Western District of Tennessee

Memphis, TN – A federal judge recently delivered sentencing in the case of a Shelby County man convicted of drug and firearm charges. Devin Wiseman, 37, was sentenced to 180 months in federal prison for being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm. U.S. District Court Judge Mark S. Norris also ordered Wiseman to serve three years of supervised release upon completion of his prison term. United States Attorney Kevin Ritz announced the sentence today.

According to information presented in court, on October 18, 2021, Memphis Police Department officers conducted a traffic stop of a 2012 Chevrolet Cruze bearing fraudulent temporary tags. Officers discovered that Wiseman, who was operating the vehicle, had a revoked driver’s license. Wiseman and a female passenger admitted they were smoking marijuana in the car. In addition, officers discovered a loaded black 9mm pistol tucked underneath the passenger seat and an extended magazine loaded with 20 rounds of ammunition in the driver’s side door pocket. Wiseman admitted ownership of the firearm and was charged with being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm.

In May 2023, a federal jury determined that Wiseman’s three prior violent felony convictions were committed on occasions different from one another. This led to an enhanced sentence for Wiseman under the Armed Career Criminal Act. There is no parole in the federal system.

United States Attorney Kevin Ritz thanked Assistant United States Attorneys Raney Irwin and Naya Bedini, who prosecuted this case, as well as law enforcement partners who investigated the case.   

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 gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

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A federal jury in Memphis convicted a Tennessee man yesterday for making false statements on an attestation to receive $107,568.03 from the Provider Relief Fund, a federal program that provided financial assistance to medical providers offering care to Americans suffering from COVID-19.

According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Raymond Earl Vallier, 52, of Fayette County, owned and operated North Delta Hospice and Palliative Services LLC in Southaven, Mississippi, from 2006 until June 2019, when he ceded ownership to Individual 1, who passed away in February 2020. By January 2020, North Delta Hospice had stopped billing Medicare and Medicaid and stopped paying employees. North Delta Hospice also did not file a 2020 federal income tax return. In April 2020, North Delta Hospice received a Provider Relief Fund payment of $107,568.03. When the payment was deposited into the company’s bank account, Vallier transferred some of the funds to accounts that he controlled. Then, he issued a $58,000 check to himself. To retain the Provider Relief Fund monies, Vallier submitted a false and fraudulent attestation on behalf of North Delta Hospice in the name of Individual 1, who at that time was deceased. In the attestation, Vallier accepted terms and conditions of payment, which involved certifying, among other things, that North Delta Hospice provided, after Jan. 31, 2020, diagnoses, testing, or care of individuals with possible or actual cases of COVID-19. Vallier also falsely certified that North Delta Hospice would only use the payment to prevent, prepare for, and respond to coronavirus, and only for health care related expenses and lost revenues attributable to coronavirus.

The jury convicted Vallier of two counts of making false statements. His sentencing is scheduled for Dec. 7. He faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison for each count of making false statements. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Acting Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Kevin G. Ritz for the Western District of Tennessee, and Special Agent in Charge Tamala E. Miles of the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG) made the announcement.

HHS-OIG investigated the case.

Trial Attorney Sara E. Porter and Assistant Chief Justin Woodard of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Tony Arvin for the Western District of Tennessee are prosecuting the case.

The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act is a federal law enacted in March 2020. It is designed to provide emergency financial assistance to millions of Americans who are suffering the economic effects resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. One source of relief provided by the CARES Act is the Provider Relief Fund, monies that were provided to medical providers that must be used for the medical providers’ coronavirus response.

The Medicare Fraud Strike Force is part of a joint initiative between the Justice  Department 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 Medicare Fraud Strike Force, which maintains 14 strike forces operating in 23 districts, has charged nearly 4,000 defendants who have collectively billed the Medicare program for more than $14 billion. In addition, the HHS Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with HHS-OIG, are taking steps to increase accountability and decrease the presence of fraudulent providers.

Memphis, TN – A federal judge has sentenced Jonathan D. Holmes, 21, of Memphis, to 11 years in federal prison for a string of assaults and robberies of United States postal employees. U.S. District Court Judge John T. Fowlkes, Jr. also ordered Holmes to serve three years of supervised release upon completion of his prison term. United States Attorney Kevin G. Ritz announced the sentence today.

According to United States Attorney Ritz and the information presented in court, on October 4, 2021, a carrier for the U.S. Postal Service was delivering mail near Kings Grant Cove in South Memphis when Jonathan Holmes parked his car in front of the postal vehicle and pointed a gun at the postal worker. The mail carrier fled in his postal vehicle. Approximately 15 minutes later, Holmes approached a second letter carrier near Silver Chalice Drive and again pointed a handgun at the worker. Holmes demanded packages off the truck and fled the scene after stealing multiple packages.  About 15 minutes after that robbery, Holmes robbed a third letter carrier near Hallshire Cove and again fled the scene with several packages.

On April 6, 2023, Holmes pled guilty to one count of aggravated assault of a federal employee, two counts of robbery of a postal employee, and one count of brandishing a firearm in relation to a crime of violence. On August 8, 2023, U.S. District Judge Fowlkes sentenced Holmes to 132 months in federal prison to be followed by three years’ supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.

"This office takes very seriously its duty to protect the safety of United States Postal Service employees and the security of the U.S. Mail,” said U.S. Attorney Ritz. “This sentence should stand as a message to anyone who would threaten or attempt to threaten government institutions, innocent citizens, and community safety. We will do all we can to see that acts of violence and greed are met with the full measure of consequences."

“The sentence imposed today exemplifies the unending dedication of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service to protect the employees of the United States Postal Service.  When our employees are victims of robberies and assaults, we do not stop until we identify those responsible,” said Tommy D. Coke, Inspector in Charge of the Atlanta Division of the United States Postal Inspection Service.  “We are proud of the work done by the Postal Inspectors, and we are very pleased with the sentence, which we feel speaks to the gravity of the offense.  We appreciate the work of the United States Attorney’s Office to bring Mr. Holmes to justice.”

This case was investigated by the United States Postal Inspection Service.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Greg Wagner prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.

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Memphis, TN – The United States today announced the filing of a civil complaint in the United States District Court for the Western District of Tennessee against Shelby County property owner Minor David Madison, Jr. Madison owns land tracts at 3517 and 3523 Southern Avenue, Memphis, Tennessee — properties that housed successive dry-cleaning businesses over the years, including the former Custom Cleaners.

According to the complaint, Madison leased the property to several dry-cleaning operators beginning in 1966. Those operators are alleged to have disposed of solvents, such as perchloroethylene and trichloroethene, at the site while Madison owned the property.

In June 2013, the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC) received complaints about chemical vapor smells and abandoned barrels of chemicals at the property. TDEC sampling detected high concentrations of hazardous substance vapors in the subsurface, migrating soil gasses that would pose a threat to neighboring properties, and a plume of contaminated groundwater threatening the aquifer that supplies drinking water to Memphis and other local municipalities. 

United States Attorney Kevin Ritz said: “Clean air and safe drinking water are basic building blocks for a healthy and just Memphis. More than 20 years after the last dry cleaners on this property shuttered, residents are still living with toxic gasses in the soil and water above the level considered safe by federal standards. This is the first step in making sure those same residents don’t have to foot the bill for bringing their community back to a healthy standard.”

The lawsuit seeks recovery of all costs incurred by the Environmental Protection Agency under Section 107 of the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980, as amended (“CERCLA”), 42 U.S.C. § 9607. CERCLA, commonly known as Superfund, provides the United States with a way to recover the costs of responding to a release or threatened release of hazardous substances by imposing liability on property owners. In 2017, the EPA added Madison’s properties to the Superfund’s National Priorities List, a list of the most serious sites requiring response actions. For more about the Former Custom Cleaners Superfund site, see https://cumulis.epa.gov/supercpad/cursites/csitinfo.cfm?id=0402275.

EPA has been performing response actions since 2016 and will continue to conduct response actions in the future to abate hazards posed by the site.

This case is being handled for the government by Assistant United States Attorney Audrey Calkins and attorneys with the Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division.

The charges and allegations contained in the complaint are merely accusations of unlawful conduct; the allegations must be proven in federal court.

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Memphis, TN – Today a federal judge sentenced the last of three men involved in a series of robberies of hotels in Memphis. Reginald Rose, 30, of Memphis was sentenced to 382 months in federal prison for his role in five hotel robberies in the Memphis area, said Kevin G. Ritz, United States Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee. U.S. District Court Judge Mark S. Norris also ordered Rose to serve three years of supervised release upon completion of his prison term.

There is no parole in the federal system.

Judge Norris previously sentenced both of Rose’s co-defendants: Memphis resident Gregory Moore, 24, was sentenced on May 18, 2023, and resident Randy Jack, 27, was sentenced on March 1, 2023.  Judge Norris sentenced both Moore and Jack to 168 months and one day in prison after they pled guilty to four of the same robbery charges. Judge Norris also ordered that both Moore and Jack serve three years of supervised release.

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

According to United States Attorney Ritz and the information presented in court, between August 5 and 7, 2021, Rose, Moore, and Jack robbed four Memphis hotels at gunpoint.  On August 8, 2021, Rose and Moore also robbed a fifth hotel at gunpoint. On August 5, 2021, Randy Jack and Reginald Rose entered the Quality Suites, 2575 Thousand Oaks Boulevard in Memphis, and Jack pointed a firearm at the employee, demanding money.  Rose stood in front of the counter to distract the other victims and employees. After taking money from the cash registers, the pair fled to a waiting getaway car driven by Moore.    

Although they changed roles in some of the subsequent robberies, the trio went on to conduct similar robberies of the following hotels:

• August 7, 2021: Quality Inn, 3105 Millbranch Road, Memphis, Tennessee.

• August 7, 2021: Quality Inn and Suites, 1335 McRee Street, Memphis, Tennessee.

• August 7, 2021: Extended Stay America Suites, 2520 Horizon Lake Boulevard, Memphis, Tennessee.

• August 8, 2021: Microtel Inn and Suites, 2423 North Germantown Parkway, Memphis, Tennessee.  (This robbery was committed by Rose and Moore alone.)

United States Attorney Kevin Ritz thanked Assistant United States Attorney Greg Wagner, who prosecuted this case, as well as law enforcement partners who investigated the case.   

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Remarks as Delivered

Good morning.

I want to thank Assistant Attorney General Clarke for coming here to Memphis to continue what I believe is a crucial, community-wide conversation about civil rights in our city.

This morning, Assistant Attorney General Clarke and I met with the Mayor, the Chief of Police, and other City of Memphis officials to discuss what this pattern or practice investigation would entail.  I want to say that our office will be a partner with the Civil Rights Division during this investigation.

As we proceed, we are committed to engaging in a conversation with people across the entire city to answer questions and let the community know what they can expect.  This includes residents, community groups, police officers, city officials, and faith and civil rights leaders.

Here’s the thing: public safety requires public trust in law enforcement.  The police officers who risk their lives every day in the line of duty need the public to trust them. Community trust makes policing more effective and less dangerous for both officers and the people they protect.

To build and maintain that trust, law enforcement must conduct themselves constitutionally and lawfully.  Citizens, including the people of this great city, deserve constitutional and lawful policing.

In my 18 years as a federal prosecutor here in Memphis, I’ve had the opportunity to work with public servants and community leaders who are dedicated to addressing the root causes of crime in our city – people who understand that as government, our first responsibility is to protect our citizens.  That means to protect them from crime, and it also means to protect their civil rights.

I want to be clear: while the pattern or practice investigation is underway, you can still expect our team of federal prosecutors to continue to take on tough cases – whether those involve violent crime, drug trafficking, illegal guns, national security, hate crimes, or holding people in authority accountable.

That work will continue, and we will continue to partner with law enforcement agencies at the federal, state, and local level to vigorously enforce the criminal laws.  That’s a core piece of the Department’s mission.

It is also a core piece of the Department’s mission to ensure that the constitutional and federal statutory rights of all people are protected.  Pattern or practice investigations help us fulfill that responsibility.  This civil pattern or practice investigation is and will remain separate from our office’s criminal investigations and prosecutions.

It is also separate from the technical assistance being provided by the Department’s Office of Community Oriented Policing Services, or COPS Office.  Associate Attorney General Vanita Gupta announced in March that the COPS Office, through its Collaborative Reform Initiative Technical Assistance Center, would be providing technical assistance related to MPD’s use of force and de-escalation practices, as well as its use of specialized units.  That work will continue in the immediate term while the separate pattern or practice investigation is ongoing.

As I’ve said often, in the U.S. Attorney’s Office, my colleagues and I uphold the rule of law, protect civil rights, and keep Americans safe.  That work is predicated on the principle that there is only one rule of law.  There can’t be one rule of law for the powerful and another for the powerless.  There can’t be one rule of law for the rich and another for the poor.  And there can’t be one rule of law for people who look like me and another for people of color.

And as much as I believe most of our partners in law enforcement work diligently and bravely under that same guiding principle, we as a community cannot afford to be silent if there are those who aren’t upholding that standard.

And so, I welcome this opportunity to let the facts lead in what I know will be an ongoing and important discussion about civil rights in our city. Together we can build a stronger Memphis—a Memphis that protects the safety and civil rights of all.

The Justice Department announced today that it has opened a civil pattern or practice investigation into the City of Memphis and the Memphis Police Department (MPD). The investigation will seek to determine whether there are systemic violations of the Constitution or federal law by MPD. The investigation will focus on MPD’s use of force and its stops, searches and arrests, as well as whether it engages in discriminatory policing.

This civil investigation is separate and independent from the technical assistance being provided by the Justice Department’s Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office). While the investigation is ongoing, the COPS Office will continue to provide technical assistance to MPD through the Collaborative Reform Initiative Technical Assistance Center (CRI-TAC), related to MPD’s use of force and de-escalation practices, as well as its use of specialized units. In addition, in the wake of Tyre Nichols’s death, the Associate Attorney General asked the COPS Office to develop a guide for police chiefs and mayors across the country to help them assess the appropriateness of the use of specialized units, like the former SCORPION unit in Memphis, as well as how to ensure necessary management, oversight, and accountability of such units. The COPS Office has undertaken extensive stakeholder engagement to inform the recommendations in that guide, which is forthcoming.

This civil investigation is also separate and independent from the federal criminal civil rights investigation of MPD officers related to the death of Tyre Nichols.

“The tragic death of Tyre Nichols created enormous pain in the Memphis community and across the country,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “The Justice Department is launching this investigation to examine serious allegations that the City of Memphis and the Memphis Police Department engage in a pattern or practice of unconstitutional conduct and discriminatory policing based on race, including a dangerously aggressive approach to traffic enforcement. We are committed to working cooperatively with local officials, police, and community members to conduct the thorough and comprehensive review that the residents of Memphis deserve.”

“I know this community is still hurting after the tragic death of Tyre Nichols,” said Associate Attorney General Vanita Gupta. “At the Justice Department, we are committed to using all our tools to help ensure that Memphis residents have a safe community and can trust in the actions of law enforcement. In addition to our pattern or practice investigation, we will continue to deliver technical assistance resources through CRI-TAC and our COPS Office, to help the city and MPD address issues related to use of force, de-escalation, and specialized units in the more immediate term.”

“Every person is entitled to constitutional and non-discriminatory policing in our country,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Based on an extensive review of publicly available information and information provided to us, there are grounds to open this investigation now. We have reviewed information that indicates that the Memphis Police Department may be using an approach to street enforcement that can result in violations of federal law, including racially discriminatory stops of Black people for minor violations. The Justice Department will conduct a thorough and objective investigation into allegations of unlawful discrimination and Fourth Amendment violations. Unlawful policing undermines community trust, which is essential to public safety.”

“The people of this great city deserve constitutional and lawful policing – and that begins with trust,” said U.S. Attorney Kevin Ritz for the Western District of Tennessee. “Community trust makes policing more effective and less dangerous for both officers and the people they protect. Pattern-or-practice investigations help build and maintain that trust by ensuring law enforcement agencies do their jobs lawfully. I welcome this opportunity to let the facts lead in what will be an ongoing and important discussion about civil rights in our city. I also want to assure the public that our team of federal prosecutors will continue to partner with federal, state, and local law enforcement to vigorously prosecute criminal activity and uphold the rule of law. Together we can build a stronger Memphis — a Memphis that protects the safety and civil rights of all.”

The investigation is being conducted pursuant to the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994, which prohibits state and local governments from engaging in a pattern or practice of conduct by law enforcement officers that deprives people of rights protected by the Constitution or federal law. If the Justice Department has reasonable cause to believe that a state or local government has engaged in a prohibited pattern or practice, the Department is authorized to bring a lawsuit seeking court-ordered changes to remedy the violations. In this investigation, the Department will assess law enforcement practices under the Fourth and Fourteenth Amendments to the U.S. Constitution, as well as under the Safe Streets Act of 1968 and Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964

Prior to the announcement, Department officials informed Mayor Jim Strickland, MPD Chief Cerelyn Davis, and Interim Chief Legal Officer Michael Fletcher. They pledged to cooperate with the investigation. As part of this investigation, the Department will reach out to community members to learn about their experiences with MPD.

The case is being investigated by career attorneys and staff from the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Tennessee. They will be assisted by experienced law enforcement experts.  Individuals with relevant information are encouraged to contact the Justice Department via email at Community.Memphis@usdoj.gov or by phone at 888-473-3730. Individuals can also report civil rights violations regarding this or other matters using the Civil Rights Division’s reporting portal, available at civilrights.justice.gov.

Today’s announcement marks the ninth pattern or practice investigation into law enforcement misconduct opened by the Justice Department during this Administration. The Department has ongoing investigations into the Phoenix Police Department; the Mount Vernon (NY) Police Department; the Louisiana State Police; the New York City Police Department’s Special Victims Division; the Worcester (MA) Police Department; and the Oklahoma City Police Department. The Department recently completed investigations in Louisville and Minneapolis, and secured agreements in principle with both jurisdictions to negotiate consent decrees to address the violations found.

Information specific to the Civil Rights Division’s Police Reform Work can be found here: www.justice.gov/crt/file/922421/download.

Memphis, TN – Michael Jefferson, 45, of Memphis has been sentenced to 135 months in federal prison for possession with intent to distribute approximately 12 kilos of methamphetamine.  U.S. Attorney Kevin R. Ritz for the Western District of Tennessee announced the sentence today.

According to information presented in court, on March 26, 2022, officers with the Memphis Airport Police, detectives with the Shelby County Sheriff’s Narcotics Division, and special agents with the Drug Enforcement Administration were conducting routine drug searches at the Memphis International Airport when a drug detection dog gave a positive alert to the presence of narcotics inside luggage belonging to Jefferson.  A search of the luggage revealed 12 kilos – or just over 26 pounds – of methamphetamine.  

Jefferson pled guilty to the offense. On July 20, 2023, U.S. District Judge Mark S. Norris sentenced Jefferson to 135 months in federal prison and 3 years of supervised release.

This case was investigated by the Memphis Airport Police, the Shelby County Narcotics Division, and the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Louisville Division.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jennifer Musselwhite and Michelle Kimbril-Parks prosecuted this case on the government’s behalf.

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Jackson, TN – A federal jury delivered a guilty verdict recently in the case of a Hardin County man facing drug and firearm charges. Patrick Dillon Butler, 30, now faces a minimum of 20 years in federal prison. United States Attorney Kevin Ritz announced the conviction today.

After a 4-day jury trial in July 2023, Butler was convicted of possession of firearm or ammunition by a convicted felon, possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute, and possessing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence or drug trafficking. There is no parole in the federal system.

According to information presented in court, on approximately December 11, 2021, deputies with the McNairy County Sheriff’s Department attempted to arrest Butler on an active arrest warrant. Butler refused to stop for the deputies and then led them on a high-speed chase that ended with him crashing into a deputy’s cruiser. Upon his capture, Butler was in possession of 2.26 grams of methamphetamine, digital scales, 14 unused baggies, $353 in cash, and had a .38 pistol in the glove box of the car he was driving.

In 2017 and 2018, Butler was found guilty of felony charges of aggravated assault and possession of .5 grams or more of methamphetamine with intent to deliver and is prohibited from possessing firearms. As a result of his felony convictions, Butler will face sentencing as an Armed Career Criminal under the Armed Career Criminal Act.

United States Attorney Kevin Ritz thanked Assistant United States Attorney Adam Davis, who prosecuted this case, as well as law enforcement partners who investigated the case.   

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Memphis, TN – Three Tennessee men were each sentenced today to 10 years and one month in prison for committing an armed carjacking of two victims at a gas station in Bolivar, Tennessee.

According to court documents, on Nov. 9, 2020, Delvion Beard, 22, Quadarius Greer, 21, and Bryson Townsley, 21, all of Jackson, stole an Audi A4 from two victims at gunpoint. Beard and Greer abruptly entered the back seat of the car and forced the victims to drive from the gas station at gunpoint. Townsley followed them in a second car. Along the way, Beard and Greer forced the driver into the back seat and Beard took control of the car, driving it to a residential complex. When they arrived, the three defendants used physical force and guns, including an AK-47 pistol, to take the victims out of the car, rob them, and drive away in the stolen vehicle. One victim suffered injuries during the attack. The defendants threatened to kill both victims if they reported the incident to the police.

“The choice of these armed carjackers to terrorize innocent victims for personal gain was cowardly and reprehensible,” said Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Today’s sentences demonstrate the Justice Department’s commitment to vigorously prosecuting those who use weapons and violence to dominate our public spaces and deprive our citizens of safety in their own communities.”  

“Individuals committing gun violence are causing havoc in West Tennessee. Armed carjackings, in particular, threaten basic notions of what it means to feel safe in our communities,” said U.S. Attorney Kevin G. Ritz for the Western District of Tennessee. “Citizens throughout our district can be assured that the Department of Justice, along with state and local law enforcement partners, tirelessly work together to protect the innocent and bring to justice those who commit violent acts.”

“Carjackings are a senseless but seriously violent crime that threaten the lives of innocent victims in our communities,” said Special Agent in Charge Douglas S. DePodesta of the FBI Memphis Field Office, “Law enforcement refuses to tolerate this criminal behavior, and the FBI will continue to work with our local, state, and federal partners to target, identify, and bring each and every violent offender to justice.”

The FBI and Bolivar Police Department investigated the case, with valuable assistance from the Madison County Sheriff’s Office and the Jackson Police Department.

Trial Attorney César S. Rivera-Giraud of the Criminal Division’s Organized Crime and Gang Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Hillary Parham for the Western District of Tennessee prosecuted the case.

Three Tennessee men were each sentenced today to 10 years and one month in prison for committing an armed carjacking of two victims at a gas station in Bolivar, Tennessee.

According to court documents, on Nov. 9, 2020, Delvion Beard, 22, Quadarius Greer, 21, and Bryson Townsley, 21, all of Jackson, stole an Audi A4 from two victims at gunpoint. Beard and Greer abruptly entered the back seat of the car and forced the victims to drive from the gas station at gunpoint. Townsley followed them in a second car. Along the way, Beard and Greer forced the driver into the back seat and Beard took control of the car, driving it to a residential complex. When they arrived, the three defendants used physical force and guns, including an AK-47 pistol, to take the victims out of the car, rob them, and drive away in the stolen vehicle. One victim suffered injuries during the attack. The defendants threatened to kill both victims if they reported the incident to the police.

“The choice of these armed carjackers to terrorize innocent victims for personal gain was cowardly and reprehensible,” said Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Today’s sentences demonstrate the Justice Department’s commitment to vigorously prosecuting those who use weapons and violence to dominate our public spaces and deprive our citizens of safety in their own communities.”  

“Individuals committing gun violence are causing havoc in West Tennessee. Armed carjackings, in particular, threaten basic notions of what it means to feel safe in our communities,” said U.S. Attorney Kevin G. Ritz for the Western District of Tennessee. “Citizens throughout our district can be assured that the Department of Justice, along with state and local law enforcement partners, tirelessly work together to protect the innocent and bring to justice those who commit violent acts.”

“Carjackings are a senseless but seriously violent crime that threaten the lives of innocent victims in our communities,” said Special Agent in Charge Douglas S. DePodesta of the FBI Memphis Field Office, “Law enforcement refuses to tolerate this criminal behavior, and the FBI will continue to work with our local, state, and federal partners to target, identify, and bring each and every violent offender to justice.”

The FBI and Bolivar Police Department investigated the case, with valuable assistance from the Madison County Sheriff’s Office and the Jackson Police Department.

Trial Attorney César S. Rivera-Giraud of the Criminal Division’s Organized Crime and Gang Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Hillary Parham for the Western District of Tennessee prosecuted the case.

Memphis, TN – United States Attorney Kevin Ritz today announced the creation of a National Security and Civil Rights Unit within the Criminal Division of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Tennessee. This move permanently positions a supervisory attorney and several prosecutors to respond to and prevent hate crimes and civil rights violations, as well as threats to national security.

“None of us can afford for federal investigators and prosecutors to take a passive role when it comes to protecting the rights guaranteed by the Constitution,” said U.S. Attorney Ritz. “We have a responsibility to our communities to be active participants in seeing those rights endure.  This new unit mobilizes every tool at our disposal to prosecuting hate-based crimes, civil rights violations, violent extremism, and related crimes. This is a major part of our mission and deserves to always have a clear, formal home in our office.”

Assistant United States Attorney Karen Hartridge was appointed by Ritz to lead the unit as Deputy Criminal Chief. For nearly nine years, Hartridge has represented the United States in the prosecution of violations of federal firearms, controlled substances, and robbery statutes. Prior to joining the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Hartridge served in the Department of Veterans Affairs, where she supervised a team of attorneys and support personnel. As Deputy Criminal Chief, Hartridge will oversee a team of federal prosecutors on cases involving bias-related incidents, official misconduct, domestic terrorism, interstate threats, cybercrime (including exploitation of children), and other related violations of federal law.

That team will expand almost immediately, according to U.S. Attorney Ritz, as he and Hartridge also announced plans to recruit multiple new Assistant United States Attorneys to work on these issues by the end of the summer. The Justice Department recently granted resources to the Western District to hire multiple additional Assistant United States Attorneys, including one to focus specifically on domestic terrorism and violent crime.

“Our first job is to send a strong message to the cities and counties we serve that we take these kinds of cases seriously and that we are focused on holding people accountable when there is a report of a violation of civil rights or threat to national security,” said Hartridge. “That requires us to build a team of passionate, victim-focused prosecutors who understand the responsibility of this work. The team we have in Memphis and Jackson has given us an incredible foundation; I’m excited to work with them and our new hires to grow and sustain the new unit.”

More information on the attorney vacancies, including qualifications and details on the process, can be found on USAJobs.gov.  The deadline to apply is July 16, 2023.

The new unit in the Western District of Tennessee prioritizes cases consistent with Attorney General Garland’s May 27, 2021 directive to U.S. Attorneys to combat hate crimes and incidents, address them when they occur, support those victimized by them, and reduce the pernicious effects these incidents have on our society.

Data released in early 2023 shows an increase in hate crimes reported to the FBI by law enforcement agencies, rising from more than 8,000 in 2020 to nearly 11,000 the following year.

United States Attorney Ritz recently joined three subcommittees of the Attorney General’s Advisory Committee (AGAC) as part of this effort. The AGAC was created in 1973 to serve as the voice of U.S. Attorneys and to advise the Attorney General. United States Attorney Ritz serves on the Violent and Organized Crime Subcommittee, the Terrorism and National Security Subcommittee, and the Civil Rights Subcommittee. As a member of these subcommittees, Ritz works with other U.S. Attorneys and Department leadership to advise on issues in these areas and address their impact across the Western District of Tennessee.

“We’re certainly going to continue to lean on our partnerships across local, state, and federal law enforcement to investigate and prosecute these cases wherever we can,” said Ritz. “But community members are also important partners in this fight. Part of our work is going to be talking to people in all 22 of the counties in our District about how domestic terrorism is evolving, what hate crimes look like in 2023, and how they can bring their concerns to our attention.”

To report a hate crime, human trafficking, civil rights violation, or other federal crime, dial 911 for immediate help from local authorities; submit a report to the Civil Rights Division at civilrights.justice.gov; or contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI or tips.fbi.gov.

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Jackson, TN – United States District Judge S. Thomas Anderson sentenced a Weakley County woman to 96 months in federal prison and three years of supervised release following her guilty plea to possession of methamphetamine with the intent to distribute.  Kevin Ritz, United States Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee, announced the sentence today.

“Methamphetamine trafficked in and through West Tennessee is approaching dangerous levels of purity, and continues to destroy individuals, families, and communities,” said U.S. Attorney Kevin Ritz.  “Drug dealers who profit from the pain, addiction, violence, and death caused by these dangerous substances deserve proper punishment. This defendant had a very brief criminal history, but the sheer volume of the drugs that she sold commanded the strong response reflected in the sentence imposed by the Court."

There is no parole in the federal system.

According to information presented in court, law enforcement officers became aware in July 2021 that Amy Marie Mitchell, 34, of Dresden, TN and her co-defendant, Robert Warren Gearin, were distributing crystal methamphetamine – any form of the drug that is 80 percent or higher in purity – in and around Weakley County. Investigators worked with a confidential informant on July 15, 2021 to purchase approximately 13 grams of crystal methamphetamine from someone who had obtained the drugs from Mitchell and Gearin’s home in Dresden. 

On October 21, 2021, officers executed a search warrant at the defendants’ residence and seized close to 400 grams of methamphetamine, plastic baggies, three sets of digital scales, a Taurus TX .22 caliber pistol with matching ammunition, and a police scanner.  The Drug Enforcement Administration laboratory later confirmed that the methamphetamine seized from the defendants’ home weighed 393.27 grams and was 97 percent pure.  Officers learned through witnesses and additional investigation that over a four-month period Mitchell and Gearin sold approximately four pounds of methamphetamine in the Weakley County area. 

On March 6, 2023, Mitchell pled guilty to possessing methamphetamine with the intent to distribute, in violation of 21 U.S.C. § 841(a)(1).  Gearin entered a guilty plea to similar charges and is awaiting sentencing. 

The Weakley Co. Sheriff’s Department, Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, 27th Judicial District Drug Task Force, and the Drug Enforcement Administration investigated this case. 

United States Attorney Kevin Ritz thanked Assistant United States Attorney Josh Morrow who prosecuted this case on behalf of the government, as well as the law enforcement partners.

Memphis, TN – On Tuesday, June 13, 2023, a federal judge sentenced the second of two men involved in a series of robberies of mid-South Walmart and Kroger stores beginning Christmas Eve 2021. Randy Readus, 36, of Memphis was sentenced to 180 months in federal prison for his role in multiple business robberies and conspiracy to commit robberies in the Memphis and surrounding areas, said Kevin G. Ritz, United States Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee. U.S. District Court Judge John T. Fowlkes, Jr. also ordered Readus to serve two years of supervised release and pay restitution of more than $34,000 upon completion of his prison term.

There is no parole in the federal system.

Readus’s co-defendant, Memphis resident Julius Black, 32, was sentenced on May 18, 2023, to 240 months in prison after previously pleading guilty to these and other robbery charges. Judge Fowlkes also ordered that Black serve three years of supervised release and pay restitution.

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

According to United States Attorney Ritz and the information presented in court, between December 2020 and January 2021, Readus and Black committed multiple business robberies in Arkansas, Mississippi, and Tennessee.   On the morning of December 24, 2020, Readus drove Black from Memphis to Marion, Arkansas.  Black entered Walmart, robbed the Money Center at gunpoint, then fled with a large amount of cash in a vehicle driven by Readus, who was waiting outside.   

Readus and Black went on to conduct similar robberies of the following businesses:

• December 26, 2020: Walmart, 512 Industrial Park Drive, Trumann, Arkansas.

• December 31, 2020: Kroger, at 6660 Poplar Avenue. Readus drove Black to the Kroger, and Black jumped the customer service desk, forced his way into the finance room, and forcibly stole money.

• January 6, 2021: Walmart, 950 Mackie Drive, Holly Springs, Mississippi.

• January 8, 2021: Kroger, 9025 Highway 64, Memphis, Tennessee.

• January 8, 2021: Kroger, Highway 70, Arlington, Tennessee. The pair attempted to rob the store but got away without any money.

• January 12, 2021: Walmart, New Albany, Mississippi. The FBI Safe Streets Task Force apprehended Readus and Black after the robbery, disabling the vehicle before the two could flee the scene.

After a six-day jury trial in February 2023, Readus was convicted of conspiracy to commit armed robbery, two counts of robbery, one count of attempted robbery and one count of use of a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. 

United States Attorney Kevin Ritz thanked Assistant United States Attorney Greg Wagner, who prosecuted this case, as well as law enforcement partners who investigated the case. 

 Jackson, TN – Jennifer Azbill-Hall, 43, and Benjamin Vargason, 61, both of Jackson, Tennessee, have been sentenced to federal prison for their involvement in a bank fraud scheme. United States Attorney Kevin G. Ritz announced the sentences today.

According to United States Attorney Ritz and the information presented in court, Hall and Vargason were indicted in December 2019, in connection with a scheme to steal almost $820,000 from B&H Finance between January 2015 and September 2018. According to the indictment, Hall opened fictitious accounts in the names of former customers of B&H Finance, where she was employed. Hall took out loans and forged endorsements on checks made payable to the customers and cashed the checks through Vargason’s business, Great American Sports. Vargason deposited the checks in his company's account and kept a portion of the proceeds.

Hall was also sentenced in connection with a separate scheme to defraud JMS Restoration while employed there between July 2018 and July 2019. Hall used her access to the company's bank account to pay her mortgage and to transfer funds to CastleGate Kennels which was owned by her husband.

United States District Judge S. Thomas Anderson sentenced Hall to 30 months imprisonment followed by two years supervised release. Hall was also ordered to pay restitution of $920,218.59 and a mandatory assessment fee of $1,600. Vargason was sentenced to time served and placed on supervised release for three years with six months to be served in home confinement. Vargarson was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $819,916.63. There is no parole in the federal system.

This case was investigated by the United States Secret Service and the Jackson, Tennessee Police Department.

United States Attorney Ritz thanked Assistant United States Attorney Carroll L. André III and former Assistant United States Attorney Matthew J. Wilson who prosecuted this case, as well as law enforcement partners who investigated this case.

Memphis, TN – Juan Covarrubias-Garcia, 34, pled guilty to possession with intent to distribute 400  grams or more of fentanyl and 500 grams or more of cocaine. United States Attorney Kevin G. Ritz  announced the guilty plea today.

According to United States Attorney Ritz and information presented in court, on November 14, 2022,  West Tennessee Drug Task Force Agents were working at the Greyhound bus station in Memphis, when  they met an inbound bus from Oklahoma City. The defendant, Juan Covarrubias Garcia, a passenger on  the bus, was found to be in possession of two brown bricks wrapped in mailing tape. Further search  revealed the packages contained 990.8 grams of cocaine, approximately 1 kilogram of fentanyl  powder, and 5,033 fentanyl pills.

The penalty for possession of 400 grams or more of fentanyl is not less than 10 years’  imprisonment, not more than life, not more than a $10,000,000 fine, and not less than 5 years’  supervised release. The penalty for possession of 500 grams or more, of cocaine is not less than 5  years’ imprisonment, not more than 40 years, not more than a $5,000,000 fine, and not less than 4  years’ supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.

Sentencing is scheduled for September 13, 2023, before Chief District Judge Sheryl H. Lipman.

This case was investigated by the West Tennessee Drug Task Force and the Drug Enforcement 
Administration.

Assistant United States Attorneys Bryce Phillips and Michelle Kimbril-Parks are prosecuting this  case.

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 Memphis, TN – Fredrick Bonner, 26, has been sentenced to nine years in federal prison for illegal possession of a firearm. United States Attorney Kevin Ritz announced the sentence today.

According to United States Attorney Ritz and the information presented in court, on September 29, 2020, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) conducted an operation in which Bonner sold a MAG Tactical Systems, multi-caliber rifle to investigators. Bonner was arrested on October 15, 2021, for the federal law violation as well as multiple outstanding state warrants.

During the investigation, it was revealed that Bonner had previously been convicted of a felony in Memphis and was affiliated with the Grape Street Crips gang.

Bonner pled guilty to being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm.

“Thanks to the hard work and dedication of the men and women of the ATF and our valued law enforcement partners in their efforts to confront violent crime. We will utilize every resource to disrupt the illegal activities gangs engage in such as the illegal possession of firearms, distribution of narcotics, and other acts of violence within the communities that we serve. This sentence is a perfect example of what it looks like when the revolving door of crime stops spinning. The cycle of violence must stop,” said Marcus Watson Special Agent in Charge, ATF, Nashville.

United States District Judge Thomas L. Parker sentenced Bonner to 108 months in federal prison followed by three years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.

This case was investigated by the ATF.

United States Attorney Kevin Ritz thanked Assistant United States Attorney Gregory Allen who prosecuted this case, as well as the law enforcement partners who investigated the case.

Memphis, TN – Charles A. “Chuck” Jones, 52, and Mark J. Whitaker, 51, both of Murray, Kentucky,  have been convicted of federal crimes and sentenced for a decade long scheme to defraud the Federal 
Communications Commission’s (FCC) E-rate program. United States Attorney Kevin Ritz announced the  sentences today.

According to United States Attorney Ritz and the information presented in court, the E- rate  program is an FCC program that provides money to needy schools, often in rural areas of America,  for internet access and telecommunications services. The program has specific rules that forbid  service providers to the schools, such as Jones, from paying kickbacks to school officials and  consultants. The E-rate program also requires participating service providers to charge at least a 
10% copay.

For approximately 10 years, Jones, owner of several Murray, Kentucky businesses, paid kickbacks to  an E-rate consultant working with the Missouri and Tennessee schools involved in this case. During  the conspiracy Jones, his employee Mark J. Whitaker, and the schools’ E-rate consultant, made false  statements and submitted fabricated documents regarding the required copays and the program’s fair  and open bidding process. Jones used the victim schools as a vehicle to fraudulently obtain money  from the E-rate program. The loss to the E-rate program was approximately $6.9 million.

Jones pled guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and Whitaker pled guilty to misprision on wire  fraud.

United States District Judge Mark S. Norris sentenced Jones to 18 months imprisonment, three years  of supervised release, and ordered him to pay $3.5 million in restitution.
Judge Norris sentenced Whitaker to one year of probation.

United States Attorney Kevin Ritz said, "Protection of federal grant programs that provide needed services and equipment to our schools in West Tennessee is a top priority of this

office. When dishonest offenders conspire to defraud these programs for their own selfish gain,  they not only steal tax dollars, but also hurt local schools in the process. We will continue to  work with our federal partners to root out and expose such fraud against the government, to hold  offenders accountable, and to recover ill-gotten gains."

Sharon R. Diskin, Acting FCC Inspector General said, "These sentences send a strong message that  individuals who defraud a vital federal subsidy program, such as E-rate, will be held fully  accountable for their actions. I would like to thank our partners in the United States Attorney's  office for the Western District of Tennessee and the FBI for their unrelenting dedication to this  case.”

This case was investigated by the Federal Communications Commission - Office of Inspector General  and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

United States Attorney Kevin Ritz thanked former Assistant United States Attorney Murre Foster and 
Assistant United States Attorney Tony Arvin who prosecuted this case, as well as the law enforcement partners who investigated the case.
 

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Memphis, TN – Caesar Oruade, 39, and Ayana Saunders, 37, of Hawthorne, California, have been sentenced to federal prison for wire fraud conspiracy and conspiracy to launder money. Kevin G. Ritz, United States Attorney, announced today.
According to United States Attorney Ritz and information presented in court, in May 2017, a computer intrusion at a real estate company resulted in a Memphis woman’s $76,000 down payment on a home being diverted to the bank account of a co-conspirator. Agents investigating the case traced the funds and found that the $76,000 had been "chopped" and sent to several other U.S. bank account holders before ultimately being wired to an account in Nigeria.
Many others across the United States and in Canada had been similarly victimized in their attempts to purchase real estate. The proceeds of romance scams and “hard money” loan scams were also flowing through the same accounts. Bank accounts belonging to defendant Ayana Saunders generally served as the last domestic stop for funds before leaving the United States. Testimony at trial showed that Saunders would take some of the funds before wiring the remaining monies to the Nigerian bank account of her husband, Caesar Oruade.
"These sentences are the result of state and federal law enforcement working together to protect the public from real estate and romance scammers and bringing those responsible to justice," said Douglas S. DePodesta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation Memphis Field Office. “The FBI continues to hold as a priority the targeting of domestic and foreign fraudsters who seek to scam innocent people out of their hard-earned money."
Senior United States District Judge J. Daniel Breen sentenced Oruade and Saunders to federal prison for 70 months and 60 months, respectively, followed by three years of supervised release. The defendants were also ordered to pay more than one million dollars in restitution. There is no parole in the federal system.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) – Memphis Division, United States Secret Service (USSS), FBI – Los Angeles Division and the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD).
United States Attorney Kevin Ritz thanked Assistant United States Attorneys Debra Ireland and Raney Irwin, who prosecuted this case, as well as law enforcement partners who investigated the case.

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Memphis, TN – Sidney Poitier Pilcher, Jr., a/k/a Slimey Sidd, 21, has been sentenced to over nine  years in federal prison for aiding and abetting in the robbery of postal carriers while brandishing  a firearm.  Kevin G. Ritz, United States Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee, announced  the sentence today.

According to United States Attorney Ritz and information presented in court, the United States 
Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) began investigating complaints of stolen or missing mail from  collection boxes in the Memphis area. During the investigation, officers seized stolen mail, black  ripped jeans, and a lime-green reflective vest from locations frequented by Pilcher.  The clothing  matched the description of the masked suspect during the postal robbery committed on September 26,  2022.  Pilcher pled guilty on February 16, 2023.

United States Senior District Judge Jon P. McCalla, sentenced Pilcher to 114 months in federal  prison to be followed by five years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal  system.

This case was investigated by the USPIS and the Memphis Police Department.

United States Attorney Kevin Ritz thanked Assistant United States Attorney Reid Manning, who  prosecuted this case, as well as law enforcement partners who investigated the case.

Memphis, TN – Kelli L. Pollard, 56, of Lakeland, has been sentenced to federal prison for obtaining  federally insured student loan funds. Kevin G. Ritz, United States Attorney for the Western 
District of Tennessee, announced the sentence today.

According to United States Attorney Ritz and information presented in court, between 2017 and 2021,  Pollard made false statements and submitted false and forged documents to the University of Memphis  to qualify for $94,299 in student loans.

United States District Judge Thomas L. Parker sentenced Pollard to one year and one day in federal  prison to be followed by three years of supervised release. She was also ordered to pay restitution  to the United States Department of Education. There is no parole in the federal system.

The case was investigated by the United States Department of Education Office of Inspector General.

United States Attorney Kevin Ritz thanked former Assistant United States Attorney Murre Foster and 
Assistant United States Attorney Carroll L. André III, who prosecuted this case, as well as law enforcement                                partners who investigated the case.

Memphis, TN – Today, United States Attorney Kevin G. Ritz, along with federal and local law  enforcement partners, announced the prosecution of 26 individuals for crimes involving machine gun  conversion devices, also known as “switches” or auto sears. These switches transform a  semiautomatic firearm into a machine gun capable of firing dozens of rounds of ammunition in a  couple of seconds.

United States Attorney Ritz also released a 60-second public service announcement, available here,  about the danger posed by switches. The PSA features a trained agent demonstrating how these  illegal devices turn a firearm into a machine gun that is essentially impossible to control. In the 
PSA, United States Attorney Ritz also explains that simply possessing a switch can result in  significant penalties—up to 10 years in federal prison.

United States Attorney Ritz said: “Switches are illegal and highly dangerous devices that convert  semiautomatic firearms into machine guns. These devices threaten public safety and make the gun  violence problem even worse. As our recent prosecutions show, we are vigorously enforcing the  federal laws prohibiting machine gun conversion devices.  I encourage the public to watch our new  public service announcement and spread the word: anyone with a switch will face significant time in  federal prison.”

The U.S. Attorney’s Office has made prosecution of crimes involving switches a top priority.  In  recent months, Assistant United States Attorneys in both Memphis and Jackson have prosecuted 26  individuals for illegally possessing switches. These cases, which are detailed below, were  investigated by federal and local law enforcement partners, including the Bureau of Alcohol,  Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Homeland 
Security Investigations (HSI), the Memphis Police Department (MPD), and the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office (SCSO).

“These illegal machine gun conversion devices more commonly referred to as ‘switches’ can  significantly enhance the rate of fire of a semi-automatic firearm. This enhancement adds to the  potential lethality of the weapon. Our communities are experiencing an unacceptable increase in  firearm related violence and these devices have no place on our streets,” said Marcus Watson,  Special Agent in Charge, ATF, Nashville.

Memphis Police Chief, Cerelyn “CJ” Davis said, "Gun violence has increasingly plagued our city in  recent years, causing death and trauma throughout. Switches and similar devices have only  exacerbated these urgent issues in our community, prompting the need for stronger enforcement. We  are grateful for U.S. Attorney Kevin Ritz and his team of prosecutors for aggressively seeking the  maximum penalties for individuals who brazenly commit violence."

“The illegal importation and use of switches create a significant threat to public safety. As  simple to manufacture as they are quick to install, conversion devices turn regular firearms into a  machine gun capable of inflicting tremendous harm in a split second. Homeland Security 
Investigations (HSI) is committed to stopping the transnational criminal organizations that  conspire to import these illegal firearm conversion kits used for violent criminal acts and harming  the communities we serve,” said Special Agent in Charge Rana Saoud, HSI Nashville.

“The United States Marshals Service always stands ready to assist our local, state, and federal  partners in executing arrest warrants for suspects who possess weapons with ‘switches’ or  modifications. These suspects pose a consequential threat to our communities and will be a priority  for our fugitive task forces,” said Tyreece Miller, United States Marshal, Western District of 
Tennessee.

The following defendants have been convicted and sentenced for federal crimes involving switches. 
There is no parole in the federal system.

•  Prenagio Baines, 21. Baines was a member of AOB, a violent hybrid street gang operating in 
Memphis. On March 13, 2022, MPD officers encountered a vehicle parked on the wrong side of the  road.  Baines got out of the vehicle.  Officers discovered a .40 caliber pistol with a machine gun  conversion device attached. Baines admitted that he left the gun in the vehicle. He pled guilty to  possessing a machine gun and was sentenced on February 27, 2023, to 24 months in prison.

•  Daniel Banks, 23. Banks fled from officers on foot during a traffic stop. He dropped a firearm  with a switch after he jumped over a fence. Banks pled guilty to drug and gun crimes, including  possession of a machine gun, and was sentenced on March 24, 2023, to 84 months.

•  Justin Hardaway, 23. Hardaway was a member of the Grape Street Crips, a violent street gang  operating in Memphis. In March 2022, officers followed Hardaway driving a stolen Dodge Charger into  the parking lot of a convenience store. The officers placed Hardaway into custody and recovered a 
.40 caliber Glock handgun with a machine gun conversion device attached. Hardaway pled guilty to                                           possessing a machine gun and was sentenced on February 14, 2023, to 30 months.

•  Terrance Jones, 24. ATF learned that Jones was selling drugs, which led to a search warrant  executed on his trap house. Jones had a home camera system that recorded him selling drugs with  firearms.  The switch charge derived from a separate incident—a shooting at Young Dolph’s memorial. 
Jones was in the car that fled the scene, and the evidence showed that he discarded a firearm with  the switch. Jones pled guilty. He was sentenced on October 27, 2022, to 30 months on the switch  charge and a consecutive 60 months on a separate firearm charge.

•  Daniel Kirtman, 25.  Kirtman, a convicted felon, sold a short-barreled rifle. Agents arrested 
Kirtman and seized a Glock pistol equipped with an extended magazine and a machinegun conversion  device. Kirtman pled guilty to firearm crimes and was sentenced on December 7, 2022, to 102 months  in prison.

•  Michael Thomas, 24.  Thomas sold and possessed multiple machine gun conversion devices. Thomas  pled guilty to possessing the switches and possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug  trafficking crime.  He was sentenced on December 1, 2022, to 84 months.

•  Michael Naylor, 26. Investigators discovered Naylor worked at a gun store and was selling  machine guns, switches, and other firearms. During the investigation, agents met with Naylor on two  different occasions to purchase switches. In the first meeting, undercover ATF agents purchased  three switches, and in the second meeting agents purchased one switch.  On the final occasion,  Naylor brought twenty switches to sell.  ATF agents arrested him.  Naylor pled guilty and was  sentenced on March 3, 2023, to 27 months.

The following defendants have been convicted of federal crimes involving switches and are awaiting  sentencing. Under federal law, the penalty for possession of a machine gun is up to 10 years in  prison.

•  Kameron Chatman, 20. Chatman was seen in a Facebook video with a switch. On March 9, 2023, he  pled guilty in federal court in Jackson, Tennessee, to firearm crimes, including possession of a  machine gun.

•  Avonta Gregory, 21. Gregory, a member of the AOB violent hybrid street gang in Memphis, pled  guilty on May 1, 2023, to possessing a Glock firearm with a 22- round magazine and a machine gun  conversion device.

•  Martavious Hodges, 23.  Hodges, a member of the Fast Cash violent hybrid street gang in Memphis,  sold firearms with switches on January 7, 2022, and January 26, 2022. On February 9, 2022, officers  arrested Hodges with six switches before the third controlled delivery.  He pled guilty on March 
22, 2023, to possession of a machine gun.

•  Cameron Person, 20. Law enforcement executed a search warrant on Person’s residence and located  four switches, materials to put together another one, and two firearms. He pled guilty in federal  court in Jackson, Tennessee, on March 7, 2023, to possession of a machine gun.

•  Michael Rimmer, Jr., 21. Law enforcement recovered five firearms possessed by Rimmer. Two had  switches. Rimmer pled guilty on March 20, 2023, to a drug crime and possession of machine guns.

•  Mitchell Shaw, 23. Shaw pled guilty on September 28, 2022, in federal court in Jackson,  Tennessee, to possessing a machine gun.

•  Maurice Wilson, 38. Defendant possessed a switch and pled guilty on March 14, 2023, to firearm  crimes.

•  Dionco Lowe, 25.  During the investigation into Lowe, law enforcement recovered four firearms  and a machine gun conversion device. Lowe pled guilty on May 9, 2023, to being a felon in  possession of a firearm.

The following defendants have been charged with federal crimes involving switches. Members of the  public are reminded that an indictment is an accusation and only contains charges. Each defendant  is presumed innocent of the charges and it is the government’s burden to prove each defendant’s  guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

•  Nakiel Addison, 25. Addison was indicted on March 30, 2023, for federal gun crimes, including  possessing a firearm with a switch.

•  Khamron Roberts, 25. Roberts was indicted on April 27, 2023, for federal gun crimes, including  possessing a firearm with a switch.

•  Roosevelt Wilson, 42. Wilson was indicted on April 27, 2023, for federal gun crimes. His alleged  crime involved ordering 25 switches from China.

•  Jaquan Bridges, 22. Bridges was indicted on April 27, 2023, for possessing a machine gun.  His  alleged crime involved shooting at a SCSO deputy on the interstate. Investigators recovered a gun  with a switch.

•  Jaqerious Conner, 25. Conner was indicted on November 10, 2022, for drug and gun crimes,  including possession of a machine gun. Conner was investigated for trafficking drugs and switches. 
Officers recovered multiple firearms, one of which was a Glock with a machine gun conversion  device.

•  Quatavious Doggett, 23. Doggett was indicted on March 16, 2023, for being a felon in possession  of a firearm and possession of a machine gun. His alleged crime involved possession of a firearm  with a switch.

•  Pariss Johnson, 36, Paris Brown, 22, and Leroy Cloyd, 22.  These three defendants were indicted  on February 16, 2023, for possessing machine guns. During the investigation, law enforcement  performed undercover purchases of machine gun conversion devices.

•  Timothy Williams, 25. Williams was indicted on February 7, 2023, for being a felon in possession  of firearms and other crimes. During the investigation, law enforcement recovered four firearms and  a machine gun conversion device.

•  Eddie Martinez, 25. Martinez was indicted on January 26, 2023, for possession of a machine gun. 
During the investigation agents recovered a Glock 9mm pistol with a switch and loaded with 23  rounds.

Several defendants charged in this series of indictments are alleged to be convicted felons. Under  federal law, is it illegal for an individual convicted of a felony to possess a firearm or  ammunition.

Anyone with information about switches or other federal gun crimes can call 1-800-ATF- GUNS 
(1-800-283-4867).

United States Attorney Ritz offered his gratitude to the Assistant United States Attorneys who are  prosecuting these cases, as well as the law enforcement partners who investigated cases.
 

Memphis, TN – Mohammed Al-Abadi, 51, of Memphis, has been indicted and arrested for one count of trafficking in counterfeit goods and one count of causing the criminal transportation of hazardous materials by air carrier. United States Attorney Kevin Ritz announced the charges today.

According to United States Attorney Ritz and the information presented in court, from about October 1, 2019, to January 14, 2021, Al-Abadi imported counterfeit motor vehicle airbag parts from China, assembled them and then sold them on eBay to unsuspecting automobile repair shops and individual customers. Federal agents recovered more than 2,000 counterfeit airbags and parts from the defendant’s residence and place of business.

“The alleged actions of the defendant have placed unsuspecting motorists and the general public in harm’s way,” said United States Attorney Kevin Ritz. “Vehicle airbags are subject to strict quality standards which must be followed to ensure passenger safety. The defendant’s alleged actions undermined the efforts of the automobile industry and regulatory bodies to keep the public safe.”

“The diligent and extensive investigative work by our special agents led to the discovery of the sale of fraudulent, counterfeit airbags, sold by bypassing regulatory oversight meant to keep dangerous and ineffective products out of the U.S. market,” said Special Agent in Charge Rana Saoud, HSI Nashville. “The defendant will now have to answer for his alleged criminal actions that put consumers lives at risk.”

“Counterfeit air bags are not regulated or tested to ensure they meet federal safety standards, and when transported and used by unsuspecting consumers, they can be unsafe and lead to potentially grave consequences,” said Todd Damiani, Special Agent in Charge, Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General, Southern Region. “The indictment and arrest handed down demonstrates the continuous coordination with our federal and prosecutorial partners to curtail the flow of these dangerous and illegal automobile products into the United States.”

If convicted, Al-Abadi faces up to ten years imprisonment and a fine of two million dollars for trafficking in the counterfeit airbags and up to five years’ imprisonment and a fine of $250,000 for causing the transportation of hazardous materials by air carrier. Both charges also carry a period of up to three years supervision following release from imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system.

Members of the public are reminded that an indictment only contains charges. The defendant is presumed innocent of the charges and it will be the government’s burden to prove the defendant’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

This case is being investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the United States Department of Transportation-Office of Inspector General.

Assistant United States Attorney Raney Irwin is prosecuting this case.

Memphis, TN – Jon Glover, 57, of Millington, was sentenced to federal prison for distribution of  methamphetamine and for being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm. United States Attorney 
Kevin Ritz announced the sentence today.

According to U.S. Attorney Ritz, and the information presented in court, in 2021, the Drug 
Enforcement Administration (DEA) began investigating the drug trafficking activities of Glover. 
During the course of the investigation, officers seized approximately one-half kilogram of  methamphetamine and a Smith & Wesson 9mm caliber pistol. After his arrest, Glover pleaded guilty.

This week, United States District Court Judge John T. Fowlkes, Jr., sentenced Glover to 230 months  in federal prison. There is no parole in the federal system.

This case was investigated by DEA, the Shelby County Sheriff’s Department, and the West Tennessee 
Drug Task Force.

United States Attorney Kevin Ritz thanked Assistant United States Attorney Michelle Kimbril-Parks,  who prosecuted this case, as well as law enforcement partners who investigated the case.

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For more information, please contact Public Information Officer Cherri Green at (901) 544-4231 or  cherri.green@usdoj.gov. Follow @WDTNNews on Twitter for office news and updates.
 

Memphis, TN – In April 2023, federal grand juries in Jackson and Memphis returned indictments  against four convicted sex offenders for failure to register or maintain their registration when  they moved to Tennessee, in violation of the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act 
(SORNA). United States Attorney Kevin Ritz announced the indictments today.

According to United States Attorney Ritz and information presented in court, the following sex  offenders failed to update their registration to reflect travel to the Western District of 
Tennessee (WDTN).

•  Terrell Chase Powell, 40, present in the WDTN from September 27 to December 15, 2022.
•  Edward Elbert Thompson, 75, present in the WDTN from January 2022 to March 2, 2023.
•  Jose Lozano, 45, present in the WDTN from November 29, 2021, to January 6, 2022; and
•  Lorenzo Mitchell, 41, present in the WDTN from October 29 to December 5, 2022

SORNA requires sex offenders to register and keep their registration current in each jurisdiction  in which they reside, work, or go to school.

“Most convicted sex offenders who live and work in West Tennessee meet their registration  requirements and are productive members of our communities. Compliance with SORNA holds convicted  sex offenders accountable to law enforcement and helps to keep our communities safe. Failure to  register is a serious offense, and my office will aggressively pursue those offenders who attempt  to avoid their legal obligations when st Tennessee,” said United States Attorney Kevin Ritz.

United States Marshal for the Western District of Tennessee Tyreece Miller said, “Congress directed  the United States Marshals Service to locate absconded sex offenders through the Adam Walsh Child 
Protection and Safety Act in July 2006. Our office takes this responsibility seriously and is  proactive in locating and arresting non-compliant sex offenders. These indictments are examples of  our partnership with the U.S. Attorney’s Office and commitment to protecting the citizens in the 
Western District of Tennessee.”

If convicted, each defendant faces up to 10 years’ imprisonment, up to a $250,000 fine, and a  period of supervised of five years to life. There is no parole in the federal system.

The case was investigated by the United States Marshals Service.

Members of the public are reminded that an indictment only contains charges. Each defendant is  presumed innocent of the charges and it will be the government's burden to prove each defendant's  guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

Assistant United States Attorneys Adam Davis and Lauren Delery are prosecuting the case.

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For more information, please contact Public Information Officer Cherri Green at (901) 544-4231 or  cherri.green@usoj.gov. Follow @WDTNNews on Twitter for office news and updates.
 

 Memphis, TN – Rodercus Freeman, 42, was sentenced to over two decades in federal prison for bank robbery and attempted credit union robbery. Freeman was convicted of the charges following a five-day jury trial in August 2022. United States Attorney Kevin Ritz announced the sentence today.

According to United States Attorney Ritz and information presented in court, on August 18, 2018, Freeman robbed Independent Bank on Poplar Avenue in Memphis, using a simulated firearm. Two weeks later, Freeman attempted to rob Southern Security Federal Credit Union on Ridge Meadow Parkway.

United States District Judge John T. Fowlkes, Jr., sentenced Freeman to 240 months for the bank robbery and 22 months for the attempted credit union robbery, to run consecutive to one another for a total of 262 months. The court also sentenced the defendant to serve three years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.

United States Attorney Ritz said: “These federal robbery crimes were very serious, and this defendant will justifiably serve a significant period of time in federal prison. Our office appreciates the hard work of the FBI and the MPD in bringing this defendant to justice.”

“The Memphis Police Department has a strong working relationship with United States Attorney Kevin Ritz’s office and the Safe Streets Task Force, as is evident in the recent arrest and charges against Mr. Rodercus Freeman. The Memphis Police Department is committed to continuing these collaborative investigations to create a safe place for all,” said Chief of Police Cerelyn J. Davis.

This case was investigated by the FBI’s Safe Streets Task Force and the Memphis Police Department.

United States Attorney Ritz thanked Assistant United States Attorneys Tony Arvin and Scott Smith, who prosecuted this case, as well as the law enforcement partners who investigated the case.

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For more information, please contact Public Information Officer Cherri Green at (901) 544-4231 or cherri.green@usoj.gov. Follow @ WDTNNews on Twitter for office news and updates.

Jackson, TN – Jason Perkins, 44, of Tiptonville, has been sentenced to 24 months in federal prison for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon, and the unlawful taking of a bald eagle. United States Attorney Kevin Ritz announced the sentence today.

According to United States Attorney Ritz and information presented in court, on March 21, 2021, United States Fish and Wildlife Service Agents and Tennessee Wildlife Resource Agency Officers received a report of a bald eagle carcass in Tiptonville, Tennessee. Through witness interviews and the execution of search warrants on Perkins’s home and his father’s home, officers determined that Perkins shot the bald eagle and that he was previously convicted of felony offenses. A 12-gauge shotgun and .357 handgun possessed by Perkins were recovered.

United States Attorney Ritz stated, “The bald eagle has been a symbol of our country since 1782. This defendant, a felon, shot and killed one of these great birds—violating federal law in the process. I appreciate the federal, state, and local partners who worked to bring him to justice.”

The United States Fish and Wildlife Service Office of Law Enforcement, Atlanta, GA Special Agent in Charge, Stephen Clark stated, “United States Fish and Wildlife Service, Office of Law Enforcement, is committed to working collaboratively with the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency, to conserve, protect, and enhance fish, wildlife, plants, and their habitats. The illegal taking of a bald eagle is a violation of numerous federal statutes and will be investigated and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. We will continue to work closely with our state partners to conduct these criminal investigations.”

United States District Judge J. Daniel Breen sentenced Perkins to 24 months in federal prison to be followed by three years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.

This case was investigated by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, Tennessee Wildlife Resource Agency, and the Lake County Sheriff’s Office.

United States Attorney Kevin Ritz thanked former Assistant United States Attorney Matt Wilson and Assistant United States Attorney Christie Hopper who prosecuted this case, as well as the law enforcement partners who investigated the case.

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For more information, please contact Public Information Officer Cherri Green at (901) 544-4231 or cherri.green@usoj.gov. Follow @ WDTNNews on Twitter for office news and updates.

Memphis, TN – Five former Methodist Hospital Employees and Roderick Harvey, 41, of Memphis, have pled guilty to unlawfully disclosing patient information in violation of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996, commonly known as “HIPAA.” United States Attorney Kevin G. Ritz announced the guilty pleas today.

According to United States Attorney Ritz and the information presented in court, between November 2017 and December 2020, Harvey paid Kirby Dandridge, 38, Sylvia Taylor, 43, Kara Thompson, 31, Melanie Russell, 41, and Adrianna Taber, 26, to provide him with names and phone numbers of Methodist patients who had been involved in motor vehicle accidents. After obtaining the information, Harvey sold the information to third persons including personal injury attorneys and chiropractors.

HIPAA was enacted by Congress in 1996 to create national standards to protect sensitive patient information from being disclosed without a patient’s knowledge or consent. HIPAA’s provisions make it a crime to disclose patient information, or to obtain patient information with the intent to sell, transfer or use such information for personal gain.

On April 21, 2023, Harvey appeared before United States District Judge Thomas L. Parker and entered a guilty plea to conspiring with Dandridge, Taylor, Taber, Thompson, and Russell to violate HIPAA. Harvey faces a maximum penalty of five years’ imprisonment, a fine of $250,000 and three years of supervised release. Sentencing for Harvey is set for August 1, 2023.

Dandridge, Taylor, Taber, Thompson, and Russell previously entered guilty pleas to disclosing the information to Harvey in violation of HIPAA. Each of those violations carries a maximum penalty of one year imprisonment, a $50,000 fine, and one-year of supervised release.

Sentencing hearings for Dandridge, Taylor, Taber, Thompson, and Russell are scheduled before United States District Judge Thomas L. Parker as follows:

• Dandridge – April 25, 2023

• Taylor – May 17, 2023

• Taber – May 25, 2023

• Thompson – May 2, 2023

• Russell – June 21, 2023

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation.

Assistant United States Attorney Carroll L. André III is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government.

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For more information, please contact Public Information Officer Cherri Green at (901) 544-4231 or cherri.green@usoj.gov. Follow @ WDTNNews on Twitter for office news and updates.

Memphis, TN – The Department of Justice’s Office of Victims of Crime (“OVC”) and the United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Tennessee, will join communities nationwide in observing National Crime Victims’ Rights Week and celebrating victims’ rights, protections, and services. This year’s observance takes place April 23-29, 2023, and features the theme, “Survivor voices: Elevate. Engage. Effect Change.”

Each year in April, the Department of Justice and United States Attorney’s Offices observe National Crime Victims’ Rights Week nationwide by taking time to honor victims of crime and those who advocate on their behalf. According to a report from the Bureau of Justice Statistics, in 2021, there were more than 4.6 million violent victimizations and 11.7 million property crimes.

The United States Department of Justice’s Office for Victims of Crime leads communities across the country in observing National Crime Victims’ Rights Week. In 1981, President Ronald Reagan proclaimed the first National Crime Victims’ Rights Week to bring greater sensitivity to the needs and right of victims of crime.

Here, in the Western District of Tennessee, we have a dedicated Victim Witness Coordinator who supports federal crime victims by providing victims with essential services, including referrals to counseling, securing temporary housing, assisting with access to victim’s compensation funds, and accompanying victims to court proceedings to provide support and guidance. These services provide victims with tools to reshape their futures.

The U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, provides innovative leadership to federal, state, local, and tribal justice systems, by disseminating state-of the art knowledge and practices across the United States, and providing grants for the implementation of these crime-fighting strategies. Because most of the responsibility for crime control and prevention falls to law enforcement officers in states, cities, and neighborhoods, the federal government can be effective in these areas only to the extent that it can enter partnerships with these officers. National Crime Victims’ Rights Week resources can be found at https://ovc.ncjrs.gov/ncvrw/.

More information about the Office of Justice Programs and its components can be found at www.ojp.gov.

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For more information, please contact Public Information Officer Cherri Green at (901) 544-4231 or cherri.green@usdoj.gov. Follow @ WDTNNews on Twitter for office news and updates.

Memphis, TN – The Drug Enforcement Administration has announced the date of its 24th National Prescription Drug Take Back Day. On Saturday, April 22, DEA, and its partners will collect tablets, capsules, patches, and other solid forms of prescription drugs.

For more than a decade, DEA’s National Prescription Drug Take Back Day has helped Americans easily rid their homes of unneeded medications—those that are old, unwanted, or expired—that too often become a gateway to addiction.

Take Back Day offers free and anonymous disposal of unneeded medications at more than 4,000 local drop-off locations nationwide.

What: National Prescription Drug Take Back Day

When: Saturday, April 22 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. local time

Who: State and local law enforcement partners across Kentucky, Tennessee, and West Virginia

Where: For a complete list of collection sites, visit www.DEATakeBack.com

In Memphis, the “Street Team for Overdose Prevention” (S.T.O.P.), a collaboration of several agencies, encourage citizens to turn in unused medications safely and anonymously at 2811 Clarke Road.

In partnership with local law enforcement, Take Back Day has removed more than 8,300 tons of medication from circulation since its inception.

Collection sites will not accept syringes, sharps, and illicit drugs. Liquid products, such as cough syrup, should remain sealed in their original container. The cap must be tightly sealed to prevent leakage.

To find a collection site near you, visit www.DEATakeBack.com.

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For more information, please contact Public Information Officer Cherri Green at (901) 544-4231 or cherri.green@usdoj.gov. Follow @ WDTNNews on Twitter for office news and updates.

Jackson, TN – This week, United States Attorney Kevin G. Ritz traveled to multiple counties and state Judicial Districts in West Tennessee to host a series of roundtable discussions with law enforcement, local prosecutors, and community stakeholders. These visits focused on the 24th, 26th, and 27th Judicial Districts in West Tennessee. Roundtable participants had an open dialogue with the U.S. Attorney, addressing their issues and concerns, and learned more about the Department’s priorities.

On Monday, U.S. Attorney Ritz met in Camden with partners and stakeholders in Benton, Carroll, Decatur, Hardin, and Henry Counties in the 24th Judicial District to address issues and community concerns.

On Tuesday morning, WBBJ-TV reporter Ryan Hodges interviewed U.S. Attorney Ritz about the mission of the roundtable discussions, his priorities, and violent crime issues. As U.S. Attorney said during the interview, “in Memphis, Jackson, and all of West Tennessee, communities are reeling from gun violence and violent crime. Addressing this violence is a top priority. We focus our efforts on the most significant drivers of violence.”

Tuesday afternoon, U.S. Attorney Ritz met in Martin with officials from Obion and Weakley Counties in the 27th Judicial District.

The district-wide visit concluded on Wednesday, when U.S. Attorney Ritz facilitated a roundtable discussion in the 26th Judicial District with officials from Chester, Henderson, and Madison Counties. He also addressed members of the Jackson Rotary Club as their keynote speaker.

Below are photos from these events. U.S. Attorney Ritz will continue to schedule roundtable discussions with stakeholders throughout the Western District of Tennessee.

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For more information, please contact Public Information Officer Cherri Green at (901) 544-4231 or cherri.green@usdoj.gov. Follow @ WDTNNews on Twitter for office news and updates.

United States Attorney Kevin Ritz in Benton County, Tennessee to host inaugural series of roundtable discussions. United States Attorney Ritz interviewed by WBBJ-TV Reporter Ryan Hodges. U.S. Attorney Ritz, along with AUSA Vic Ivy and District Attorney General Jody Pickens, facilitated roundtable discussion with law enforcement from the 26th Judicial District. U.S. Attorney Ritz addressed the members of the Jackson Rotary Club.

 

Memphis, TN – United States Attorney Kevin Ritz joins the United States Department of Justice, the 
Office on Violence Against Women (OVW), advocates, survivors, victim service providers, justice  professionals, police, first responders, and communities across the United States in commemorating 
Sexual Assault Awareness Month.

April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM). Every April, we rededicate our efforts to ending  sexual assault, believing survivors, strengthening prevention and education efforts, and holding  offenders accountable.

U.S. Attorney Ritz said: “The impact of sexual assault can reverberate through an entire community. 
The crime leaves lasting harm and trauma on survivors, their families, friends, and can impact  their schools and workplaces. As federal prosecutors, we have a responsibility to the citizens  throughout the Western District of Tennessee to pursue accountability and justice for crimes of  sexual violence.”

SAAM is a reminder of the importance of creating supportive environments and teaching young people  ways to prevent sexual violence – including bystander intervention and mobilizing men and boys as  allies. It is especially critical to reach young people with information and resources about sexual  violence because over 80 percent of rape survivors report that they were first raped before age 25.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that approximately 33.5 million  women and 4.5 million men are the victims of completed or attempted rape in their lifetime, and  many more experience other forms of sexual violence. The CDC estimates more than half of women and  nearly one third of men are victims of contact sexual violence in their lifetimes. Sexual violence  can have a lasting impact on survivors, ranging from physical injury to mental health, to fear and  safety concerns, to lifelong effects on financial and housing stability, employment, and educational attainment.

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For more information, please contact Public Information Officer Cherri Green at (901) 544-4231 or cherri.green@usdoj.gov. Follow @ WDTNNews on Twitter for office news and updates.

Memphis, TN – United States Attorney Kevin G. Ritz announced that the United States Attorney’s 
Office for the Western District of Tennessee has launched a series of presentations in district  high schools aimed at educating students on identifying, reporting, and preventing hate crimes and  other civil rights violations.

This effort is part of the Department of Justice’s United Against Hate Program, developed by its 
Hate Crimes Enforcement and Prevention Initiative. Today, attorneys from the U.S. Attorney’s 
Office, the Assistant Special Agent in Charge from the FBI, and officers from the Memphis Police 
Department’s Office of Community Policing launched the local program at Central High School in 
Memphis and plan to visit additional schools in 2023.

“Civil rights enforcement is a priority of the United States Attorney’s Office,” said U.S. Attorney 
Ritz. “Ensuring that our citizens, even the young ones, understand the law and how to report what  they believe are civil rights violations or hate crimes is essential. Our goal is to equip Memphis  youth with the tools to recognize hate crimes or discrimination when it happens and with what steps  they should take afterward.”

“Hate crimes have a devastating impact not just on the victims and their families, but communities  as well,” said Douglas DePodesta, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of 
Investigation’s Memphis Field Office. “The FBI has been engaged in a nationwide effort to build  awareness and encourage individuals to report violations and will continue to do so through the 
United Against Hate program and other platforms. We want everyone, including students, to  understand that if they encounter what they believe is a hate crime that the FBI is here to investigate.”

If your school is interested in hosting a United Against Hate presentation, contact our office. 
This interactive presentation is best for audiences under 100 students, though we are happy to discuss your school’s unique needs.

To learn more about the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Civil Rights Program, or to file a complaint  with   our  office,  visit: https://www.justice.gov/usao-wdtn/civil-rights- program.

To report a possible hate crime, call your local law enforcement or 1-800-CALL FBI.

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For more information, please contact Public Information Officer Cherri Green at (901) 544-4231 or cherri.green@usdoj.gov. Follow @ WDTNNews on Twitter for office news and updates.

WASHINGTON – A federal jury convicted a Tennessee nurse practitioner last week for illegally prescribing opioids – including oxycodone and fentanyl – from his medical practice.

According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Jeffrey Young, 49, of Jackson, used his medical practice, Preventagenix, to illegally prescribe more than one million medically unnecessary controlled substance pills to hundreds of patients, including a pregnant woman and women with whom he was having inappropriate physical relationships. Young maintained a party-like atmosphere at his clinic, and prescribed these drugs at least in part to boost his popularity on social media and promote a self-produced reality TV show pilot based on his self-identified persona, the “Rock Doc.”

Young was convicted of conspiracy to unlawfully distribute controlled substances, maintaining a drug-involved premises, and 13 counts of distributing controlled substances, six of which involved distribution to a pregnant woman. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Aug. 3 and faces a maximum penalty of 40 years in prison for each count involving distribution to a pregnant woman, and 20 years in prison for each of the other counts of conviction. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Kevin G. Ritz for the Western District of Tennessee, Special Agent in Charge J. Todd Scott of the DEA Louisville Field Division, and Director David Rausch of the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation made the announcement.

The DEA and Tennessee Bureau of Investigation investigated the case, with valuable assistance from the Jackson Police Department.

Assistant Chief Kate Payerle and Trial Attorney Drew Pennebaker of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section are prosecuting the case with significant assistance from Jillian Willis and Dermot Lynch.

The Fraud Section leads the Appalachian Regional Prescription Opioid (ARPO) Strike Force. Since its inception in late 2018, ARPO has partnered with federal and state law enforcement agencies and U.S. Attorneys’ Offices throughout Alabama, Kentucky, Ohio, Virginia, Tennessee, and West Virginia to prosecute medical professionals and others involved in the illegal prescription and distribution of opioids. Over the past four years, ARPO has charged over 115 defendants, collectively responsible for issuing prescriptions for over 115 million controlled substance dosage units. To date, more than 70 ARPO defendants have been convicted. More information can be found at https://www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/health-care-fraud-unit.

A federal jury convicted a Tennessee nurse practitioner last week for illegally prescribing opioids – including oxycodone and fentanyl – from his medical practice.

According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Jeffrey Young, 49, of Jackson, used his medical practice, Preventagenix, to illegally prescribe more than one million medically unnecessary controlled substance pills to hundreds of patients, including a pregnant woman and women with whom he was having inappropriate physical relationships. Young maintained a party-like atmosphere at his clinic, and prescribed these drugs at least in part to boost his popularity on social media and promote a self-produced reality TV show pilot based on his self-identified persona, the “Rock Doc.”

Young was convicted of conspiracy to unlawfully distribute controlled substances, maintaining a drug-involved premises, and 13 counts of distributing controlled substances, six of which involved distribution to a pregnant woman. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Aug. 3 and faces a maximum penalty of 40 years in prison for each count involving distribution to a pregnant woman, and 20 years in prison for each of the other counts of conviction. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Kevin G. Ritz for the Western District of Tennessee, Special Agent in Charge J. Todd Scott of the DEA Louisville Field Division, and Director David Rausch of the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation made the announcement.

The DEA and Tennessee Bureau of Investigation investigated the case, with valuable assistance from the Jackson Police Department.

Assistant Chief Kate Payerle and Trial Attorney Drew Pennebaker of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section are prosecuting the case with significant assistance from Jillian Willis and Dermot Lynch.

The Fraud Section leads the Appalachian Regional Prescription Opioid (ARPO) Strike Force. Since its inception in late 2018, ARPO has partnered with federal and state law enforcement agencies and U.S. Attorneys’ Offices throughout Alabama, Kentucky, Ohio, Virginia, Tennessee, and West Virginia to prosecute medical professionals and others involved in the illegal prescription and distribution of opioids. Over the past four years, ARPO has charged over 115 defendants, collectively responsible for issuing prescriptions for over 115 million controlled substance dosage units. To date, more than 70 ARPO defendants have been convicted. More information can be found at https://www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/health-care-fraud-unit.

Memphis, TN – Davione Smith, 21, of Memphis, has been sentenced to 135 months in federal prison for distributing approximately 2 kilograms of fentanyl. United States Attorney Kevin Ritz announced the sentence today.

According to United States Attorney Ritz and information presented in court, Smith distributed fentanyl, methamphetamine, and cocaine around Memphis. Investigators identified at least eight individuals who purchased narcotics from Smith for the purpose of re-distribution.

In May 2022, Smith along with the co-defendants were indicted.

Smith pled guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute fentanyl, conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine, and possession with the intent to distribute fentanyl.

Today, United States District Judge Thomas L. Parker sentenced Smith to 135 months imprisonment to be followed by five years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.

This prosecution is part of an investigation conducted 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 and organized criminal enterprises, 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 DEA, the United States Postal Inspection Service, and the Bartlett Police Department.

United States Attorney Kevin Ritz thanked Assistant United States Attorney Michelle Kimbril-Parks who prosecuted this case, as well as the law enforcement partners who investigated the case.

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For more information, please contact Public Information Officer Cherri Green at (901) 544-4231 or cherri.green@usdoj.gov. Follow @ WDTNNews on Twitter for office news and updates.

Memphis, TN – Rashid James-Wooten, 29, formerly of Florida, has been sentenced to 72 months in  federal prison for possession with intent to distribute fentanyl. United States Attorney Kevin R. 
Ritz announced the sentence today.

According to United States Attorney Ritz and information presented in court, on September 8, 2021,  detectives with the Memphis Police Department’s Organized Crime Unit received information that  narcotics were possibly on a flight from Los Angeles to Memphis. Investigators used a drug-sniffing  dog, which gave a positive alert on a suitcase that was owned by Rashid James-Wooten.

A  search  of  the  suitcase  revealed  996  grams  of  fentanyl,  4,472  grams  of  methamphetamine, and 1,220 grams of marijuana.  James-Wooten was placed into custody after  inquiring at baggage claim about his lost luggage.

James-Wooten pled guilty to the offense.

United States District Judge John T. Fowlkes Jr., sentenced James-Wooten to six years’  imprisonment, to be followed by three years of supervised release. There is no parole in the  federal system.

This prosecution is part of an extensive investigation by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task 
Force (OCDETF). OCDETF is a joint federal, state, and local cooperative approach to combat drug  trafficking organizations and organized criminal enterprises, 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 Memphis Police Department Organized Crime Unit, the Drug 
Enforcement Administration, Memphis Airport Police, and United States Customs and Border Protection.

United States Attorney Kevin Ritz thanked Assistant United States Attorney Michelle Kimbril-Parks,  who prosecuted this case, as well as the law enforcement partners who investigated the case.

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For more information, please contact Public Information Officer Cherri Green at (901) 544-4231 or cherri.green@usdoj.gov. Follow @WDTNNews on Twitter for office news and updates.

Memphis, TN – Former Memphis attorney, Leigh M. Chiles, 49, pled guilty in connection with a scheme to defraud an estate over which she was appointed to serve as executrix. United States Attorney Kevin G. Ritz announced the guilty plea today.

According to U.S. Attorney Ritz, a federal grand jury returned an indictment against Chiles in July 2022. Based on the charges and information presented in court today, Chiles, currently of Little Rock, Arkansas, appeared before United States Magistrate Judge Annie T. Christoff and entered a guilty plea to one count of wire fraud.

In September 2018, Chiles was appointed to serve as executrix over an estate opened in Shelby County Probate Court. In connection with her duties Chiles was responsible for collecting estate assets and distributing them to heirs and beneficiaries. In violation of her fiduciary duty, Chiles used approximately $124,000 in estate funds to write checks to herself and to pay her personal credit card between November 2018 and June 2019.

A sentencing hearing is currently set before United States District Judge John T. Fowlkes, Jr. on July 17, 2023, where Chiles faces a maximum sentence of 20 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and three years of supervised release.

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Assistant United States Attorney Carroll L. André III is prosecuting this case.

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For more information, please contact Public Information Officer Cherri Green at (901) 544-4231 or cherri.green@usdoj.gov. Follow @WDTNNews on Twitter for office news and updates.

Jackson, TN – Preston Antwan McNeal, 36, of Jackson, Tennessee, was found guilty on four counts of a seven-count indictment and sentenced to 35 years for trafficking methamphetamine. United States Attorney Kevin G. Ritz announced the sentence today.

According to U.S. Attorney Ritz and information presented in court, from 2016 to 2019, McNeal formed, and was the leader, of a large methamphetamine trafficking operation in West Tennessee. In 2017, as the Lexington Police Department conducted a traffic stop on McNeal’s vehicle, he threw a bag containing 44 grams of methamphetamine, 16 grams of cocaine, and one gram of crack cocaine into a nearby yard. A total of $1,281 in cash, a drug ledger, and a digital scale were found in the car.

In 2019, the Chester County Sheriff’s Department arrested McNeal at a traffic stop. The deputy searched the vehicle and found a baggie under the driver’s seat containing 14.3 grams of methamphetamine, plus $3,000 in cash in the front passenger floorboard. A total of 57.34 grams of methamphetamine was recovered. The passenger of the car testified at trial that McNeal gave her four baggies of methamphetamine to hide on her person. One of McNeal’s co-conspirators also testified that from late 2017 until February 2019, McNeal provided the witness with over 5 kilograms of methamphetamine for redistribution.

United States District Judge S. Thomas Anderson sentenced McNeal to 420 months’ imprisonment, to be followed by 10 years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.

This case was investigated by the Lexington Police Department, the Henderson County Sheriff’s Department, and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).

United States Attorney Kevin Ritz thanked Assistant United States Attorneys Adam Davis and Josh Morrow, who prosecuted this case for the government, as well as the law enforcement partners who investigated the case.

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For more information, please contact Public Information Officer Cherri Green at (901) 544-4231 or cherri.green@usdoj.gov. Follow @WDTNNews on Twitter for office news and updates

Memphis, TN – A superseding indictment has been returned by a federal grand jury charging three men, Michael Hobson, 30, and Tomarcus Baskerville, 34, of Somerville, Tennessee, and Christopher Peeler, 31, of Moscow, Tennessee, with committing murder in aid of racketeering and causing death using a firearm. The charges arise from a 2015 Hardeman County murder.

“This is another great example of the diligent work of the law enforcement community to rid our communities of the violence that gang members inflict upon our citizens. This indictment should serve as notice that we will use every available resource to bring those who engage in organized crime to justice,” said U.S. Attorney Kevin Ritz.

“We applaud the diligent and thorough work of our special agents and law enforcement partners and are grateful for the continued work of the U.S. Attorney in ensuring the individuals responsible for this deadly and devastating string of organized crime, throughout West Tennessee, will be held accountable for every criminal act they have committed,” said TBI Director David Rausch.

According to U.S. Attorney Ritz, as well as the charges and information presented in court, in 2022, a federal grand jury indicted 14 alleged members and associates of the Traveling Vice Lord/Junk Yard Dog gang on various racketeering charges, including murder, attempted murders, and narcotic trafficking. This superseding indictment adds charges for a second murder and includes Michael Hobson as an alleged gang member and offender.

The indictment includes charges for six separate shootings, two murders, and four attempted murders in Hardeman County. As a result of these crimes, nine individuals were shot, and two of those victims died. Each of the defendants are being detained.

The RICO conspiracy charge carries a maximum sentence of life. The charge of murder in aid of racketeering charge carries a sentence of life imprisonment. Each of the acts of brandishing and discharging a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence carries a penalty of not less than 10 years consecutive to its related attempted murder (Violent Crime in Aid in Racketeering).

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI), the Fayette County Sheriff’s Department, and the Hardeman County Sheriff’s Department.

Members of the public are reminded that an indictment only contains charges. The defendants are presumed innocent of the charges and it will be the government’s burden to prove the defendant’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

Assistant United States Attorneys Neal Oldham and Beth Boswell are prosecuting the case.

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For more information, please contact Public Information Officer Cherri Green at (901) 544-4231 or cherri.green@usdoj.gov. Follow @WDTNNews on Twitter for office news and updates.

Memphis, TN – Paul Seib, age 46 and a Canadian citizen, was convicted of conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute 5 kilograms of cocaine after a four-day federal jury trial. In the same case, former professional baseball player Luther Hackman, 48, pled guilty to money laundering and conspiring to distribute cocaine.

According to U.S. Attorney Ritz, the charges, and information presented in court, in October 2021 investigators with Homeland Security Investigations received information that “Pablo” was in search of multi-kilogram quantities of cocaine for his clients. After a series of communications, investigators identified Seib as “Pablo” and arranged a meeting to transfer 10 kilograms of cocaine. Both Seib and Hackman were present during this meeting; however, the transfer did not occur because the individual responsible for paying for the narcotics did not arrive.

In January 2022, Hackman provided a confidential source with $96,800 in cash and told the source about a shipment of multiple kilograms of cocaine and methamphetamine coming from California. Investigators intercepted the 20 pounds of methamphetamine and 4 kilograms of cocaine and detained Hackman as he arrived to pick up the shipment.

The sentencing hearing for Hackman is set for June 7, 2023, and Seib on July 12, 2023, both before United States District Judge Mark S. Norris.

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 and organized criminal enterprises, 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 Homeland Security Investigations and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).

U.S. Attorney Kevin Ritz thanked Assistant United States Attorneys Jennifer Musselwhite and Joe Murphy, who prosecuted this case, as well as law enforcement partners who investigated the case.

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For more information, please contact Public Information Officer Cherri Green at 901-544-4231 or cherri.green@usdoj.gov. Follow @WDTNNews on Twitter for office news and updates.

Memphis, TN – A federal grand jury has returned a superseding indictment charging Adrian Pegues,  19, and Malik Malone, 18, both of Memphis, with multiple charges arising from a series of violent  events that occurred in late December 2022 in Memphis and Germantown. The indictment includes  charges of kidnapping, bank robbery, carjacking, and the use of a firearm during a crime of  violence. United States Attorney Kevin G. Ritz announced the charges today.

According to U.S. Attorney Ritz, the charges and other information presented in court, it is  alleged that that on December 20, 2022, Pegues and Malone carjacked and kidnapped two individuals  separately, forced one of the individuals to withdraw money from an ATM, and attempted to do the  same with the other. It is also alleged that, ten days later, on December 30, 2022, the two men  attempted to kidnap a person in Germantown with the intent to commit another robbery. That  kidnapping was unsuccessful.

Both men have been arrested and are in federal custody and awaiting arraignment on the superseding indictment.

This case was investigated by the FBI’s Safe Streets Task Force and the Germantown Police Department.

Members of the public are reminded that an indictment is an accusation and only contains charges. 
The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

Assistant United States Attorney Greg Wagner is handling the prosecution of this matter for the government.
 

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For more information, please contact Public Information Officer Cherri Green at (901) 544-4231 or cherri.green@usdoj.gov. Follow @WDTNNews on Twitter for office news and updates.

Memphis, TN – Joshua Henley, 34, formerly of Benton County, has been sentenced to 45 years in  federal prison for producing sexually explicit images of a minor, transporting, and possessing  child exploitation material, and transporting a minor interstate with the intent to engage in  sexual activity. United States Attorney Kevin G. Ritz announced the sentence today.

According to the information presented in court, from 2017 until April 2021, Henley was the pastor  at Holladay Church of Christ and coached the girls’ basketball team at Holladay Elementary. In 
April 2021, Henley left Benton County to become the youth pastor at a church in Indiana. In June 
2021, Henley returned to Benton County and transported a teen to Indiana under the guise that she  was to assist at his new parish. Instead, Henley sexually assaulted the teen. Henley was arrested  as he was driving her back to Tennessee.

At the time of Henley’s arrest, he had a cell phone which contained sexually explicit images and  videos of two other Tennessee teenagers with which he had contact through SnapChat and FaceTime. 
The teens each disclosed that Henley also engaged in sexual activity with them.

Henley has worked with young people in other states including Oklahoma and Texas.

United States District Judge S. Thomas Anderson sentenced Henley to 540 months in federal prison to  be followed by ten years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.

This case was investigated by the FBI’s Crimes Against Children Task Force, the Benton County 
Sheriff’s Department, the Evansville Police Department and TBI’s Technical Service Unit.

United States Attorney Kevin Ritz thanked Assistant United States Attorneys Debra Ireland and 
Lauren Delery, who prosecuted this case, as well as law enforcement partners who investigated the case.
 

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For more information, please contact Public Information Officer Cherri Green at (901)
544-4231 or cherri.green@usdoj.gov. Follow @WDTNNews on Twitter for office news and updates.

Jackson, TN – Jonathan Wayne Green, 41, of Holladay, Tennessee, has been sentenced to 14 years in federal prison for possession of over 50 grams of actual methamphetamine with the intent to distribute. United States Attorney Kevin G. Ritz announced the sentence today.

According to the information presented in court, on April 16, 2019, an officer with the Camden Police Department responded to a trespassing complaint in a restricted area at Camden General Hospital. The officer observed a pickup truck which matched the description from the complaint. After the truck drove into a nearby McDonald’s parking lot, the officer conducted a traffic stop.

The driver, Jonathan Wayne Green, appeared to be nervous while talking with the officer and confessed that he was on state probation and that he had a large amount of methamphetamine in the backseat of his truck. A search of the truck revealed over a pound of methamphetamine (which was individually wrapped in three separate smaller bags inside of a larger Ziplock bag), cash, and drug paraphernalia. Green admitted to selling methamphetamine earlier that night.

United States District Judge S. Thomas Anderson sentenced Green to 168 months' imprisonment, to be followed by five years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.

This case was investigated by the Camden Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).

United States Attorney Kevin Ritz thanked Assistant United States Attorney Josh Morrow, who prosecuted this case, as well as law enforcement partners who investigated the case.

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For more information, please contact Public Information Officer Cherri Green at (901) 544-4231 or cherri.green@usdoj.gov. Follow @WDTNNews on Twitter for office news and updates.

Memphis, TN – Today, a federal jury convicted brothers Julio Garcia, 42, and Juan Garcia, 38, of conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine. United States Attorney Kevin G. Ritz announced the guilty verdict.

According to information presented in court, in 2019, investigators with Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) began investigating the drug trafficking activities of the brothers. Julio Garcia was serving a 10-year federal sentence at the time for another drug offense and while in custody he used contraband phones to continue his drug trafficking activities.

Juan Garcia, who was not in custody, served as a “middle-man.” He was tasked with, among other things, accepting payments for shipments of narcotics and depositing the money from those payments into various bank accounts. During this conspiracy, investigators were able to seize two shipments, each containing over 1 kilogram of methamphetamine.

Julio Garcia is scheduled to be sentenced on June 27, 2023, and Juan Garcia is scheduled to be sentenced on June 28, 2023, both before United States District Judge Mark S. Norris. Both men face not less than 10 years imprisonment, not more than life, not more than a $10,000,000 fine, and not less than five years of supervised release.

This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigation, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the United States Postal Inspection Service, the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, and the Desoto County Sheriff’s Department.

This prosecution, as well as the previous investigation into Julio Garcia, is part of an investigation conducted 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 and organized criminal enterprises, 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.

United States Attorney Kevin Ritz thanked Assistant United States Attorneys Greg Allen and Michelle Kimbril-Parks, who prosecuted this case, as well as law enforcement partners who investigated the case.

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For more information, please contact Public Information Officer Cherri Green at (901) 544-4231 or cherri.green@usdoj.gov. Follow @WDTNNews on Twitter for office news and updates.

Jackson, TN – Cassius Sinclair Jordan, 38, of Huntingdon, Tennessee has been sentenced to over 11  years in federal prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm and possession of  methamphetamine with the intent to distribute. United States Attorney Kevin G. Ritz announced the  sentence today.

According to the information presented in court, on May 28, 2020, at approximately 12:30 a.m., an  officer with the Huntingdon Police Department observed a vehicle parked with the rear of the  vehicle in the roadway. As the officer approached the vehicle, he observed the driver laying across  the steering wheel as if he was asleep.  The officer awakened the driver and identified him as the  defendant, Cassius Sinclair Jordan.

The officer observed a glass pipe and a cigarette lighter in Jordan’s hands and directed him to  exit the vehicle, at which time he was detained. A search of the vehicle revealed the following:

• A Smith and Wesson .40 caliber handgun, which was loaded with nine rounds
• An additional 12 .40 caliber rounds of ammunition
• A bag containing approximately 93 grams of methamphetamine
• A bag containing 41 Xanax tablets
• A bag containing 14.2 grams of marijuana
• $7,285.75 in cash
• A box of baggies
• Digital scales

According to the laboratory report issued by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA),  the   methamphetamine  seized  from  Jordan's  vehicle  tested  positive  for methamphetamine  hydrochloride with a net weight of 93.89 grams and a purity level of
97%.

A special agent with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) examined 
Jordan's firearm and ammunition and determined that the firearm and ammunition were manufactured  outside the state of Tennessee.

On February 17, 2023, the Honorable S. Thomas Anderson sentenced Jordan to a total of 140 months'  imprisonment, to be followed by three years of supervised release. Judge Anderson also ordered 
Jordan's federal sentence run consecutive to a state sentence that Jordan is presently serving  following his convictions for aggravated kidnapping and aggravated assault with a weapon in Carroll 
County in 2019.  While Jordan could be paroled from his current state sentence, there is no parole  in the federal system.

This case was investigated by the Huntingdon Police Department, the ATF and DEA.

United States Attorney Kevin Ritz thanked Assistant United States Attorney Josh Morrow, who  prosecuted this case, as well as law enforcement partners who investigated the case.

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For more information, please contact Public Information Officer Cherri Green at (901) 544-4231 or cherri.green@usdoj.gov. Follow @WDTNNews on Twitter for office news and updates.

Associate Attorney General Vanita Gupta traveled to Memphis today to attend the investiture of U.S. Attorney Kevin Ritz for the Western District of Tennessee and meet with local Memphis officials and community leaders.

Associate Attorney General Gupta met with Mayor Jim Strickland and Police Chief C.J. Davis to discuss the city’s request for assistance from the CRI-TAC initiative, funded by the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office) as well as the city’s response to the tragic death of Tyre Nichols. The Justice Department’s ongoing federal criminal civil rights investigation into the death of Tyre Nichols is being handled jointly by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Tennessee, the Civil Rights Division and the FBI.

In a meeting with two dozen local faith and community leaders, the Associate Attorney General heard from local leaders about the need for fair policing, as well as their efforts on the ground to support those most at risk of becoming intertwined with the criminal justice system. She discussed the department’s programs, including those that support police community trust and community violence intervention efforts, and the department’s ongoing efforts to make grant funding more accessible to local community groups.

In the afternoon, Western District of Tennessee District Judge S. Thomas Anderson presided over the investiture of U.S. Attorney Kevin Ritz. Associate Attorney General Gupta spoke at the ceremony, along with former U.S. Attorney Edward L. Stanton III and the Honorable Julia S. Gibbons of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, for whom U.S. Attorney Ritz served as a law clerk. The investiture was attended by several federal district and court of appeals judges, as well as local law enforcement and community leaders and elected officials.

Associate Attorney General Vanita Gupta with U.S. Attorney Kevin Ritz and community leaders Associate Attorney General Vanita Gupta (front center), U.S. Attorney Kevin Ritz (front left), First Assistant U.S. Attorney Reagan Fondren (front right) and staff from the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of Tennessee

 

Memphis, TN – Good afternoon. Thank you so much for being here.
As you might expect, I’d like to start by thanking some people. I want to express my deepest  gratitude to the following.

•  Congressman Cohen for recommending me for this position.

•  Senators Blackburn and Hagerty for their endorsement.

•  President Biden for nominating me, and the Senate for confirming me.

•  My past and present colleagues at the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Each and every one of you has made  me the attorney and person I am today. I especially want to thank those who helped put this event  together.  Special thanks to the Stax Music Academy, which features the son of our First Assistant 
U.S. Attorney Reagan Fondren.

•  Thank you to the judges, defense attorneys, clerk’s office, pretrial and probation officers, and  everyone else who makes up the legal ecosystem of the Western District of Tennessee. I feel very  lucky to have built my career as a federal lawyer in this district.

•  Thank you to previous U.S. Attorneys, and all my previous supervisors, who have helped shape my  skills and career. There are too many to name, but I have to single out two: Judge Gibbons and Ed 
Stanton. Both gave me tremendous opportunities along the way, and both have served as mentors and  role models.

•  Thank you to Associate Attorney General Gupta for her kind words, for traveling to Memphis, and  for sharing insight into the good work that the Department is doing.

•  It is overwhelming to see so many good friends, many of whom have traveled from out of state.  
Special shout out to high school classmates, friends from undergraduate years, friends from  graduate school, and friends from my first-year small section in law school. I also see several  valued DOJ colleagues from other districts. I am so thankful for all of you and humbled by your  presence. Special thanks to Courtnay, Ted, and Michael, who are part of the program today.

•  There are also many members of my extended family here who mean so much me, including aunts and  uncles, my wife’s family, and my sister and her family. Thanks to my nephew for leading us in the  pledge.

•  I want to thank my parents, to whom I owe so much, but especially for instilling in me a  commitment to public service in this city.

•  Finally I want to thank my wife and best friend Anna, who was kind enough to give her blessing  to this endeavor. Thank you for your love and support.

It’s the honor of my life to accept this appointment. Some of you know me very well. Some of you  know me pretty well. Some of you don’t know me well at all.

So allow me to reintroduce myself. I am a Memphian. I grew up in this city. I’m a product of 
Memphis City Schools. In fact, 33 years ago, in ninth grade, I came down to this very room. The 
City Council was trying to pass an ordinance banning “harmful material” at concerts.  This was  after a particularly colorful performance by Motley Crue at the Coliseum.

I wasn’t at that concert, but I liked concerts and thought this was a bad idea. So, I rounded up a  couple of friends, and my mom drove the three of us down here in her minivan. She dropped us off  over here on Adams. I came in here and addressed the council. I remember the Councilman who was  sponsoring the ordinance ignored me.

There are a couple of lessons there. One, elected officials might want to at least act like they  are listening to constituents. You never know when the kid you ignored is going to grow up to be  the U.S. Attorney.

The bigger lesson for me was that maybe Memphis could use some more good public servants. So, after 
I went away for college, graduate school, and law school, I chose to come home to Memphis and start  my legal career here. I’ve chosen to stay every day for almost two decades. I’ve also chosen public  service as a career.

Public service—in particular federal public service—defines me. For my whole adult life, even  before law school, I’ve worked for the United States government. And I’m proud to say that the 
United States is the only client I’ve ever had.

Before I talk about what it means to me to represent the United States every day, I first want to  step back and take stock of this particular moment. Over the past few years we’ve experienced a  lot. A pandemic that has killed more than a million Americans. A violent attack, perpetrated by  fellow citizens, on our seat of government.  An unacceptable increase in gun violence. The longest  federal government shutdown in history. A long-overdue reckoning with racism in the criminal justice system. And finally, just  recently, the tragic death of a young man in Memphis – a tragedy that is leading to an even deeper  reckoning, here and elsewhere.

That’s a lot to navigate for someone who takes on this type of role. But, no excuses. I’m ready to go.

I’m going to talk about three things. What we do, how we go about it, and my priorities.

First, what we do. In the U.S. Attorney’s Office, my colleagues and I uphold the rule of law,  protect civil rights, and keep Americans safe.

A key principle underlying our work is there is only one rule of law. There can’t be one for the  powerful and another for the powerless. There can’t be one for the rich and another for the poor. 
And there can’t be one for people who look like me and another for people of color.

Justice, for me, is about upholding that one rule of law. In criminal cases, it can mean sending  someone to prison, sometimes for a long time.

But you should know that justice, for me, is about more than putting people in prison. For me, it’s  also about who votes and how hard it is to cast that vote. It’s about where pipelines or bus routes  go. Justice is about whether people in all zip codes can get a loan. Whether women have access to  health care. Whether citizens have affordable housing or clean drinking water.

Sometimes those are Department of Justice issues. Sometimes they’re not. But for me, they are all 
“justice” issues.

That being said, much of my office’s day-to-day work involves criminal cases. Seeking just  punishment for those who have broken the law. A few principles guide us in this work.

We make decisions based on the law and the facts.

We treat people equally and fairly, while still making an individualized assessment of each case.

We focus our efforts on the most serious cases that implicate substantial federal interests.

Along those lines, what we do is qualitatively and quantitatively different than what state  prosecutors do. And the number of prosecutions is not an end in and of itself. Making the community  safer is the goal.

These principles are easy to articulate but hard to put into practice. My faith tradition makes  room for both accountability and redemption. I agree with Bryan Stevenson that every person is more  than the worst thing he has done.  However, sometimes people deserve severe punishment for the  worst thing they’ve done. We don’t apologize for seeking significant punishment where warranted.

The point is if you’re doing this job right, it can be hard to sort all that out and decide on the  right way to proceed in any particular case.

Which brings me to the second thing I want to talk about: how we go about our work.

I bring some relevant experience to this job.  Almost 18 years in this office, and a lifetime of  being a rule-follower. That’s why this career has suited me. I like rules, I like following them,  and it turns out I’m good at enforcing rules. After 12 years as Appellate Chief, I know the  relevant rules pretty well.

The bad news for anyone who isn’t following those rules is I don’t care who you are. You can be  behind a computer, on a street corner, or in a boardroom. It doesn’t matter to me. You break  federal law and we will come after you and pull no punches.

But I can’t do it alone. There are two groups of people I am already relying on heavily. The first  are our partners in federal, state, and local law enforcement. These folks face risks every day  that most of us can’t fathom. I am proud to work with these public servants. When officers do their  job the right way, it is right to call them heroes. I’ll also say that backing the blue, for me,  includes backing not only state and local partners, but also all the federal agencies that are  working hard to enforce federal laws.

The second group of people I rely on heavily are the dedicated federal public servants in the U.S. 
Attorney’s Office. I want every current employee of my office to stand up and be recognized.

[APPLAUSE]

It’s a privilege to work with you all. One reason I agreed to be a candidate for this job was I  already knew my team. We’re one of the biggest law firms in West Tennessee. I think we’re the best. 
 We have two offices, covering 22 counties.  We don’t just prosecute criminal cases. We represent  the United States in all types of civil litigation. We collect debts for the U.S. Treasury.  We  handle our own appellate and post- conviction dockets. It’s a lot.

The Assistant U.S. Attorneys and support staff who carry out these responsibilities are  hardworking. They are experienced. They are smart. I’ve worked with these folks for almost 18  years. As long as I am in charge I will listen to them, rely on them, and stick up for them.

Ida B. Wells said—just after being forcibly exiled from this city—that “The way to right wrongs is  to turn the light of truth upon them.” My team works hard to right wrongs by seeking the light of  truth. By seeking justice. Whenever you hear someone complain about the federal government for  whatever reason—just know that every day your life is better, and your family is safer, because of  federal employees like my colleagues in the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

The last thing I want to talk about are my priorities. We have a lot on our plate.

In Memphis, Jackson, and all of West Tennessee, communities are reeling from violent crime. 
Addressing this violence is a top priority. We are continuing our robust efforts prosecuting  federal carjacking, robbery, and firearm cases. We focus our efforts on the most significant  drivers of violence. We also are taking a hard look at the supply side of the gun violence problem:  where these crime guns are coming from, and how they are getting into the wrong hands. And we are  coupling enforcement of these laws with prevention and intervention efforts.

We spend a lot of time prosecuting drug trafficking organizations. Unfortunately, West Tennessee is  a distribution center not only for legal goods, but illegal goods too. Our law enforcement partners  are seizing large amounts of fentanyl, methamphetamine, and heroin, among other lethal drugs. These  drugs—especially fentanyl—are affecting every cross-section of our community. For us it’s a fight to save lives.

We are doubling down on our efforts in prosecuting fraud and economic crimes. We’ve brought several  new cases in this area in the last few months, including cases involving fraud on pandemic relief  programs.

Finally, even before the events of last month, I had asked my team how we could better protect  national security and civil rights in West Tennessee. This is a top priority of mine. We are  vigorously enforcing civil rights and hate crimes statutes.

A related issue is the rise in domestic terrorism and political violence in this country. From 
Charleston to Charlottesville to Pittsburgh to El Paso to Buffalo—the threat of hate-based and  extremist violence is real.  My oath commands me to protect our country from threats foreign and  domestic. I’m going to do that.

This is a mission that dates to the Department’s founding. A hundred and fifty years ago there were  people in this area of the country who were seeking to deny the promises of the Second Founding and  the Reconstruction Amendments to Black Americans.

The Department was created to counter those violent extremists and protect civil rights for all. 
Attorney General Garland has said it’s in the Department’s DNA. I agree, and we will pursue  accountability for anyone who tramples on other people’s civil rights or uses violence to achieve  political ends.

Those are just some of the areas where we’re directing our efforts. It’s a non-exhaustive list. 
Upholding the rule of law necessarily means that we don’t focus only on one set of crimes. We carry  a diverse portfolio, and we will not hesitate to use the full scope of the tools Congress has given us.

So that is what we do, how we do it, and a little about our priorities. Through it all, the only  thing that will motivate me every hour of every day is what is best for my client, the United 
States of America.

I’ll end where I started, both today and in life: the City of Memphis. Our office serves one and a  half million people in 22 counties, and I take that responsibility seriously. I’ll be visiting many  of those counties in the near future.

But this city, where we are today, is not just where I live, it’s my home. My wife and I love it  here. As I said recently, I want the City of Memphis to be a place where justice is done. That’s  the animating principle of my career.

One of my heroes sings about “a promised land.” For me, the work that we do to uphold the rule of  law, protect civil rights, and keep Americans safe in Memphis and West Tennessee, is my own way of  seeking a piece of that “promised land.”
I promise I’ll give it everything I have. Thank you again for being here today.

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For more information, please contact Public Information Officer Cherri Green at (901) 544-4231 or cherri.green@usdoj.gov. Follow @WDTNNews on Twitter for office news and updates.

Memphis, TN – Kedric Reese, 21, has been sentenced to 13 years in federal prison for carjacking, discharge of a firearm during a crime of violence and illegal possession of a stolen firearm. United States Attorney Kevin G. Ritz announced the sentence today.

According to the information presented in court, on May 24, 2021, Memphis Police Officers responded to a carjacking at River Grove apartments. The victim advised officers that while traveling in a rental car, she stopped near Warford and Jackson Avenue to send a text message, when two occupants in a white Impala drove up next to her. The men approached the car and demanded she take them to River Grove apartments.

One of the men, Kedric Reese, brandished a gun that was visible to the victim. Afraid for her safety, the victim complied with their request. When they arrived, Reese pointed the gun at the victim and made her get out of the car. As she did so, the victim yelled at Reese, "I know what you look like!" Reese then fired a shot directly at the victim.

The rental car company tracked the vehicle to a residence on Rio Lobo in Memphis, Tennessee. Reese who was in possession of the stolen car and a stolen SAR 9mm pistol, was placed into custody. The gun was loaded with 12 rounds in the magazine and 1 round in the chamber.

The victim identified Reese as the man who shot at her and stole her rental car.

This case was investigated by the ATF and the Memphis Police Department.

On February 14, 2023, United States Chief Judge Sheryl H. Lipman sentenced Reese to 157 months in federal prison to be followed by three years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.

United States Attorney Kevin Ritz thanked Assistant United States Attorney Raney Irwin, who prosecuted this case, as well as law enforcement partners who investigated the case.

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For more information, please contact Public Information Officer Cherri Green at (901) 544-4231 or cherri.green@usdoj.gov. Follow @WDTNNews on Twitter for office news and updates.

Memphis, TN – After a six-day jury trial, Randy Readus, 36, has been convicted of conspiracy to commit robbery, two counts of aiding and abetting robbery, one count of aiding and abetting attempted robbery, and one count of aiding and abetting the use of a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. United States Attorney Kevin G. Ritz announced the guilty verdict today.

According to the information presented in court, between December 2020 and January 2021, Randy Readus along with co-defendant Julius Black committed business robberies in Arkansas, Mississippi, and Tennessee. On the morning of Christmas Eve, December 24, 2020, Readus drove Black from Memphis to Marion, Arkansas, in a Black Escalade. Black entered Walmart, robbed the Money Center at gunpoint taking a large amount of cash, and fled to where Readus was waiting in the Escalade.

Readus and Black similarly robbed the following businesses:

• December 26, 2020

Walmart on Industrial Park Drive, Trumann, Arkansas

• January 6, 2021

Walmart on Mackie Drive, Holly Springs, Mississippi

• January 8, 2021

Kroger on Highway 64, Memphis, Tennessee

• December 31, 2021

Kroger on Poplar Avenue, Memphis, Tennessee

Readus drove Black to the Kroger, where Black jumped the customer service desk, forced his way into the finance room and forcibly took money.

• January 8, 2021

Kroger on Highway 70, Arlington, Tennessee – attempted to rob the Kroger but were unsuccessful.

• January 12, 2021

Walmart, New Albany, Mississippi –

FBI’s Safe Streets Task Force apprehended Readus and Black as they fled. While attempting to flee the scene in the Escalade, officers disabled the vehicle.

Julius Black pled guilty on April 5, 2022. He is scheduled to be sentenced on March 7, 2023.

Sentencing for Readus is set for June 13, 2023, before United States District Judge John T. Fowlkes, Jr.

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

United States Attorney Kevin Ritz thanked Assistant United States Attorneys Karen Hartridge and Greg Wagner, who prosecuted this case, as well as law enforcement partners who investigated the case.

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For more information, please contact Public Information Officer Cherri Green at (901) 544-4231 or cherri.green@usdoj.gov. Follow @WDTNNews on Twitter for office news and updates.