Multi-Agency Gang Unit (MGU) NIBIN Investigative Teamlinked both gun crimes through ballistic evidence.

Subsequently, a federal grand jury indicted Arnold and charged him with one-count of being a felon in possession of ammunition and one-count of being felon in possession of a firearm.

U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant said, "We are using all available resources and techniques to combat violent and gun crime. In this notable case, the use of NIBIN technology and the outstanding investigative work of the MGU NIT has allowed us to hold an offender accountable for two separate shooting incidents. The message is clear: we have the ability and resolve to remove the trigger-pullers from our streets and clear unsolved shootings with swiftness and certainty."

On November 27, 2018, Arnold pleaded guilty to both counts before U.S. District Court Judge Sheryl H. Lipman. He is set to be sentenced on March 1, 2019. He faces up to 10 years on each count.

This case was investigated by the MGU NIBIN Investigative Team (NIT).

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

Memphis, TN – The United States charged an undocumented alien with committing fraud at automated teller machines in the Germantown and Memphis area. U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant for the Western District of Tennessee announced the guilty plea today.

According to the charging instrument and plea hearing, in June 2018, Cristian Balazs-Andras, 24, was arrested at First Tennessee Bank in Germantown after he attempted to use gift cards with re-encoded stolen credit and debit card numbers at the ATM. He was in possession of 68 fraudulent gift cards. Balazs-Andras was also seen via video surveillance using electronic skimming devices and other machines to commit fraud for financial gain at Sun Trust Bank throughout the Memphis area.

On December 3, 2018, Balazs-Andras pleaded guilty to two-counts of access device fraud. The maximum penalty is 10 years in federal prison and a $250,000 fine for each charge. The defendant is scheduled to be sentenced on February 1, 2019 by U.S. District Court Judge Sheryl H. Lipman.

U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant said, "Access device fraud, skimming scams, and debit/credit card theft victimizes innocent citizens and compromises the security of banks. Protecting the integrity of financial institutions and transactions is a top priority of this office, and this case demonstrates that such crimes of dishonesty for financial gain do not pay. We commend the U.S. Secret Service for solving this case and helping us bring this thief to justice."

The case was investigated by the United States Secret Service.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Damon Keith Griffin is prosecuting this case on the government’s behalf.

Memphis, TN – A Memphis man has been sentenced to 100 months in federal prison for selling heroin. U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant announced the sentence today.

According to information presented in court, on September 17, 2017, members of the Memphis Police Department's Organized Crime Unit received a tip that a Melvin Scott, 41, was selling heroin from a vehicle in North Memphis. As law enforcement approached the vehicle, Scott attempted to conceal a plastic bag on his person. He then sped through multiple yards in an attempt to escape, almost striking an officer. Officers apprehended Scott and recovered heroin in the vehicle.

On December 6, 2018, U.S. District Court Judge John T. Fowlkes Jr., sentenced Scott to 100 months imprisonment.

U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant said, "Heroin dealers are directly responsible for the destruction of countless lives through addiction, injury, and overdose deaths. Under our Heroin Initiative, we prioritize these cases in order to remove dangerous drug dealers from the streets and save lives."

This case was investigated by the Memphis Police Department Organized Crime Unit. It was prosecuted as part of the West Tennessee Heroin Initiative, a joint effort between the Shelby County District Attorney's Office and the U.S. Attorney’s Office of the Western District of Tennessee.

Cases prosecuted under this initiative seek to remove career drugs dealers and high-volume sellers of heroin and fentanyl from Shelby County in an effort to make our community safer.

Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Griffith prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.

Memphis, TN – A local woman pleaded guilty to conspiracy and embezzlement, while being employed as a teller at Tri-State Bank ("Tri-State") in Memphis. D. Michael Dunavant, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee announced the guilty plea today.

According to the charging instrument, from calendar years 2015 to 2016, Tanya Williams, a Tri-State bank teller, participated in a scheme to activate many dormant accounts and withdraw funds from said accounts. Williams and her bank manager used their Tri-State computer and user I.D. to activate and enter the accounts to fraudulently withdraw funds. The manager gave Williams some of the proceeds due to her willingness to participate in the fraud. During the time of the conspiracy and embezzlement, Tri-State suffered a loss of over $214,000.

U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant said, "The long term financial fraud and embezzlement committed by this defendant is disturbing and far-reaching. The abuse of her position of trust and authority as a teller for her own personal gain had a significant negative impact on the employees and customers of Tri-State Bank. The U.S. Attorney’s Office places a high priority on protecting the security, deposits, and assets of financial institutions, and this conviction demonstrates that commitment."

Sentencing is set for April 5, 2018, before U.S. District Court Judge John T. Fowlkes. Williams pleaded guilty to one-count of conspiracy and another count of embezzlement. The maximum penalty for conspiracy is 5 years imprisonment and a $250,000 fine and for embezzlement 30 years imprisonment and a $1,000,000 fine. On August 30, 2018, the co-defendant, Michael B. Gaines, pled guilty to embezzlement. U.S. District Court Judge John T. Fowlkes Jr., sentenced Gaines to 12 months and one-day in federal prison on December 6, 2018.

This case was investigated by the United States Secret Service.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Damon Keith Griffin is prosecuting the case on the government’s behalf.

Memphis, TN – A local man has pleaded guilty to one-count of tampering with consumer products. U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant announced the guilty plea today.

On September 11, 2018, a federal grand jury returned an indictment against Gregory Stanton, 49, for tainting consumer products with the intent to cause serious injury to the business of any person.

In 2014, Stanton worked at a food manufacturing plant in Memphis. Stanton made a video recording of himself tampering with the production line at the plant. The defendant then uploaded the video to the internet in 2016.

U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant said, "American citizens and consumers rely upon food manufacturers engaged in interstate commerce to provide them with safe and consistent products. Unfortunately, this defendant betrayed that trust by tampering with and tainting food products. We commend the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for their investigation in this matter, and we are pleased that the defendant has been held accountable for his criminal conduct."

"Maintaining the safety and wholesomeness of the U.S. food supply is a critical priority for the FDA, and the agency will work with food producers to identify steps that can be taken to remediate incidents that may implicate food safety," said Robert M. Hiser, Acting Special Agent in Charge, FDA Office of Criminal Investigations’ Miami Field Office. "Today’s announcement should serve as a clear reminder that the FDA will not tolerate illicit tampering activity in our nation’s food supply."

On November 30, 2018, Stanton pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Jon P. McCalla.

Stanton is set to be sentenced on February 28, 2019. He faces up to three years imprisonment; three years supervised release and a $250,000 fine.

This case was investigated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Office of Criminal Investigations.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Tony Arvin is prosecuting this case on the government’s behalf.

Memphis, TN - On Sunday, December 2, 2018, the United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Tennessee was named and recognized by The Commercial Appeal newspaper as a Memphis Area Top Workplace for 2018. For the sixth year, The Commercial Appeal partnered with Philadelphia-based Energage, an employee research and workplace culture consultant firm, to determine the Memphis area’s Top Workplaces based upon employee survey feedback.

This was the first year that the U.S. Attorney’s Office was nominated to participate in the Top Workplaces program for recognition as one of the "Best Places to Work" in Memphis, and was ranked 12th out of 28 companies, schools, government agencies and nonprofits selected as Top Small Workplaces in Memphis.

Energage measured performance along several factors, including: Alignment, Connection, Effectiveness, and Management. Survey data was compared to the average of similarly sized organizations in the region, and ranked based upon score. The employee engagement survey measured factors involving the foundation of an employee’s job, including pay and benefits, as well as factors involving the organization’s core fundamentals—its values, mission, and culture. To meet the Top Workplaces standard, employees must believe in where the organization is headed, how it will get there, and the feeling that everyone is united together in the mission.

U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant said, "As the leader of our office, I believe that we are in fact one of the best places to work, and our selection and ranking as a Top Workplace reflects that in an outstanding way. At the U.S. Attorney’s Office, we take pride in employee engagement, job satisfaction, competitive pay and benefits, high performance and productivity, and a culture of excellence. The mission of the Department of Justice is one that our employees identify with and fully embrace, and we have some of the best and brightest of federal employees. Congratulations to the employees of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, and thanks to The Commercial Appeal for this wonderful honor and recognition."

Photo below: First Assistant United States Attorney Joe Murphy, who accepted the 2018 Top Workplaces Award on behalf of the office at the Awards Ceremony on November 29, 2018.

Memphis, TN – A Brownsville, Texas man has been sentenced to 174 months imprisonment for conspiracy to distribute and distribution of 20 kilograms of cocaine. U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant announced the sentence today.

According to information presented in court, on September 25, 2017, an agent with the West Tennessee Drug Task Force stoppedMelvin Bullock and Tellerick Simon for a traffic violation on I-40. During that stop, the agent became suspicious of Bullock after he gave several false answers and provided a fake driver's license. The agent utilized his canine, who was alerted to the presence of narcotics. A subsequent search revealed 20 individually wrapped bundles of cocaine located in the back seat. The total weight of the cocaine was approximately 50 pounds.

DEA agents traced the drugs to Jose Manuel Escobedo in Brownsville, Texas. The agents discovered Escobedo received the cocaine in Brownsville after it was smuggled over the border from Mexico. Escobedo would then send the cocaine to Houston, Texas, where he coordinated the retrieval by Bullock and Simon. The drugs came through Memphis en route to East Tennessee.

U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant said, "Interstate 40 is a major drug trafficking corridor into and through West Tennessee. Disrupting drug trafficking organizations and interdicting the flow of poisonous drugs into our communities is a top priority of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, and we work with our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners to remain vigilant in the fight against foreign and domestic drug suppliers. Drug trafficking is not a victimless crime, and this significant federal sentence sends a message that such criminal activity will not be tolerated."

On November 30, 2018, U.S. District Court Judge Sheryl H. Lipman sentenced Escobedo to 174 months in federal prison. Simon pleaded guilty to trafficking 20 kilograms on June 14, 2018. Bullock pleaded guilty to the same crime on July 27, 2018.

This case was investigated by the West Tennessee Drug Task Force, an extension of the Shelby County District Attorney General's Office, and the Drug Enforcement Administration.

Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Griffith prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.

Memphis, TN – Phillip Tolbert, 47, of Bartlett, has been sentenced to two years’ probation, including six months of home confinement, for defrauding the Social Security Administration. U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant announced the sentence today.

According to the indictment and information presented in court, from August to December 2013, Tolbert, a lieutenant for the City of Memphis Fire Department, defrauded the Social Security Administration by applying for and receiving benefit payments on behalf of his daughters after the death of his wife, the girls' stepmother.

Tolbert falsely stated that his daughters lived with him and his wife, and that his wife provided for the girls' every need. Based on those fraudulent representations, Tolbert was ultimately paid $60,528 in benefits to which he was not entitled.

U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant said, "One of the primary functions of this office is to protect the United States Treasury, and the ability of eligible beneficiaries to receive Social Security benefits. Fraudulent schemes and crimes of dishonesty do not pay, and will be exposed."

On November 28, 2018, U.S. District Court Judge John T. Fowlkes, Jr., sentenced Tolbert to two years’ probation, the first six months to be served in home confinement, followed by six months of community service and ordered Tolbert to pay restitution of $60,528.

This case was investigated by the Social Security Administration, Office of the Inspector General.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Murrell Foster and Annie Christoff prosecuted this case on the government’s behalf.

Memphis, TN – Mario Silas, 38, has been sentenced to 180 months imprisonment for being a convicted felon illegally in possession of firearms and drugs. U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant announced the sentence today.

According to information presented in court, on April 23, 2017, Mario Silas was in a vehicle stopped by MPD officers. Officers searched the vehicle and located a stolen Springfield Armory .45 caliber pistol in the glove compartment, which Silas admitted to possessing. Law enforcement also found a brown purse in the car that contained 0.7 grams of cocaine, 1.2 grams of heroin, 4.8 grams of marijuana, and a Ruger .357 caliber revolver. Officers also found a Spikes Tactical multi-caliber pistol on the floorboard of the car.

At the time of this event, Silas was a convicted felon and legally prohibited from possessing firearms.

In September 2017, Mario Silas recruited an individual named Jared Weatherly to sell ecstasy pills for him. Weatherly found a buyer, who was actually an undercover MPD detective. On several phone calls with Weatherly, the detective could hear Mario Silas talking in the background. The detective set up a meeting for a controlled buy on September 4, 2017. Weatherly arrived in a Subaru. Silas was in the front passenger seat and an individual named Tiffany Tekle was in the back seat. Weatherly pulled out the clear plastic bag from his right shorts pocket containing ecstasy pills. The detective took possession of the bag and gave the takedown signal, at which point Silas threw a Ruger .38 caliber revolver into the backseat. Silas, Weatherly, and Tekle were taken into custody. As the officers approached the Subaru, officers saw Tekle reach behind her back to conceal the firearm. Officers recovered a Ruger .38 caliber revolver from her seat and a Clerke .32 caliber revolver in the backpack in the back of the Subaru. Silas had $595 cash on his person. The ecstasy weighed 20.636 grams. Officers also recovered 0.9 grams of marijuana from the Subaru. Silas and Tekle were both convicted felons at the time of this incident.

U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant said, "Convicted felons who possess firearms are an inherent danger to the community, and in this case, Silas was a career drug offender who continued to possess firearms and sell illegal narcotics despite his prior felony conviction history. There is and ought to be a significant consequence for such recidivist criminal behavior, and this is one more armed drug dealer removed from our streets. Gun Crime is Max Time."

On November 29, 2018, U.S. District Court Judge John T. Fowlkes Jr., sentenced Silas to 180 months imprisonment and 3 years supervised release. Weatherly and Tekle have pleaded guilty and are awaiting sentencing.

This case was investigated by Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives;MPD OCU; and MPD Multi-Agency Gang Unit.

Assistant U.S. Attorney J. William Crow prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.

Memphis, TN – Multiple defendants have been indicted for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and heroin and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and heroin. U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant announced the indictment today.

According to information presented in court, in August of 2018, during a routine traffic stop, officers in Decatur County recovered 11 pounds of methamphetamine from a driver who identified the supplier as a local Memphis man. On October 1, 2018, investigators intercepted 31 pounds of methamphetamine in possession of Jesus Vega, 33. Vega, along with the driver, Pedro Rosas-Gonzalez, 31, who transported the meth from the Chicago area were arrested.

Law enforcement identified more members of the drug trafficking organization and, on October 22, 2018, two individuals were arrested for narcotics trafficking in the Western District of Tennessee. On that morning, agents determined the location of a high-volume narcotics transaction and set up surveillance. Law enforcement observed Fatimadeniz Diaz, 36, and Steven Diaz, 26, arrive at the scene, take multiple large bags from their car, and place into another vehicle. Upon transferring the bags, the agents arrested both individuals. While searching the vehicle, DEA agents recovered 28.3 kilograms (63 pounds) of methamphetamine and 743 grams of heroin.

On October 17, 2018, Vega and Rosas-Gonzalez were indicted for conspiracy and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Both Fatimadeniz Diaz and Steven Diaz were indicted on November 8, 2018, for conspiracy and possession with intent to distribute heroin and methamphetamine.

U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant said, "West Tennessee is a major logistics hub for the country, and drug trafficking organizations transport large quantities into and through our communities. We must use every available resource to disrupt and dismantle these conspiracies, and hold them accountable for distributing poisonous illegal drugs that cause addiction, injury, and death. We commend the outstanding investigative work of our federal law enforcement partners in this important case involving significant seizures of dangerous narcotics."

Over the course of this ongoing investigation, the DEA has recovered over 400 pounds of methamphetamine and 5 kilograms of heroin, all either in Memphis or destined for the Memphis area.

If convicted, each defendant faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years, and up to life imprisonment.

This case is being investigated by the DEA; U.S. Department of Homeland Security; ATF, and the U.S. Marshals Service.

Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Griffith is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government. This case is part of the Heroin Initiative in collaboration with the Shelby County District Attorney General’s Office.

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

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Memphis, TN – Former Memphis Police Officer, Kevin Coleman, 41, has been sentenced to 10 years imprisonment for narcotics and extortion offenses committed while on duty. U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant announced the sentence today.

According to information presented in court, in early 2018, FBI and MPD-OCU initiated a joint investigation into possible criminal activity by Coleman. As part of an undercover operation, on March 7, 2018, Coleman was provided with identifying information on a vehicle operated by an undercover officer (UC), who Coleman believed to be a drug dealer. Coleman, while on duty, conducted a targeted traffic stop. During the traffic stop, Coleman placed the UC in handcuffs and directed him/her to the back seat of his MPD patrol vehicle. Coleman then searched the vehicle operated by the UC and removed $5000 in undercover funds from the vehicle.

On March 15, 2018, Coleman was given identifying information on a vehicle operated by another undercover officer, who Coleman believed to be a drug dealer. Coleman, again while on duty, conducted a targeted traffic stop. During the traffic stop, Coleman searched the vehicle and removed $8,000 in undercover funds, which had been placed in the center console prior to the traffic stop.

U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant said, "Official misconduct and corruption by law enforcement officers strikes at the very heart of the criminal justice system, and damages the trust and confidence of citizens in proper police authority. When police officers use their badges to become drug dealers and highway robbers, it is our duty to expose their corruption, hold them accountable, and protect society from their dishonesty. This sentence will hopefully deter other corrupt police behavior, restore the public’s faith in honest officers, and send a message that nobody is above the law."

In April of 2018, Coleman agreed, together with MPD officer Terrion Bryson, 26, to escort approximately 2.5 kilograms of heroin to a storage facility in Memphis. Coleman was on duty, in his squad car at the time of the escort. Bryson, armed with a handgun, accompanied the driver, an undercover MPD officer, in the car with the heroin. Both Coleman and Bryson were arrested shortly thereafter.

"Former officer Coleman swore to be a public servant and abide by the law. He has pled to some very despicable charges. His actions are contrary to the dedication and sacrifice of the men and women of who loyally serve the citizens of this city. As Director, I will take swift action to remove anyone who fails to adhere to and uphold the high standards set forth in our law enforcement code of ethics," said Michael T. Rallings, Director, Memphis Police Department.

This sentencing sends a message that no one is above the law, especially those who have sworn an oath to uphold the law," said Jeremy N. Baker, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Memphis Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. "Public corruption investigations such as this continue to be a priority for the FBI due to the immeasurable harm corruption causes in our communities and to the reputations of all law enforcement officers, the majority of which are honest, hardworking men and women who serve with honor and integrity."

On November 19, 2018, U.S. District Court Judge John T. Fowlkes Jr., sentenced Coleman to 120 months imprisonment followed by 5 years of supervised release. Bryson has entered a guilty plea and is currently awaiting sentencing.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Memphis Police Department.

Assistant U.S. Attorney David Pritchard prosecuted this case on the government’s behalf.

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Memphis, TN – An undocumented Mexican national has been charged with illegally transporting undocumented aliens. U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant announced the indictment today.

In a ten-count indictment, a federal grand jury has charged an undocumented Mexican national with illegally transporting undocumented aliens through the Western District of Tennessee and with illegal reentry into the United States after deportation.

According to the information presented in the indictment, Rufino Valldovinos-Ramirez, 41, was charged with illegally transporting nine undocumented aliens, in violation of Title 8, United States Code, § 1324(a)(1)(A)(ii). The grand jury charged that Valldovinos-Ramirez knew and disregarded the fact that his nine passengers were illegally present in the United States, and transported them in furtherance of their violation of law, for the purpose of his own financial gain.

Valldovinos-Ramirez was also charged with illegal reentry into the United States, in violation of Title 8, United States Code, § 1326(a).

U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant said, "Because the Department of Justice is the only agency that can prosecute violations of our sovereign immigration laws, it is critical that our work focus on criminal cases that deter and reduce illegality while promoting lawfulness in our immigration system. This is a high priority for the U.S. Attorney’s Office, and we will aggressively prosecute any persons who engage in unlawful smuggling, transportation, or harboring of multiple undocumented aliens to illegally enter the United States."

"Criminal networks who engage in illegal cross-border smuggling pose a security vulnerability to the U.S.," said Homeland Security Investigations New Orleans Special Agent in Charge Jere T. Miles. "Further, these groups routinely place profit over the well-being of their human cargo, which often has tragic results for those taking this dangerous, illegal path. HSI is committed to working with its federal, state and local partners to investigate and prosecute those who flagrantly violate U.S. law."

If convicted, Valldovinos-Ramirez faces up to five years in federal prison for each 1324 count; up to two years for the 1326 count and/or a $250,000 fine.

This case was investigated by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations.

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

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

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Memphis, TN – A local man has been indicted for six counts of Hobbs Act robbery and four counts of brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant announced the indictment today.

On November 15, 2018, a federal grand jury returned a ten-count indictment against Brandon Albonetti, 23, for the robberies and attempted robberies of several CVS stores and one Burger King during the summer of 2018.

The robberies occurred in Memphis, between June 21, 2018 and August 14, 2018. In a majority of these robberies, Albonetti entered the respective stores armed with a pistol, taking cash and other items from the registers and safes. In two robberies, Albonetti displayed a knife, as he demanded cash. The defendant robbed the CVS located at 786 North Germantown Parkway twice and the CVS at 5055 Stage Road, three times during this time period.

On August 14, 2018, Memphis Police officers quickly responded and apprehended Albonetti as he tried to flee the scene of the CVS on Stage Road, which he had just robbed. The defendant used his vehicle to strike two patrol cars as authorities positioned their vehicles to keep the suspect from escaping.

U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant said, "We must make it painfully clear that violent crimes committed with firearms have severe consequences, and this indictment does just that. For his repeated and brazen criminal conduct, this violent offender faces up to life in federal prison. We are FED UP with gun crime in Memphis."

If convicted, the defendant faces up to 20 years imprisonment on each robbery count. If convicted of the firearms charges, the defendant faces up to life imprisonment.

This case was investigated by the FBI Safe Streets Task Force; Memphis Police Department and the Shelby County District Attorney General’s Office.

Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Bryce Phillips is prosecuting this case on the government’s behalf.

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

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Memphis, TN – David Gatewood, 44, has been sentenced to 390 months imprisonment for two armed business robberies. U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant announced the sentence today.

According to information presented in court, Gatewood committed two armed business robberies between April 18, 2017 and April 21, 2017. In the earlier event, Gatewood used a revolver to rob the MAPCO Express gas station at 1723 Jackson Avenue in Memphis. During that robbery, Gatewood discharged the weapon, injuring a store employee. Later, Gatewood used the same weapon to rob Seguros La Ley, an insurance company, located at 729 N. White Station in Memphis, and fled with approximately $300.

Gatewood pled guilty on July 20, 2018, to two counts of robbery affecting interstate commerce, one count of brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence and one count of discharging a firearm during a crime of violence.

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 to innocent victims. Business robberies also have a substantially negative impact on the local economy and commerce, which victimizes the entire community. As demonstrated in this case, we will not tolerate this senseless gun violence and will use all available resources to remove dangerous offenders from our communities for a very long time. Gun Crime is Max Time."

On November 13, 2018, U.S. District Court Judge Sheryl H. Lipman sentenced Gatewood to 390 months imprisonment, followed by 3 years supervised release.

This case was investigated by the FBI Safe Streets Task Force.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Reagan Taylor prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.

Memphis, TN – Two employees of SK Engineering & Construction Co., Ltd. (SK), a large multinational corporation based in the Republic of Korea (South Korea), were charged today with participating in a scheme to defraud the United States by submitting fraudulent subcontracts to conceal bribes and kickbacks paid to an American public official, in relation to U.S. Army construction contracts in South Korea.

Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant of the Western District of Tennessee, Special Agent in Charge Ray Park of the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command (Army-CID) Pacific Fraud Field Office, Special Agent in Charge Stan Newell of the Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), and Assistant Director in Charge Paul D. Delacourt of the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office made the announcement.

Hyeong-won Lee, 58, and Dong-Guel Lee, 48, both citizens of South Korea and employees of SK Engineering & Construction Co., Ltd. (SK), were charged with one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States and to commit wire fraud and obstruction of justice, and one count of major fraud against the United States. Hyeong-won Lee was also charged with two counts of wire fraud and one count of money laundering conspiracy, and Dong-Guel Lee was charged with one count of witness tampering in relation to a wide-ranging bribery and fraud scheme from 2008 to 2017. The defendants are not related.

"Hyeong-won Lee and Dong-Guel Lee allegedly submitted fraudulent construction subcontracts to disguise millions in kickback payments to a public official and then tried to cover their tracks," said Assistant Attorney General Benczkowski. "The Department of Justice is dedicated to protecting taxpayer dollars by safeguarding the integrity of government contracts and construction projects that support our U.S. military and civilian personnel, wherever they serve around the world."

"Protecting the U.S. Treasury and the interests of the federal government abroad is a top priority of this office, and this indictment shows our commitment to hold foreign actors accountable for major fraud committed against the United States," said U.S. Attorney Dunavant.

According to the indictment, the defendants, acting on behalf of SK, submitted fraudulent subcontracts to the U.S. Army as part of two construction contracts at Camp Humphreys, South Korea, worth hundreds of millions of dollars. The indictment alleges that the defendants and their co-conspirators used these fraudulent subcontracts to launder millions of dollars in kickbacks for a U.S. public official who had steered two Camp Humphreys construction contracts to SK.

The indictment also alleges that the defendants obstructed investigations into the scheme. According to the indictment, Hyeong-won Lee ordered SK employees to destroy documents related to the fraudulent subcontract, and SK employees burned boxes of documents in order to prevent their use by investigators. The indictment also alleges that Dong-Guel Lee, acting on SK’s behalf, impeded federal investigations by dissuading witnesses from testifying about their knowledge of the scheme.

Army-CID, DCIS, and the FBI are investigating the case. Assistant Chief Justin Weitz of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Tony Arvin of the Western District of Tennessee are prosecuting the case. The Fraud Section is grateful for the assistance of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section in this case.

The charges in the indictment are merely allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

Jackson, TN. – Michael Jay Harris, 47, of McNairy County, TN was sentenced to life imprisonment for methamphetamine trafficking. D. Michael Dunavant U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee announced the sentence today.

Proof at trial showed that on February 13, 2017, agents with the McNairy County Narcotics Unit, including officers with the Selmer Police Department and McNairy County Sheriff’s Department, went to the residence of Michael Jay Harris, in the Northwestern corner of McNairy County, in Finger, TN, to arrest Harris on an outstanding warrant. Law enforcement found Harris in possession of a bag containing three and a half ounces of ice methamphetamine and marijuana, as well as digital scales and drug paraphernalia. When the agent found the narcotics, Harris became combative and attempted to fight the officers. A chemist with the Drug Enforcement Administration found the methamphetamine was more than 97 percent pure, and an agent with the Federal Bureau of Investigation testified it could have been distributed to more than a thousand drug users, based on its purity.

Following an August 2018 trial, Harris was convicted by a jury for possession of 98 grams of actual methamphetamine with the intent to distribute. Harris had four previous drug trafficking convictions in the State of Tennessee, and faced a mandatory life sentence as a career drug offender.

U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant said, "Methamphetamine that is trafficked in and through West Tennessee continues to increase in purity, which increases its potential to cause addiction, injury, and death. Harris is a career drug offender who has devoted his life to criminal activity that endangered the citizens of West Tennessee, and this life sentence is well-earned and justified to protect the public. I commend the outstanding investigative work of local law enforcement, and thank AUSA Matt Wilson for his effective prosecution of this important case."

On November 8, 2018, U.S. District Judge J. Daniel Breen sentenced Harris to life imprisonment.

This case was investigated by the Selmer Police Department, McNairy County Sheriff’s Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Matt Wilson prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.

Memphis, TN – Misty West, 41, of Olive Branch, Mississippi was sentenced to serve 21 months in federal prison for filing false tax returns for calendar years 2013-2015. U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant for the Western District of Tennessee announced the sentence today.

According to a superseding indictment, returned by the federal grand jury in February of this year, West, the former office manager, bookkeeper and paralegal at the Fowler Law Firm, engaged in a scheme to defraud the law firm and its owner, Charles Wesley Fowler, of more than $400,000 between August 2011 and July 2016.

The superseding indictment also alleged that West filed false tax returns for calendar years 2013-2015 by substantially underreporting her total income for those years. West entered a guilty plea to the tax charges in July.

United States District Judge Thomas L. Parker, also ordered West to pay restitution to the United States in the amount of $80,974 and to the Fowler Estate and its insurer CAN Financial in the total amount of $410,000.

U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant said, "This defendant victimized her employer and defrauded the United States by using her position of trust to commit crimes of dishonesty. Financial fraud does not pay, and this office will aggressively prosecute these cases to hold offenders accountable and provide restitution to the victims and the government."

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigations Division.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Carroll L. Andre´ III and Lorraine Craig prosecuted the case on the government’s behalf.

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Memphis, TN – The U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee thanks Attorney General Jeff Sessions for his dedicated service to our Nation and his effective leadership of the Department of Justice during his two-year tenure as Attorney General.

General Sessions’ strong leadership recommitted the Department to enforcing the rule of law, decreasing violent crime, and attacking the opioid epidemic. General Sessions is a prosecutor’s prosecutor, and was unwavering in his support of U.S. Attorneys as well as state and local law enforcement across the country. By providing us with additional prosecutors, General Sessions enhanced our ability to aggressively fight violent crime and keep our communities safe in the Western District of Tennessee.

We look forward to working under the leadership of our next Attorney General, as we continue to faithfully execute the laws of Congress and effectuate the law enforcement priorities of President Donald J. Trump.

Jackson, TN – A federal grand jury has indicted two McNairy County residents on multiple federal charges. U. S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant announced the indictments today.

According to the information presented in the indictments, on October 15, 2018, Randall Neilsen was charged with two counts of being a convicted felon in possession of firearms transported in interstate commerce, in violation of Title 18, USC,§ 922 (g)(1). The United States also seeks criminal forfeiture of any proceeds related to the crime. Lisa M. Stacey, 38, was indicted on October 15, 2018, with possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of actual methamphetamine, in violation of Title 21, USC § 841 (a)(1).

Because of their significant criminal histories, if convicted on counts 1 and 2, Neilsen faces 10 years in federal prison; $250,000 fine and 3 years supervised release. Stacey faces up to 10 years imprisonment; $10,000,000 fine and 5 years supervised release.

U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant said, "The U.S. Attorney’s Office is a full-service federal prosecution office, and we have the ability and intention to charge any violations of federal law, no matter where they occur in the Western District of Tennessee. These indictments demonstrate our focus on the priority areas of firearms and narcotics cases that impact public safety in our rural communities, and we appreciate the partnerships with our local law enforcement agencies in McNairy County."

These cases are being investigated by the McNairy County Sheriff’s Office; Selmer Police Department; the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jim Powell and Jerry Kitchen are prosecuting these cases on the government’s behalf.

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

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Jackson, TN – Nine members of the Gangster Disciples have been indicted for distribution of more than 50 grams of methamphetamine. D. Michael Dunavant, United States Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee announced the indictments today.

Marlon Jazz Taylor, a known Gangster Disciple member, was the main subject of an investigation of a drug trafficking organization that shipped narcotics from California to distribute in West Tennessee.

The nine defendants currently in custody are:

Marlon Jazz Taylor, 33, McKenzie, Tennessee

Nicholas Rodgers, 37, Willows, California

Tarus Taylor, 37, McKenzie, Tennessee

Elizabeth Espey, 35, McKenzie, Tennessee

Terry Weathers, 35, McKenzie, Tennessee

Richie Henderson, 48, Paris, Tennessee

Derrick Howard, 38, McKenzie, Tennessee

Duane Smith, 46, McKenzie, Tennessee

Bobby Joe Kemp, Jr., 35, Huntington, Tennessee

If convicted, each defendant will face a possible sentence of not less than 10 years imprisonment, $10,000,000 fine, and five years of supervised release.

In addition, Taylor was also charged with two counts of being felon in possession of a firearm. If convicted, he faces a sentence of 10 years imprisonment, a fine of $250,000, and three years of supervised release for each count.

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 gangs in order to dismantle their drug trafficking organizations and remove them from our streets."

Carroll County Sheriff Andy Dickson said, "I would like to thank the agents with the Carroll County Sheriff's Office, the 24th Judicial District Drug and Violent Crimes Task Force and the Federal Bureau of Investigation Safe Streets Task Force for their successful efforts in the dismantling of an illegal drug organization operating in our county. During the operation, the agents seized and gained intelligence on multiple pounds of marijuana, cocaine, crack cocaine and methamphetamine, which were being distributed in our local communities. Operations such as this are made possible through the strong working relationships being forged between the Sheriff's Office and the other agencies involved. These agents are progressively working the drug trade in our county by constantly gathering intelligence on transactions and drug organizations in an effort to rid our streets of the persons responsible for these illegal activities. "

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 or dismantle the targeted criminal organization and seize their assets.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation Safe Streets Task Force, the 24th Judicial District Drug and Violent Crimes Task Force, and the Carroll County Sheriff’s Department.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Jerry Kitchen is prosecuting this case on the government’s behalf.

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

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Memphis, TN – With the robust participation of Americans nationwide, DEA and its law enforcement partners have now surpassed its 10 million pound goal and collected nearly 11 million pounds of unused, unwanted or expired prescription medications over the course of 16 successful DEA National Prescription Drug Take Back events. During the 16th semiannual event on Oct. 27, DEA and federal, state and local partners disposed of more than 900,000 pounds of prescription medications collected at nearly 6,000 sites across the country. Together with almost 5,000 local, state and federal partners, DEA collected and destroyed more than 457 tons of potentially dangerous leftover prescription drugs.

This brings the total amount of prescription drugs collected by DEA since the fall of 2010 to 10,878,950 pounds, or 5439.5 tons. Within DEA’s Louisville Field Division, which encompasses Kentucky, Tennessee and West Virginia, nearly 50,000 pounds of medications were collected at sites throughout the three states. Tennessee took in the most, with residents turning in almost 29,000 pounds of medications; followed by Kentucky, which collected just over 13,000 pounds; and West Virginia, with just over 7,500 pounds collected.

"The results of our most recent Take Back Day clearly demonstrate a need for this initiative as a tool in the fight against America’s opioid crisis," said Acting Administrator Uttam Dhillon. "The success of this event is a direct reflection of DEA’s commitment to prevent drug addiction and overdose deaths in the U.S. Together, we are all helping to make a difference to keep our friends and families safe."

"We’re very pleased with the amount of narcotics we’re keeping off the streets with the Take-Back initiative," said D. Christopher Evans, Special Agent In Charge of DEA’s Louisville Field Division. "We’ve seen a steady increase in the amount of medications we’re collecting with each Take-Back and I am heartened by the amount of public support we receive," Evans added. "The opioid crisis is bigger than one agency and it’s going to take everyone working together to find a solution."

"Successfully defeating the prescription opioid crisis requires a multi-faceted approach that includes prevention, education, treatment, and enforcement," said D. Michael Dunavant, United States Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee. "The DEA National Prescription Drug Take Back Day is a crucial part of our collective prevention efforts, and I know that our communities are safer today because of this important and successful initiative," Dunavant added.

National Prescription Drug Take Back Day events continue to remove opioids and other medicines from the nation’s homes, where they could be stolen and abused by family members and visitors, including children and teens.

DEA began putting on Take Back Day events when the public had no other way to appropriately dispose of their leftover painkillers and other potentially dangerous drugs. These events have been extremely successful not only in getting unused drugs out of the house, but also in raising awareness of their link to addiction and overdose deaths. Since DEA launched this program nine years ago, doctors are prescribing fewer painkillers, and law enforcement agencies, pharmacies and others have installed permanent prescription drug drop boxes on-site, making drug disposal even more convenient.

Helping people to dispose of potentially harmful prescription drugs is just one way DEA is working to reduce the addiction and overdose deaths plaguing this country due to opioid medications.

Complete results for DEA’s fall Take Back Day are available at https://takebackday.dea.gov/#initiative-results. DEA’s next Prescription Drug Take Back Day is April 27, 2019.

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Memphis, TN - The first Executive Order issued by President Trump in February 2017 was to reduce crime and restore public safety to communities across the nation.

Under the leadership of Attorney General Jeff Sessions, the nation’s 94 U.S. Attorney’s Offices in the Department of Justice have responded and charged the largest number of violent crime and firearm defendants in its history in FY 2018.

Since taking office last September, I have made prosecution of gun crimes in the federal system a top priority. Under our violence reduction strategy, the U.S. Attorney’s Office has dramatically increased the number of firearms prosecutions filed, and seeks maximum sentences on firearms offenses because guns are a common denominator in many violent crimes, including murder, robbery, drug trafficking and aggravated assault.

During FY 2018, the Western District of Tennessee ranks No. 1 among all 25 medium districts in the country and No. 1 among all 9 districts in the 6th Circuit for number of firearms and violent crime cases and defendants filed. The office also ranks 6th among all districts in the nation in firearms prosecutions. The Department of Justice is open for business, and it shows.

Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is a proven violent crime reduction strategy that works, and is now reinvigorated with additional resources and commitment from our partners at the ATF, Memphis Police Department, Shelby County Sheriff’s Office, and Shelby County District Attorney’s Office.

Since October 2017, the U.S. Attorney’s Office has increased the number of federal firearms cases filed by over 58 percent, and the number of defendants charged with firearms offenses has increased over 68 percent.

These efforts provide targeted prosecution of the worst-of-the-worst offenders in order to enhance public safety in Memphis and West Tennessee by removing guns from the hands of dangerous people and removing violent offenders from our communities. We are imposing real consequences for criminal behavior, and it shows.

Our enhanced PSN Task Force also utilizes the full range of available data, methods, and advances in technology to identify the locations with significant violent crime issues (hot spots) and the offenders that are driving violent crime there ("trigger-pullers and traffickers").

On Sep. 24, the DOJ awarded over $1.1 million in grant funding to Memphis to hire personnel to utilize the National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN), to purchase technology required to operate a Crime Gun Intelligence Center (CGIC) and ammunition for ballistic tests of recovered weapons, and to provide for enhanced Justice information sharing technology for the collection, storage, sharing and analysis of criminal justice data. We are getting smarter about firearms investigations, and it shows.

While we have dramatically increased our output (number of prosecutions), we know that focus is only meaningful if it results in better outcomes -- reduction in violent crime rates. I am happy to report that, as expected and proven in the past, more firearms prosecutions actually works to lower violent crime rates.

In the first three quarters of 2018, Memphis and unincorporated parts of Shelby County reported 3,659 gun crimes, which represents a 17.3 percent decrease from the same period in 2017, when 4,422 such crimes were reported.

The reduction in reported crimes with guns is consistent with the reduction in reported violent crimes.

During the first nine months of this year, reported violent crimes in Memphis were down in the major categories of murders (down 17.6%), robberies (down 12.4%), rapes (down 18.2%), and domestic violence incidents (down 11.1). Even aggravated assaults remained flat, with only a slight increase of 1.9%. We are achieving better public safety results, and it shows.

Under PSN, we have also stepped up our prevention of additional violence by engaging in increased and consistent public awareness efforts. With the "Fed Up" campaign that communicates that Gun Crime is Max Time, we are warning people of real consequences. With our adult and juvenile Ceasefire program, we are educating young people in our communities to make wise future choices.

Partnering with the ATF, the "Don’t Lie for the Other Guy" campaign seeks to prevent straw purchases of firearms for felons. And with our increased media releases, the U.S. Attorney’s Office is telling the public about federal indictments, convictions, and sentences that create general and specific deterrence. We are sending a strong message, and it shows.

These sustained decreases in reported gun crimes and major violent gun crime categories are encouraging, and shows that our return to proven enforcement policies under PSN is working. Putting the right people in prison incapacitates the most violent offenders, upholds the rule of law, deters criminal conduct with a strong message of significant consequences, and makes us all safer. We are on the right track, and it shows.

D. Michael Dunavant is United States Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee.

Memphis, TN – After a three-day jury trial in federal court in July 2018, Antonio Hawkins, 41, was convicted of multiple counts of sex trafficking. Today, he was sentenced to 360 months in federal prison on five counts related to sex trafficking, including sex trafficking of a minor victim and sex trafficking by force, fraud, and coercion. U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant for the Western District of Tennessee announced the sentence.

According to information presented in court, in April 2016, Antonio Hawkins took three women from New Orleans to Houston to put the women out on the prostitution track. While in Houston, Hawkins picked up a fifteen-year-old runaway, and put her on the track as well. Hawkins subsequently brought them to Memphis to work. All of the women, including the minor (who is now seventeen), testified at trial that Hawkins threatened to, and did, use violence to keep them from leaving him. The women testified that Hawkins struck them, pointed a gun at them and fired warning shots, and once even used a hot hair iron to intimidate the women into doing as he instructed.

U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant said: “Human trafficking of minors and adults for commercial sex purposes is an unconscionable crime that must be met with severe consequences. We commend the FBI for their outstanding investigation of these heinous crimes, and we are pleased to achieve justice for the victims in this disturbing case.”

On Friday, November 2, 2018, U.S. District Judge Sheryl H. Lipman sentenced Hawkins to 360 months imprisonment.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, PSC marshals, federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about PSC, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kasey Weiland and Deb Ireland prosecuted this case on the government’s behalf.

Memphis, TN – Melvin Bullock, 31, of Knoxville, Tennessee, has been sentenced to 10 years imprisonment for conspiracy to distribute 20 kilograms of cocaine and distribution of 20 kilograms of cocaine. U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant announced the sentence today.

According to information presented in court, on September 25, 2017, Melvin Bullock was stopped for a traffic violation on I-40 by an agent with the West Tennessee Drug Task Force. During that stop, the agent became suspicious of Bullock after he gave several false answers to questions and presented a fake driver’s license. The agent utilized his canine, who alerted to the presence of narcotics in the back seat of Bullock’s vehicle. Upon further search, 20 individually wrapped bundles of cocaine were found. The total weight of the cocaine was over 20 kilograms, about 50 pounds. The investigation revealed that the drugs came from over the border in Mexico to Houston, where the defendant retrieved them to transport them through Memphis en route to East Tennessee.

On October 31, 2018, U.S. District Court Judge Sheryl H. Lipman sentenced Bullock to 120 months in federal prison.

U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant said, "Interstate 40 is a major drug trafficking corridor into and through West Tennessee. Disrupting drug trafficking organizations and interdicting the flow of poisonous drugs into our communities is a top priority of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, and we work with our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners to remain vigilant in the fight against foreign and domestic drug suppliers. Drug trafficking is not a victimless crime, and this significant federal sentence sends a message that such criminal activity will not be tolerated."

This case was investigated by the West Tennessee Drug Task Force, an extension of the Shelby County District Attorney General’s Office and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).

Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Griffith prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.

Jackson, TN – Stephen Williams, 30, has been sentenced to 360 months imprisonment on federal charges of conspiracy to distribute 50 grams or more of actual methamphetamine and being a felon in possession of firearms. U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant for the Western District of Tennessee announced the sentence today.

This is the latest sentencing in a case involving multiple defendants including Williams, Bernard Cooper, Courtney Cooper, Robert Newsome, Brandon Weddle, Morgan Bond, and Ronricus Chapman on charges of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.

According to information presented in court, on December 20, 2015 officers stopped Williams in a silver Chevrolet Impala. Williams stepped out of the vehicle for questioning and officers found a firearm inside. Williams attempted to flee back to his car and punched an officer in the face during a physical altercation. Williams re-entered the vehicle to flee and dragged an officer 25 yards before crashing into a ditch.

Williams tried to flee on foot after crashing. Officers pursued him for 50 yards before apprehending him. The officers continued the search of the car and found a Glock .40-caliber pistol loaded with 15 rounds of ammunition and a 12-gauge shotgun with a modified stock and barrel loaded with 24 rounds of ammunition. When transporting Williams to the Criminal Justice Complex for processing, he again assaulted an officer and threatened to kill him and his family upon release from jail.

U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant said, "Methamphetamine continues to destroy individuals, families, and communities in West Tennessee. This defendant’s lawlessness includes distribution of meth, possession of firearms, and violent encounters with law enforcement. This is exactly the type of armed and violent drug trafficker that deserves a 30-year sentence, and we are happy to hold him accountable. Williams has sowed addiction and violence into the Jackson community, and now he will reap the consequence of a long prison sentence."

During his guilty plea, Williams was held accountable for at least 1.5 kilograms but less than 4.5 kilograms of actual methamphetamine.

On October 30, 2018, U.S. District Court Senior Judge Thomas Anderson sentenced Williams to 360 months in federal prison followed by 5 years supervised release.

This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and the Madison County Sheriff’s Department.

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

Memphis, TN – United States Attorney D. Michael Dunavant announced today that Assistant United States Attorney Reagan Taylor will lead the efforts of this office in connection with the Justice Department’s nationwide Election Day Program for the upcoming November 6, 2018, general election. AUSA Taylor 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 abuses 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 act promptly and aggressively 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 on 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 abuses on November 6, 2018, and to ensure that such complaints are directed to the appropriate authorities, United States Attorney Dunavant stated that AUSA/DEO Reagan Taylor will be on duty in this District while the polls are open. She can be reached by the public at the following telephone number 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’s Voting Section in Washington, DC by phone at 800-253-3931 or (202) 307-2767, by fax at (202) 307-3961, by email to voting.section@usdoj.gov. or by complaint form at www.justice.gov/crt/complaint/votintake/index.php.

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 immediately to my office, the FBI, or the Civil Rights Division."

Memphis, TN – Reported gun crimes were down 17.3 percent during the first three quarters of 2018 (January – September) compared to the same time period last year in the city of Memphis and unincorporated parts of Shelby County, according to figures from the Project Safe Neighborhoods G.U.N. (Government United for Non-Violence) Unit. The latest figures build on a 15.3 percent decline during the first half of the year (January – June).

From January through September of this year, there were 3,659 reported crimes with guns compared to 4,422 during the same period in 2017.

The latest gun crime figures are consistent with preliminary violent crime figures from the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation for the first three quarters of 2018 released by the Memphis Shelby Crime Commission and the University of Memphis Public Safety Institute last week. Those figures showed murders in Memphis down 17.6 percent compared to last year (down 14.5 percent countywide) and reported robberies in Memphis down 12.4 percent (down 11.3 percent countywide).

Reducing gun crime is a major focus of the local Operation: Safe Community plan, the development of which was spearheaded by the Crime Commission.

Bill Gibbons, president of the Crime Commission, noted that a number of objectives under the plan currently being implemented could be getting the word out to the street level about the consequences of engaging in gun crime and deterring acts of violence with guns. Specifically, he noted vigorous enforcement of tough federal gun laws, enactment of stiffer state sentences to curb illegal possession of firearms, ramped up data-driven deployment of law enforcement resources, and the FED UP Gun Crime Max Time media campaign, which has the goal of changing behavior.

"Word may very well be getting out that engaging in gun violence is just not worth the price. We may be changing the behavior of some," said Gibbons.

U.S Attorney Mike Dunavant stated, "Last year, the U.S. Attorney's Officeannounced the expansion and reinvigoration of the Project Safe Neighborhoods(PSN) initiative, which is a highly successful and proven violent crime reductionstrategy. Through our partnerships with federal and local law enforcement and theShelby County DA's Office to target firearms offenses and prevent additionalcrimes by public awareness of real consequences, we have seen a steady reductionin the number of reported gun crimes.

"These sustained decreases in reported gun crimes and major violent crime categories are encouraging, and shows that our return to proven enforcement policies under PSN is working. We have dramatically increased the number of firearms prosecutions over the last year, and the welcome outcome has been improved public safety. Putting the right people in prison incapacitates the most violent offenders, upholds the rule of law, deters criminal conduct with a strong message of significant consequences, and makes us all safe," said Dunavant.

The chart below reflects reported gun crimes for the first three quarters of 2016, 2017, and 2018.

1 Reported gun crime incidents in city of Memphis and unincorporated parts of Shelby County. Source: Project Safe Neighborhoods G.U.N. Unit

2 A 17.3 percent decrease compared to 2017 and a 6.6 percent decrease compared to 2016.

About the Memphis Shelby Crime Commission (www.memphiscrime.org): The Memphis Shelby Crime Commission is an independent, non-profit 501(c) (3) organization that "quarterbacks" the work of the Operation: Safe Community (OSC) plan and its partners. It is funded through the generous contributions of many private sector donors. Ben Adams, CEO of Baker Donelson law firm, serves as chair of the board, and Bill Gibbons serves as president of the Commission.

About Operation: Safe Community (www.operationsafecommunity.org): Launched in 2007, Operation: Safe Community (OSC), spearheaded by the Memphis Shelby Crime Commission, is a community-based crime reduction initiative. Operation: Safe Community is chaired by Shelby County District Attorney General Amy Weirich.

Memphis, TN – Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division today announced the formation of the Appalachian Regional Prescription Opioid Strike Force (ARPO Strike Force), a joint law enforcement effort that brings together the resources and expertise of the Health Care Fraud Unit in the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section (HCF Unit), the U.S. Attorney’s Offices for nine federal districts in five states, as well as law enforcement partners at the FBI, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General (HHS-OIG) and U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). The mission of the ARPO Strike Force is to identify and investigate health care fraud schemes in the Appalachian region and surrounding areas, and to effectively and efficiently prosecute medical professionals and others involved in the illegal prescription and distribution of opioids.

Assistant Attorney General Benczkowski was joined in the announcement by U.S. Attorney Robert M. Duncan Jr. for the Eastern District of Kentucky; U.S. Attorney Russell M. Coleman for the Western District of Kentucky; U.S. Attorney Benjamin C. Glassman for the Southern District of Ohio; U.S. Attorney William J. Powell for the Northern District of West Virginia; U.S. Attorney Michael B. Stuart for the Southern District of West Virginia; U.S. Attorney J. Douglas Overbey for the Eastern District of Tennessee; U.S. Attorney Donald Q. Cochran for the Middle District of Tennessee; U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant for the Western District of Tennessee; U.S. Attorney Jay E. Town for the Northern District of Alabama; Assistant Director Robert Johnson of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division; Deputy Inspector General for Investigations Gary L. Cantrell of the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG) and Assistant Administrator John J. Martin of the DEA Diversion Control Division.

"While the opioid epidemic continues to inflict untold pain and suffering on people across the country, the devastation in the Appalachian region and adjacent areas has been particularly staggering," said Assistant Attorney General Benczkowski. "It is all the more reprehensible when unscrupulous physicians and pharmacies contribute to the epidemic by illegally supplying dangerous prescription painkillers. Working with our partners in U.S. Attorney’s Offices and law enforcement, the Appalachian Regional Prescription Opioid Strike Force will combat illegal prescription opioids and health care fraud by holding accountable corrupt medical professionals who seek to profit off the crisis of opioid addiction."

"The creation of the Appalachian Regional Prescription Opioid Strike Force will bring together critical resources from the FBI and our partners to fight health care fraud in this region and the growing opioid epidemic that faces the United States," said FBI Assistant Director Johnson. "Healthcare fraud touches every corner of the United States, and through this strike force, the FBI will continue our tireless work to combat illegal opioid prescriptions and bring to justice those medical professionals who put their greed over the health and wellbeing of their patients."

"The opioid epidemic has had a devastating impact on Americans across the country, including the people of the Appalachian region," said HHS-OIG Deputy Inspector General for Investigations Cantrell. "The Strike Force model is a proven mechanism to target illicit conduct and hold accountable criminals involved in illegal opioid prescription and distribution schemes. We will continue to work closely with our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners to curb this damaging epidemic."

"Our nation’s opioid crisis requires us to work with unprecedented urgency in attacking drug diversion at every level," said DEA Assistant Administrator Martin. "These joint strike force efforts will save lives, while allowing us to better target and bring to justice those who facilitate addiction and profit at the expense of the weakest and most afflicted."

Prior to this announcement, the HCF Unit operated Medicare Fraud Strike Force’s in 12 locations across the United States including Miami, Florida; Los Angeles, California; Detroit, Michigan; Houston, Texas; Brooklyn, New York; Baton Rouge and New Orleans, Louisiana; Tampa/Orlando, Florida; Chicago, Illinois; and Dallas, Texas, along with a Corporate Strike Force located in Washington, D.C., and the Newark/Philadelphia Regional Medicare Fraud Strike Force. The Strike Forces represent a partnership between the Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney’s Offices, the FBI, HHS-OIG and the DEA.

The ARPO Strike Force will be made up of prosecutors and data analysts with the HCF Unit, prosecutors with the nine U.S. Attorney’s Offices in the region, and special agents with the FBI, HHS-OIG and DEA. The ARPO Strike Force will operate out of two hubs based in the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky, and Nashville, Tennessee, areas, supporting the nine districts that make up the ARPO Strike Force region. In addition, the APRO Strike Force will work closely with other various federal law enforcement agencies, including the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and IRS Criminal Investigation, and State Medicaid Fraud Control Units.

The ARPO Strike Force will target criminal conduct associated with the improper prescription and distribution of prescription opioids and other dangerous narcotics throughout the Appalachian region and surrounding areas – focusing on criminal conduct by physicians, pharmacists, and other medical professionals. The ARPO Strike Force will also investigate and prosecute violations of health care fraud whenever such fraud is detected throughout the region.

In June, Attorney General Jeff Sessions and Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Alex M. Azar III noted the success of the Strike Force model while announcing the largest ever health care fraud enforcement action involving 601 charged defendants across 58 federal districts, including 165 doctors, nurses and other licensed medical professionals, for their alleged participation in health care fraud schemes involving more than $2 billion in false billings. Of those charged, 162 defendants, including 76 doctors, were charged for their roles in prescribing and distributing opioids and other dangerous narcotics. More information can be obtained at https://www.justice.gov/opa/documents-and-resources-june-28-2018.

In August, Assistant Attorney General Benczkowski announced the Newark/Philadelphia Medicare Fraud Strike Force, which focuses on health care fraud and illegal opioid prescriptions in the Newark/Philadelphia region.

The Strike Force operations are part of a joint initiative between the Department of Justice and HHS to focus their efforts to prevent and deter fraud and enforce current anti-fraud laws around the country. Since its inception in March 2007, the prosecutors in the 12 Medicare Fraud Strike Force locations have charged over 4,000 defendants who collectively have falsely billed the Medicare program for over $14 billion. Since January 2017, the HCF Unit has charged over 85 defendants, including 33 doctors with the illegal prescription of opioids (nearly 30 million pills).

Memphis, TN – Five individuals have been indicted for carjacking and armed robbery. U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant for the Western District of Tennessee announced the indictments today.

The United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Tennessee has responded to a recent increase in the number of carjackings in the district by obtaining indictments against five individuals each responsible for violent carjacking incidents involving the possession and use of firearms within the past year.

The five defendants listed are currently in custody:

• Jherrick Grimes, 25, Memphis, TN
• Lorenzo Davis, 29, Memphis, TN
• Angelo Bunting, 20, Memphis, TN
• DeQuan Blackmon, 19, Memphis, TN
• Harry French, 20, Memphis, TN

U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant said, "While recent reports indicate that violent crime rates in all major categories are declining, carjacking offenses in Memphis have spiked and increased an alarming 87% in the past year. This trend cannot continue, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office is coordinating with our federal and local law enforcement partners to prioritize and target carjacking cases for aggressive federal prosecution. These cases demonstrate our resolve to incapacitate the most violent offenders, uphold the rule of law, deter criminal conduct with a strong message of significant consequences, and make us all safer."

Jherrick Grimes

Count 1 charges that on August 6, 2018, Jherrick Grimes being aided and abetted by others, took a motor vehicle, a 2004 Audi A4, by force, violence and intimidation, with the intent to cause death and serious bodily harm.

Count 2 charges that on August 6, 2018, Jherrick Grimes brandished a firearm during a carjacking.

Count 3 charges that on August 15, 2018, Jherrick Grimes was a convicted felon in possession of a firearm.

Lorenzo Davis

Count 1 charges that on July 26, 2018, Lorenzo Davis committed bank robbery by taking by force from a person money belonging to MetaBank, and put in jeopardy the life of another person by use of a dangerous weapon.

Count 2 charges that on July 26, 2018, Lorenzo Davis brandished a firearm during a bank robbery.

Count 3 charges that on July 27, 2018, Lorenzo Davis took a motor vehicle, a 2001 Toyota Solara, by force, violence and intimidation, resulting in serious bodily injury.

Count 4 charges that on July 27, 2018, Lorenzo Davis discharged a firearm during a carjacking.

Counts 5 and 6 charge that on July 26 and July 27, 2018, Lorenzo Davis was a convicted felon in possession of a firearm.

Angelo Bunting

Count 1 charges that on June 28, 2018, Angelo Bunting, being aided and abetted by unknown others, took a motor vehicle, a 2014 Toyota Corolla, by force, violence, and intimidation, with the intent to cause death and serious bodily harm.

Count 2 charges that on June 28, 2018, Angelo Bunting brandished a firearm during a carjacking.

Count 3 charges that on July 6, 2018, Angelo Bunting, being aided and abetted by unknown others, took a motor vehicle, a 2011 Chevrolet Impala, by force, violence, and intimidation, with the intent to cause death and serious bodily harm.

Count 4 charges that on July 6, 2018, Angelo Bunting brandished a firearm during a carjacking.

Count 5 charges that on July 13, 2018, Angelo Bunting, being and aided by unknown others took a motor vehicle, a 2013 Volkswagen Passat, by force, violence, and intimidation, with the intent to cause death and serious bodily harm.

Count 6 charges that on July 13, 2018, Angelo Bunting brandished a firearm during a carjacking.

Dequan Blackmon and Harry French

Count 1 charges that on August 4, 2017, Dequan Blackmon and Harry French, being aided and abetted by unknown others, took a motor vehicle, a 2015 Dodge Journey, by force, violence, and intimidation with the intent to cause death and serious bodily harm.

Count 2 charges that on August 4, 2017, Dequan Blackmon and Harry French brandished a firearm during a carjacking.

Count 3 charges that on August 23, 2017, Dequan Blackmon and Harry French, being aided and abetted by unknown others, took a motor vehicle, a 1991 Jeep Cherokee, by force, violence and intimidation with the intent to cause death and serious bodily harm.

Count 4 charges that on August 23, 2017, Dequan Blackmon and Harry French brandished a firearm during a carjacking.

Count 5 charges that on August 23, 2017, Dequan Blackmon and Harry French being aided and abetted by unknown others, took a motor vehicle, a 2013 Chevrolet Suburban, by force, violence, and intimidation, with the intent to cause death and serious bodily harm

Count 6 charges that on August 23, 2017, Dequan Blackmon and Harry French brandished a firearm during a carjacking.

If convicted of all counts, the defendants face possible sentences of not less than seven years, and up to life imprisonment, $250,000 fine and 3 years supervised release. Sentencing for each defendant is individual, and is based upon a number of statutory factors under the federal sentencing guidelines, including but not limited to prior conviction history, which may enhance or mitigate the ultimate sentence imposed by the Court.

These cases were investigated by ATF and Memphis Police Department Violent Crime Task Force.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Elizabeth Rogers and Marques Young are prosecuting these cases on the government’s behalf.

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

Memphis, TN – A federal court permanently enjoined a Memphis, Tennessee company from distributing misbranded drugs and drugs manufactured under insanitary conditions, the Department of Justice announced today.

In a complaint filed September 25, 2018, at the request of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the United States alleged that Keystone Laboratories, Inc., the company’s owner, Melinda Menke, and its operator, Elizabeth Jumet, violated the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act by distributing hair care and skin care products that were not manufactured, processed, packaged, or held subject to current good manufacturing practices for drugs. The complaint alleged that FDA inspections of Keystone’s facilities and products revealed numerous problems, including an instance in which the company released a batch of hair products despite test results that suggested contamination by the potentially harmful bacteria Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus). The defendants agreed to be bound by a consent decree filed with the complaint in U.S. District Court for the Western District of Tennessee.

"The Department of Justice is committed to ensuring that manufacturers and sellers of over-the-counter drugs follow safety laws that protect consumers," said Assistant Attorney General Joseph H. Hunt for the Department of Justice’s Civil Division. "We will continue to work with the FDA to ensure that over-the-counter drugs are manufactured under safe conditions and are properly labeled."

"Ensuring that consumers are protected from adulterated and contaminated over-the-counter drugs and products is a concern in this district. We will continue to partner with the Department of Justice Civil Division and the FDA to pursue these cases in an effort to protect consumers," said U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant for the Western District of Tennessee.

The consent decree entered by the court permanently enjoins the defendants from violating the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act. As part of the settlement, the defendants may not manufacture or distribute their over-the-counter drug products from any facility owned or operated by the defendants unless they comply with specific remedial measures set forth in the injunction. The order also provides safeguards in the event that the defendants contract with third parties to manufacture similar products.

Trial attorney Claude Scott of the Civil Division’s Consumer Protection Branch and Assistant U.S. Attorney Stuart J. Canale of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Tennessee represented the United States, along with the assistance of Associate Chief Counsel for Litigation Rosselle Oberstein of the FDA’s Office of the General Counsel.

Additional information about the Consumer Protection Branch and its enforcement efforts may be found at https://www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch.

A federal court permanently enjoined a Memphis, Tennessee company from distributing misbranded drugs and drugs manufactured under insanitary conditions, the Department of Justice announced today.

In a complaint filed September 25, 2018, at the request of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the United States alleged that Keystone Laboratories, Inc., the company’s owner, Melinda Menke, and its operator, Elizabeth Jumet, violated the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act by distributing hair care and skin care products that were not manufactured, processed, packaged, or held subject to current good manufacturing practices for drugs. The complaint alleged that FDA inspections of Keystone’s facilities and products revealed numerous problems, including an instance in which the company released a batch of hair product despite test results that suggested contamination by the potentially harmful bacteria Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus). The defendants agreed to be bound by a consent decree filed with the complaint in U.S. District Court for the Western District of Tennessee.

“The Department of Justice is committed to ensuring that manufacturers and sellers of over-the-counter drugs follow safety laws that protect consumers,” said Assistant Attorney General Joseph H. Hunt for the Department of Justice’s Civil Division. “We will continue to work with the FDA to ensure that over-the-counter drugs are manufactured under safe conditions and are properly labeled.”

“Ensuring that consumers are protected from adulterated and contaminated over-the-counter drugs and products is a concern in this district. We will continue to partner with the Department of Justice Civil Division and the FDA to pursue these cases in an effort to protect consumers,” said U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant for the Western District of Tennessee.

The consent decree entered by the court permanently enjoins the defendants from violating the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act. As part of the settlement, the defendants may not manufacture or distribute their over-the-counter drug products from any facility owned or operated by the defendants unless they comply with specific remedial measures set forth in the injunction. The order also provides safeguards in the event that the defendants contract with third parties to manufacture similar products.

Trial attorney Claude Scott of the Civil Division’s Consumer Protection Branch and Assistant U.S. Attorney Stuart J. Canale of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Tennessee represented the United States, along with the assistance of Associate Chief Counsel for Litigation Rosselle Oberstein of the FDA’s Office of the General Counsel. 

Additional information about the Consumer Protection Branch and its enforcement efforts may be found at https://www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch. For more information about the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Tennessee, visit its website at https: https://www.justice.gov/usao-wdtn.

Memphis, TN – On October 11, 2018, a federal grand jury indicted two men for firearms theft from a UPS facility. U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant for the Western District of Tennessee announced the indictment today.

According to the charging instrument, on September 30, 2018, Roland Jackson, 18, of Chicago, Illinois and Taveyan Turnbo did knowingly transport and ship stolen firearms from Tennessee to Illinois, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 922 (i).

On September 26, Roland Jackson and a person unknown in Illinois purchased a U-Haul van with stolen identification. On September 29, 2018, Roland Jackson and Taveyan Turnbo traveled to Tennessee from Illinois. The next day, September 30, 2018, the defendants stole 366 firearms from a shipping facility in Tennessee and transported the stolen firearms in the rented U-Haul van to Illinois.

U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant said, "Cargo theft from shipping facilities that interrupts and threatens interstate commerce must be dealt with swiftly and certainly. Cargo theft of hundreds of firearms is especially dangerous, and threatens the lives of countless citizens. We are thankful that all of the stolen firearms were recovered due to the quick action and outstanding investigation by local and federal law enforcement, and we appreciate the coordination and partnership with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Illinois in this disturbing case. Interstate trafficking of stolen firearms will be met with aggressive prosecution in order to protect public safety."

Count 1 charges Roland Jackson and Taveyan Turnbo knowingly conspired and agreed with each other and with other unknown individuals to transport and ship stolen firearms from Tennessee to Illinois, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 371.

Count 2 charges Roland Jackson and Taveyan Turnbo knowingly transported and shipped interstate commerce from Tennessee to Illinois, specifically, 322 different Ruger .380

caliber pistols and 44 different Ruger .22 LR caliber pistols, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 922 (i) and 2.

Count 3 charges Roland Jackson and Taveyan Turnbo knowingly possessed stolen firearms, specifically, 322 different Ruger .380 caliber pistols and 44 different Ruger .22 LR caliber pistols, which had been shipped and transported in interstate commerce.

Count 4 charges Roland Jackson as a convicted felon knowingly possessed stolen firearms affecting interstate commerce, specifically, 322 different Ruger .380 caliber pistols and 44 different Ruger .22 LR caliber pistols, violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 922 (g)(1).

If convicted, the defendants face a mandatory minimum sentence of up to 10 years imprisonment, $250,000 fine and 3 years supervised release. Both defendants have been taken into custody, and are being detained pending trial.

This case was investigated by the ATF; FBI Cargo Theft Task Force; Midlothian, Illinois Police Department and the Memphis Police Department, during which all of the stolen firearms were safely and successfully recovered.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Marques Young is prosecuting this case on the government’s behalf.

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

Memphis, TN – Joseph Hamilton, 30, has been sentenced to 20 years imprisonment on federal charges of being a felon in possession of a firearm and possession of marijuana with intent to distribute. D. Michael Dunavant, United States Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee announced the sentence today.

According to the information presented in court, on October 27, 2017, Memphis Police observed Hamilton driving a silver Infiniti G35 eastbound on East Shelby Drive with a license plate registered to a different vehicle. The license plate also had a 2018 decal that belonged to a different plate. A traffic stop was then initiated. The defendant did not have a driver’s license, but provided his social security number to the officer. After the officer determined that the defendant’s license was suspended, the defendant was instructed to exit the vehicle. The defendant slammed the door to his car, made a "U-turn," and sped away. The officer had to move to avoid being struck by the vehicle. Hamilton then disregarded a traffic signal and crashed his vehicle with another vehicle. The driver of the other vehicle was transported to the hospital in non-critical condition.

After the crash, Hamilton ran into a wooded area with a red and white backpack. While the officer was chasing the defendant, the defendant tripped and fell. The officer caught up with the defendant and arrested him. The defendant spontaneously stated that he ran because he "did not want to go to jail for the weed and gun".

While searching the backpack, officers recovered a large bag of marijuana and two mason jars containing small baggies ofmarijuana, totaling approximately 100 grams. An opened box of sandwich baggies and a marijuana grinder were also recovered. Officers recovered $306.73 on Hamilton and a Ruger .45 caliber pistol from the driver’s side floorboard of the vehicle. Hamilton was also a convicted felon at the time of this offense.

On October 11, 2018, U.S. District Court Judge Thomas L. Parker sentenced Hamilton to 20 years in federal prison followed by 4 years supervised release.

U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant said, "Convicted felons who possess firearms in connection with drug distribution are inherently dangerous individuals. This conviction and sentence will remove a violent offender from the streets, and will protect public safety. We are FED UP with gun crime in Memphis, and will continue to aggressively prosecute prohibited and dangerous offenders with firearms. Gun Crime is Max Time."

The defendant still has an unrelated murder charge pending in Division 7 of Shelby County’s Criminal Court stemming from his alleged shooting at a Whitehaven McDonald’s, resulting in the murder of one individual and the serious injury to another.

The Multi-Agency Gang Unit investigated this case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Marques Young and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Bryce Phillips prosecuted this case on the government’s behalf.

Memphis, TN – Between September 19 and October 4, 2018, federal prosecutors brought charges against 18 individuals as criminal aliens and immigration fugitives for violations of U.S. immigration laws. U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant for the Western District of Tennessee announced the indictments and criminal complaints today.

On September 19 and September 27, 2018, federal grand juries returned eleven indictments that remained under seal until the completion of the four-day enforcement operation, and on October 4, 2018, prosecutors brought criminal complaints against seven more foreign nationals. According to the charging instruments, U.S. Immigration & Customs Enforcement (ICE) Enforcement & Removal Operations officers arrested 18 unlawfully present foreign nationals on federal firearms charges and charges of illegal reentry after deportation. Another 13 unlawfully present foreign nationals were collaterally arrested during the operation on administrative immigration charges, and will be processed administratively for removal from the United States by ERO.

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. The U.S. Attorney’s Office has prioritized and renewed our commitment to immigration enforcement, and this operation has focused on those violent and dangerous criminal aliens who continue to violate our laws after deportation. We will aggressively enforce U.S. immigration laws and seek stiff penalties against those who violate them."

"ICE continues to focus its limited resources first and foremost on those who pose the greatest threat to public safety. ICE only conducts targeted enforcement and does not conduct any type of indiscriminate raids or sweeps that target aliens indiscriminately. This operation, and the agency’s overall arrest stats, clearly reflect this reality. Nationally, approximately 90 percent of all persons arrested by ICE this year either had a criminal conviction, a pending criminal charge, or were already subject to a removal order issued by a federal immigration judge," said ICE Assistant Field Office Director Ronald E. Johnson.

Under federal law, it is illegal for an individual who is unlawfully in the United States to possess a firearm. This is a violation of Title 18, United States Code, § 922(g)(5). A violation of this section is punishable by a term of up to 10 years imprisonment, a fine of up to $250,000, and a term of supervised release of up to three years.

It is also illegal under federal law for an individual who has been previously deported from the United States to reenter the United States without permission from the Attorney General or the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security. This is a violation of Title 8, United States Code, § 1326. A violation of this section is punishable by a term of up to two years imprisonment, a fine of up to $250,000, and a term of supervised release of up to two years. Several of the defendants charged with illegal reentry are alleged to be convicted felons or aggravated felons. Convicted felons who violate this section face a term of imprisonment of up to ten years; aggravated felons who violate this section face a term of imprisonment of up to twenty years.

The suspects charged are:

• Juan Carlos Arvizu-Velazquez, charged with illegal reentry after a felony
• Romy Gonzalez-Lopez, charged with illegal reentry
• Aldo Gutierrez-Castillo, charged with illegal reentry
• Arnold Jeronimo Hernandez-Lopez, charged with illegal reentry after a felony
• Lorenzo Antonio Luna-Bolanos, charged with illegal reentry
• Marvin Joel Murillo-Montoya, charged with illegal reentry
• Gerson Adalberto Najera-Ochoa, charged with illegal reentry
• Miguel Perpual-Us, charged with illegal reentry
• Oscar Ramirez-Del La Fuente, charged with illegal possession of a firearm
• Marvin Donaldo Rivera-Caceres, charged with illegal reentry
• Alexandro Rodriguez-Aguirres, charged with illegal reentry
• Victor Rosales-Ramirez, charged with illegal reentry
• Virgilio Rosales-Ramirez, charged with illegal reentry after a felony
• Manuel Roberto Tobar-Ramirez, charged with illegal reentry after an aggravated felony
• Homero Tonche-Chavez, charged with illegal reentry
• Jorge Urquia-Perdomo, charged with illegal reentry
• Oseas Vasques_Ramos, charged with illegal reentry
• Jose Zamora-Hernandez, charged with illegal possession of a firearm

These cases were investigated by the U.S. Immigrations & Customs Enforcement (ICE), Enforcement & Removal Operations (ERO), assisted by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lauren Delery and Stephen Hall are prosecuting these cases on behalf of the government.

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

Memphis, TN - A Memphis man has been sentenced to 25 years in federal prison for possession of a firearm during robberies. D. Michael Dunavant, United States Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee announced the sentence today.

According to information presented in court, on December 9, 2016, three men armed with handguns and a shotgun entered Village Mart located at 1169 S. Bellevue. The employees were held at gunpoint after being ordered to the ground by one of the males. The males smashed display cases and took merchandise and cash from the register. One of the suspects jumped on a glass counter causing a cut to his right hand, leaving his DNA. The DNA belonged to James Moss, a member of the Grape Street Crip gang. The robbers fled the scene in a Nissan Maxima that was stolen by Moss and the robbery crew earlier in the day.

On December 30, 2016, two men armed with handguns entered Dollar General located at 3433 Jackson, in Memphis. The men forced the clerk to open the cash register and the safe. The suspects took the cash drawers from the store. A tracking device attached to the stolen cash led law enforcement to Moss’ residence.

U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant said, "As part of our violent crime reduction strategy, we are taking the fight to the gangs to dismantle their organizations and remove them from our communities. Violent crimes committed by and in furtherance of gangs will be met with severe consequences, and this sentence shows our resolve."

On October 3, 2018, U.S. District Court Judge Samuel H. Mays sentenced Moss to 25 years in federal prison followed by 3 years supervised release.

Lavunte Evans, a co-defendant to the Village Mart robbery was previously sentenced to 125 months.

This case was investigated by the FBI Safe Streets Task Force and theMulti Agency Gang Unit.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Marques Young prosecuted this case on the government’s behalf.

Memphis, TN – One year ago, the Department of Justice announced the revitalization and enhancement of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), which Attorney General Sessions has made the centerpiece of the Department’s violent crime reduction strategy. PSN is an evidence-based program proven effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.

Under the leadership and direction of Attorney General Jeff Sessions, the Department of Justice has stepped up prosecutions of weapons offenses, bringing 8,403 such cases in the first 10 months of fiscal year 2018, a 22.5 percent increase from the previous year.

Since in office, U.S. Attorney Mike Dunavant has made prosecution of gun crimes in the federal system a top priority. Under its violence reduction strategy, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Tennessee has dramatically increased the number of firearms prosecutions filed, and seeks significant sentences on firearms offenses because guns are a common denominator in many violent crimes, including murder, robbery, drug trafficking and aggravated assault.

"Project Safe Neighborhoods is a proven program with demonstrated results," Attorney General Jeff Sessions said. "We know that the most effective strategy to reduce violent crime is based on sound policing policies that have proven effective over many years, which includes being targeted and responsive to community needs. I have empowered our United States Attorneys to focus enforcement efforts against the most violent criminals in their districts, and directed that they work together with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and community partners to develop tailored solutions to the

unique violent crime problems they face. Each United States Attorney has prioritized the PSN program, and I am confident that it will continue to reduce crime, save lives, and restore safety to our communities."

U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant said, "Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is a proven violent crime reduction strategy that works, and is now reinvigorated with additional resources and commitment from our partners at the ATF, Memphis Police Department, Shelby County Sheriff’s Office, and Shelby County District Attorney’s Office. Since October 2017, the U.S. Attorney’s Office has increased the number of federal firearms cases filed by over 47 percent, and the number of defendants charged with firearms offenses has increased over 61 percent. These efforts provide targeted prosecution of the worst-of-the-worst offenders to enhance public safety in Memphis and West Tennessee by removing guns from the hands of dangerous people and removing violent offenders from our communities."

Enforcement Actions

Currently, the 13-member PSN Task Force, which is the investigative component of the local PSN initiative, is comprised of personnel from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Memphis Police Department, the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office and Shelby County District Attorney’s Office. The success of this collaborative law enforcement effort is recognized nationally, with other local, state and federal law enforcement agencies from Alabama, Mississippi, the District of Columbia and Tennessee frequently visiting the task force to adopt its practices.

The Task Force not only investigates firearm possession by prohibited persons; it also investigates individuals buying and selling firearms to/from convicted felons. The Task Force engages in proactive and reactive investigations of convicted felons suspected of possessing firearms, as well as firearm suppliers that are conducting illegal transactions.

Here are some highlights of our PSN actions over the past year:

• Ladarius Porter, 27 of Memphis, was sentenced in July 2018, to 15 years imprisonment for being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm.
   
• Tommy Earl Champion Jr, a/k/a/ "Duct Tape"29 of Jackson, Tennessee, was sentenced in September 2018, to 30 years’ incarceration for participating in racketeering conspiracy and for using and carrying a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence.
   
• Robert Hutchinson, Jr., 45 was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm.
   

Community Partnerships

Reentry education and assistance is an important part of the PSN initiative and vital to ensuring communities are safer when those incarcerated return home. Since 2011, the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the Office of U.S. Probation continues to participate in monthly Reentry Court sessions. In addition, staff also meets monthly to discuss issues with clients at a halfway house prior who will be transitioning back into the Western District of Tennessee. Through these reentry services, we further our commitment to providing individuals with the necessary tools to make a permanent lifestyle change that will benefit themselves and the community.

Improvements to Community Safety

The FBI’s official crime data for 2017 reflects that after two consecutive historic increases in violent crime, in the first year of the Trump Administration the nationwide violent crime rate began to decline. The nationwide violent crime rate decreased by approximately one percent in 2017, while the nationwide homicide rate decreased by nearly one and a half percent.

The preliminary information we have for 2018 gives us reason for optimism that our efforts are continuing to pay off. Public data from 60 major cities show that violent crime was down by nearly five percent in those cities in the first six months of 2018 compared to the same period a year ago.

In the first six months of 2018, Memphis and unincorporated parts of Shelby County reported 2,405 gun crimes, which represents a 15.3 percent decrease from the same period in 2017, when 2,840 such crimes were reported.

The reduction in reported crimes with guns is consistent with the reduction in reported violent crimes. During the first eight months of this year, reported violent crimes involving firearms were down 17.6 percent in the City of Memphis and countywide, compared to last year. The reduction occurred in all major categories of violent crimes committed with firearms – murders (down 6.4%), business robberies (down 35.1%) and aggravated assaults (down 20.8%).

"These sustained decreases in reported gun crimes and all major violent gun crime categories are encouraging, and shows that our return to proven enforcement policies under PSN is working. Putting the right people in prison incapacitates the most violent offenders, upholds the rule of law, deters criminal conduct with a strong message of significant consequences, and makes us all safer," said U.S. Attorney Dunavant.

Learn more about Project Safe Neighborhoods https://www.justice.gov/psn

Jackson, TN – A Madison County man has been sentenced to over eight years in federal prison for robbing a local business with a firearm. D. Michael Dunavant, United States Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee announced the sentence today.

According to the information presented in court, on September 9, 2017, deputies with the Madison County Sheriff’s Office responded to a robbery call at the Five Points Country Store at 844 Ozier Road in Pinson, TN. During the investigation, deputies learned that Dakota Allen Vann approached the counter, ordered a slice of pizza, and then left the store. Vann returned to the store fifteen minutes later and handed the clerk a note stating "Empty the register all the cash I have a gun!" At the same time, Vann displayed a black semi-automatic pistol located at his waistband.

Deputies collected evidence including surveillance footage of the robbery. Vann was taken into custody on September 12, 2017. He admitted his involvement in the robbery and told deputy jailers "if I’d of known all of this I’d robbed an [expletive] bank instead."

U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant said, "Violent crime affects and endangers all communities in West Tennessee, both urban and rural. This violent offender has no remorse for his brazen armed robbery of a small country store, and has no understanding of the harm that his violence inflicted on the victim store owner. Now he will have plenty of time in federal prison to suffer with the consequences of his criminal conduct, and the citizens of Madison County will be safer for it."

On October 4, 2018, U.S. District Court Judge J. Daniel Breen sentenced Porter to a total of 100 months in federal prison for brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence. The period of incarceration will be followed by a 3-year period of supervised release. Vann will also be required to pay restitution.

The Madison County Sheriff’s Office investigated this case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Taylor Eskridge prosecuted this case on the government’s behalf.

Memphis, TN – A local man has been sentenced to 188 months in federal prison for possession of over 100 grams of heroin with intent to distribute. D. Michael Dunavant, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee announced the sentence today.

According to information presented in court, on April 10, 2017, Shelby County Sheriff Narcotics Deputies obtained a search warrant for the residence at 832 Annie to look for heroin, drug paraphernalia, drug proceeds and documents belonging to Robert Spencer, 44. Officers also witnessed hand-to-hand transactions with Spencer outside the home.

Later the same day, officers observed Spencer depart 832 Annie in a gold Volvo and drive to 3662 Vivia. Upon arrival back to the location at 832 Annie, officers converged on Spencer’s vehicle and detained him. Approaching the vehicle, officers saw a clear plastic bag containing 7 smaller bags of heroin totaling 14.4 grams and 1 gram of marijuana. The drugs were located in the pocket of the driver’s side door.

U.S. Attorney Dunavant said, "We are on a mission to reduce overdose injuries and deaths caused by heroin in West Tennessee, and we will aggressively prosecute any cases that involve suppliers of deadly narcotics in our communities. If you are a drug dealer selling poison to our children, your days are numbered."

The officers obtained a search warrant at 3662 Vivia, the residence of Christie Spencer; Robert Spencer’s sister. Law enforcement recovered 271.8 grams heroin; 101.7 grams in the attic and 170.1 grams in a large box. When officers executed the search warrant, Christie who was at the address, fled the home upon seeing officers, despite being ordered to stop. That night, officers set up surveillance at several residences where they thought she might be and saw her arrive at approximately 5:45 p.m.

Officers advised her of the heroin found at her house and obtained a signed consent to search the residence. The narcotics detective K-9 alerted to the odor of drugs in the home, inside a black umbrella sleeve, which contained $7,600.

On August 30, 2018, U.S. District Court Judge John T. Fowlkes Jr., sentenced Spencer to 188 months imprisonment and 4 years supervised release.

This case was investigated by the Shelby County Sheriff’s Narcotics Unit.

Assistant U.S. Attorney J. William Crow prosecuted this case on the government’s behalf.

Memphis, TN – A local man has been sentenced to 120 months imprisonment for being a convicted a felon in possession of a firearm and possession of cocaine with intent to distribute. D. Michael Dunavant, United States Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee announced the sentence today.

According to the information presented in court, on February 7, 2017, Memphis Police Department officers arrived at the 3700 block of Walsingham Drive to arrest Antonio White, 38, on an unrelated warrant. While in the front room of the home, officers noticed a young child sitting on a couch. Under the couch cushion on which the child was seated, officers discovered a loaded Glock .4o caliber pistol and approximately 7.4 grams of cocaine.

On October 1, 2018, U.S. District Court Judge Thomas L. Parker sentenced White to 120 months in federal prison on each of the cocaine and firearms charges. These two sentences are to be served concurrently. Antonio White was a convicted felon at the time of the offense.

U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant said, "Under our PSN initiative, we focus on removing firearms from the hands of prohibited persons, and removing dangerous felons from our streets. Clearly, this prior felon has no hesitation in illegally possessing a firearm and cocaine in the presence of a child, and he will now be removed from our community for 10 years. We are FED UP. Gun Crime is Max Time."

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), 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. Attorney General Jeff Sessions reinvigorated PSN in 2017. As part of the 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.

This case was investigated by the Memphis Police Department; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Project Safe Neighborhoods Task Force; and the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Bryce Phillips prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.

Jackson, TN – A federal jury has convicted a McNairy county man for conspiring to distribute, and distributing actual methamphetamine, being a felon in possession of firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking crimes. D. Michael Dunavant, United States Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee announced the guilty verdict today.

According to the information presented in court, Joshua Tucker, 28, of Selmer, TN was a member of a drug conspiracy operating throughout West Tennessee from October 2016 to April 2017. The investigation led to the federal prosecution of Tucker, along with eleven other co-conspirators, who sold large amounts of methamphetamine throughout West Tennessee including Bath Springs, Lexington, Parsons, Selmer, Reagan, Lutts, and Milledgeville and Iuka, MS.

Tucker’s conviction results from an extensive investigation by federal, state and local law enforcement officials into a drug trafficking organization involving Kevin Smith and his associates including Joshua Tucker. Agents with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI), West Tennessee 24th Judicial Drug and Violent Crime Task Force, and Tennessee Highway Patrol (THP) conducted a yearlong investigation and utilized various investigation strategies to determine that Tucker had sold over two kilograms of actual methamphetamine (ICE) to co-conspirators who resold the ICE between December 2016 and April 2017.

The investigation further revealed that Tucker, a convicted felon, possessed firearms in furtherance of his drug trafficking. On April 27, 2017, investigators with McNairy County Counter-Drug Unit and Selmer Police Department executed a probation search at Tuckers home. During the search, officers located an AR-15 style rifle along with a 9 mm pistol in Tuckers bedroom. Officers located approximately 20 grams of ICE packaged for resale in a safe containing two digital scales and $5,677.75. In the same room, officers located drug

paraphernalia including boxes of plastic baggies and pipes as well as .223 and 9mm ammunition. Investigators also seized five vehicles. After searching the vehicles, officers located over 400 grams of methamphetamine inside a container under the driver seat of one of the cars.

U.S. Attorney Dunavant said, "Armed Drug Trafficking Organizations will NOT continue to endanger our communities in West Tennessee with impunity. We use all available law enforcement and prosecutorial resources to pursue, disrupt and dismantle groups and conspiracies that are most responsible for the illegal sale of this position to our citizens, and to remove dangerous offenders with firearms from our streets. This defendant and his co-conspirators have sowed addiction, pain, and destruction into our communities, and now they will reap a long prison sentence as a consequence."

"It takes a collaborative effort to dismantle complex drug organizations," said D. Christopher Evans, DEA Special Agent In Charge. "These types of investigations show that DEA remains committed to working with our state and local partners, and our ATF counterparts to target violent drug traffickers and make our communities safer," Evans added.

Tucker was charged with several offenses including:

• conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute 50 grams or more of actual methamphetamine;

• aiding and abetting each other to possess with the intent to distribute 50 grams or more of actual methamphetamine;

• knowingly possessing with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of actual methamphetamine;

• being a felon in possession of an AR-15 style rifle;

• being a felon in possession of a 9 mm pistol;

• possessing the AR-15 style rifle in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense; and

• possessing the 9 mm pistol in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense.

After a four-day trial, the defendant was found guilty as to each count.

Sentencing is set for January 8, 2019 at 1:30 p.m., before U.S. Chief Judge S. Thomas Anderson. Tucker faces a mandatory minimum of 15 years up to life imprisonment.

The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI), West Tennessee 24th Judicial Drug and Violent Crime Task Force, and Tennessee Highway Patrol (THP), along with McNairy County Counter-Drug Unit and Selmer Police Department.

Assistant United States Attorneys Taylor Eskridge and Hillary Parham prosecuted this case on the government’s behalf.

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Jackson, TN – A Tiptonville man has been sentenced to nine years in federal prison for possession of child pornography. D. Michael Dunavant, United States Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee announced the sentence today.

According to the information presented in court, Christopher Chadwick, 41, used his cellular phone to look for websites containing child pornography. Chadwick admitted being responsible for downloading images from those sites including pictures depicting prepubescent girls. Some of the images contained girls as young as 3 or 4 years old.

During the course of the investigation, Special Agents with the Federal Bureau of Investigation executed a search warrant at Chadwick’s home in Tiptonville and located 895 images containing files depicting minor females engaged in sexually explicit conduct. Additionally, 15 videos depicting similar acts were found.

U.S. Attorney Dunavant said, "Possession of child pornography is a disturbing crime that endangers and harms real child victims. Under our Project Safe Childhood initiative, we work with the FBI to investigate and federally prosecute computer and internet crimes against children, including possession and distribution of child pornography. We will always seek significant and mandatory minimum sentences for such despicable and predatory behavior, and this successful prosecution has incapacitated a real threat to our children and our community in West Tennessee."

On September 28, 2018, U.S. District Judge S. Thomas Anderson sentenced Chadwick to 108 months imprisonment; 5 years supervised release and a $5,000 special assessment as required under the Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act. Upon his release, Chadwick will be required to register as a sex offender.

This case was investigated by the FBI Memphis Child Exploitation Task Force along with the Lake County Sheriff’s Office.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Taylor Eskridge prosecuted this case on the government’s behalf.

Memphis, TN – A Memphis man has been sentenced to ten years in federal prison for possession of heroin with intent to distribute. D. Michael Dunavant, United States Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee announced the sentence today.

According to information presented in court, in February 2016, the Organized Crime Unit of the Memphis Police Department initiated an investigation into the illegal drug trafficking of Jerrico Long, 31, a/k/a "Lil Rico." The investigation revealed that Long was selling heroin in various areas of Memphis. In June 2016, detectives on the case orchestrated three controlled drug purchases from Long using a confidential source during which they recovered heroin.

U.S. Attorney Dunavant said, "The U.S. Attorney’s Office has development a district-specific strategy to address the opioid abuse and overdose epidemic by prioritizing cases involving the distribution of heroin. Drug dealers who sell this deadly poison in West Tennessee will be held accountable. We gave ‘Lil Rico’ a big sentence that will remove him from our streets and make Memphis a safer place."

On September 27, 2018, U.S. District Court Judge Sheryl H. Lipman sentenced Long to 120 months imprisonment followed by 3 years of supervised release.

The Organized Crime Unit of the Memphis Police Department and the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation investigated this case.

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

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Memphis, TN – Attorney General Jeff Sessions today announced grant awards to Public Safety Partnership member sites as part of $10 million in funding to support state, local, tribal law enforcement departments, agencies, and their partners who are fighting violent crime in jurisdictions across the United States.

The Office of Justice Programs’ Bureau of Justice Assistance, in partnership with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, is awarding $5 million under the Local Law Enforcement Crime Gun Intelligence Center Integration Initiative to encourage local jurisdictions to use intelligence, technology and community engagement to identify unlawfully used firearms and to prosecute those who commit violent crimes.

Grant recipients include the PSP cities of Indianapolis, Indiana, $798, 866; Memphis, Tennessee, $714,055; Tulsa, Oklahoma, $800,000 and Baton Rouge, Louisiana, $634,971. Other locations include Detroit, Michigan, $800,000; the Albuquerque, New Mexico, Police Department, $452,108, and the City/County of San Francisco, California, $800,000. The jurisdictions will use these awards to hire personnel to utilize the National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN), to purchase technology required to operate a Crime Gun Intelligence Center and ammunition for ballistic tests of recovered weapons.

U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant said, "The Department of Justice is committed to providing meaningful resources to strategically combat violent crime and firearms offenses. We are pleased that Memphis has been selected as a Public Safety Partnership site and we appreciate the commitment of Attorney General Sessions, the Bureau of Justice Assistance, and ATF in providing over $1.1 million in grant funding to equip law enforcement and prosecutors to more effectively deal with violent crime committed with firearms. PSP’s technical and strategic support has already contributed to the reduced violent crime rates that we have experienced. The enhanced financial support from this grant announcement is greatly needed to efficiently combat violent crime in the Memphis community, which will impact the entire Western District of Tennessee as a whole. We applaud our local law enforcement partners at the Memphis Police Department, the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office, and the Shelby County District Attorney General, for their commitment to this partnership and continued utilization of these resources. We look forward to using the NIBIN technology and the Crime Gun Intelligence Center to respond to and solve shooting incidents, and to remove violent offenders from the streets of Memphis."

The Attorney General also announced awards for BJA’s Technology Innovation for Public Safety (TIPS): Addressing Precipitous Increases in Crime program.

This program supports the Department’s priorities of reducing violent crime and supporting law enforcement officers, including prosecutors. While many jurisdictions are making significant progress implementing justice information sharing solutions to address critical gaps in crime prevention and response activities across organizations and jurisdictions, there remain challenges for the criminal justice system to respond to threats to public safety. This is especially true for efforts addressing significant increases in crime.

Justice information sharing technology refers to any hardware and software, hosted residentially or remotely, that plays a role in the collection, storage, sharing and analysis of criminal justice data. Funding under this program is provided to help state, local, territorial, and tribal jurisdictions use innovative technological solutions to enhance their justice information-sharing capacity.

Grant recipients include the PSP cities of Memphis, Tennessee, $417,224; Toledo, Ohio, $492,553; Flint, Michigan, $499,694 and Houston, Texas, $500,000. Other locations include Arizona Criminal Justice Commission, $317,834; City of Boynton Beach, Florida, $465,860; Clark County Social Service, Nevada, $500,000; New Mexico Second Judicial District Attorney, $500,000; State of Connecticut Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection; $419,804; Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office, New Jersey, $500,000; and Georgia Bureau of Investigation, $499,339. Additional information on the grant awards can be found at www.bja.gov.

Attorney General Jeff Sessions made the announcement during today’s National Public Safety Partnership Symposium on Violent Crime in Birmingham, Alabama. The National Public Safety Partnership is a DOJ-wide initiative that enables cities to consult with and receive a coordinated array of resources from DOJ’s programmatic and law enforcement components: the Bureau of Justice Assistance; United States Attorneys’ Offices; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the Federal Bureau of Investigation; the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration; the U.S. Marshals Service; the Office on Violence Against Women; the Office of Justice Programs; the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services; and other federal agencies in order to improve local violence reduction strategies.

Memphis, TN – A federal jury has convicted a local man for illegally possessing a firearm. D. Michael Dunavant, United States Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee announced the guilty verdict today.

According to the information presented in court, on May 27, 2017, at approximately 7:00 p.m., Leon Ward, 33, of Memphis, drove his blue Chevrolet Impala to the 1900 block of Clovia Lane, where he displayed a .40 caliber pistol fromthe window of the vehicle. Ward then got out of the car and began firing shots in the area of several of his cousins, his brother, and three-year-old nephew.

On Friday, September 21, 2018, a federal jury convicted Ward on one count of possessing a firearm after being a convicted felon, in violation of Title 18, U.S.C., § 922(g).

U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant said, "This is precisely the type of violent gun offender that threatens lives and public safety in Memphis. This brazen and recidivist violent behavior must be met with swift and significant punishment. As a result of this conviction and continued prosecution, the citizens of Memphis and West Tennessee are safer. Gun Crime is Max Time."

Leon Ward is currently serving a 42-month sentence for violating the terms of his supervised release. Ward is also facing additional federal charges involving an unrelated robbery attempt and use of a firearm in June of 2017. That indictment was returned by a federal grand jury earlier this year.

Sentencing is set for December 14, 2018, before U.S. District Court Judge John T. Fowlkes Jr. Ward faces up to 10 years imprisonment on this offense.

This case was investigated by the Project Safe Neighborhoods Task Force; Memphis Police Department and Shelby County District Attorney General’s Office and the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Bryce Phillips and Assistant U.S. Attorney Bayonle Osundare are prosecuting this case on the government’s behalf.

Memphis, TN– A local man has been sentenced to 51 months in federal prison for major fraud against the United States. D. Michael Dunavant, United States Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee announced the sentence today.

According to the information presented in court, Guy Randal Stockard, a/k/a Randy, 59, defrauded the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), formerly known as the Food Stamp Program, of more than $1.2 million over an approximately 28-month period.

As part of the scheme, Stockard owned and operated Southern MeatMarket, a small retail market in Memphis, Tennessee. Southern Meat Market was authorized to accept SNAP benefits from customers as payment for eligible food items.

Beginning in January 2015 and continuing through April 2017, Stockard used Southern Meat Market to conduct fraudulent SNAP transactions totaling $1,206,958.00. To carry out the fraud, Stockard bought customers’ SNAP benefits at a discount in exchange for cash. Stockard then redeemed those benefits at their full dollar value, receiving electronic funds transfers of SNAP funds to his business bank account.

U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant said, "Protection of the U.S. Treasury and taxpayer resources is a top priority for this office. This long term fraudulent scheme caused significant loss to the SNAP Program, and the defendant will now serve a substantial sentence for his crimes of dishonesty."

On September 13, 2018, U.S. District Court Judge Thomas L. Parker sentenced Stockard to 51 months imprisonment; 3 years supervised release, and ordered Stockard to pay $1,206,958.00 in criminal forfeiture and restitution.

This case was investigated by the United States Department of Agriculture – Office of the Inspector General and the United States Secret Service.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Murre Foster prosecuted this case on the government’s behalf.

NSSF, ATF, U.S. Attorney, Area Law Enforcement Emphasize ‘Don't Lie for the Other Guy’

MEMPHIS, Tenn. — As part of an ongoing national effort to help prevent illegal "straw" purchases of firearms, the National Shooting Sports Foundation® (NSSF®), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Western District of Tennessee, are reminding the public in the Memphis area that stiff penalties are in place for individuals convicted of such purchases.

Billboard advertisements for the "Don't Lie for the Other Guy" program have been purchased by NSSF in key locations throughout the region with the message: "Buy a gun for someone who can't and buy yourself 10 years in jail. Don't Lie for the Other Guy."

The month-long public awareness campaign was officially launched September 18, 2018, with a short program at the Bass Pro Shops, 1 Bass Pro Dr., Memphis, Tenn. Present at the event were representatives of the ATF Nashville Field Division, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Tennessee, Shelby County Attorney’s Office, Shelby County Sheriff’s Office, the City of Memphis, Memphis Police Department and NSSF.

More than 22.5 million impressions will be delivered via billboards, digital and social media advertising around Memphis along with more than a half a million impressions through 30-second radio spots airing on local stations. Memphis was chosen for this special campaign by ATF. No taxpayer dollars are used. The program is funded in full by the firearms industry.

U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant said, "As part of our violent crime reduction strategy, the U.S. Attorney’s Office seeks to keep firearms out of the hands of prohibited and dangerous persons, and to remove violent offenders from our streets. We thank and commend the National Shooting Sports Foundation and the ATF for their shared crime prevention efforts to warn people about the consequences of providing firearms to prohibited persons such as convicted felons. Don’t Lie for the Other Guy, or you will be facing up to 10 years in federal prison."

"As evidenced, the firearms industry is proud of its longstanding cooperative relationship with the ATF and the entire law enforcement community by assisting them in their efforts to combat the criminal acquisition and misuse of firearms," said NSSF Lawrence G. Keane, NSSF senior vice president and general counsel.

"Don't Lie" is a cooperative programbetween ATF and NSSF, the trade association for the firearms and ammunition industry. The effort was developed more than a decade ago to raise public awareness about the seriousness of the crime of purchasing a firearm for someone who cannot legally do so. The program also helps ATF educate firearms dealers so they can be better prepared to deter potential straw purchases. The public campaign drives home the message that anyone attempting an illegal firearm purchase faces a stiff federal felony penalty of up to 10 years in jail or up to $250,000 in fines.

To legally purchase a firearm, a person must be able to pass an FBI National Instant Criminal Background Check and fully comply with state and local laws. When a criminal knows he cannot pass this check, he may try to induce a friend or other person to make the purchase on his behalf, which is known as a straw purchase and is a felony.

This public awareness campaign constitutes only part of the "Don't Lie for the Other Guy" outreach effort. The full "Don't Lie for the Other Guy" program, which also involves educating firearms retailers to better detect and prevent straw purchases, has been rolled out in major cities throughout the country. In the retailer segment, federal firearms licensees are provided a "Don't Lie for the Other Guy" retailer kit containing a training video and informational brochure for storeowners and staff, as well as point-of-purchase displays aimed to deter illegal straw purchases.

Some of the Memphis area billboard locations and radio stations airing public service announcements are provided below:

Billboards:

• Several locations along I-240
• Several locations along I-40
• Several locations along I-55

Radio Stations:

• KJMS (V101)
• KWNW (101.9 KISS FM)
• WHRK (K97.1)
• WMC 790 AM
• WREC 600 AM.

Learn more about Don't Lie for the Other Guy at www.dontlie.org.

About NSSF

The National Shooting Sports Foundation is the trade association for the firearms industry. Its mission is to promote, protect and preserve hunting and the shooting sports. Formed in 1961, NSSF has a membership of more than 12,000 manufacturers, distributors, firearms retailers, shooting ranges, sportsmen's organizations and publishers. For more information, log on to www.nssf.org.