Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
A federal grand jury returned an indictment yesterday charging 15 Memphis, Tennessee, residents for their involvement in an organized drug trafficking scheme.
According to court documents, between November 2023 and June 2024, the defendants allegedly worked together, and with others, to distribute fentanyl, methamphetamine, and marijuana throughout the Memphis area. During the investigation, agents recovered two stolen vehicles and seized 29 firearms, five machinegun conversion devices (known as “switches”), over $4,000 in cash, approximately 938 grams of methamphetamine, approximately 541 grams of fentanyl, approximately 200 grams of psilocybin mushrooms, and 26.43 pounds of marijuana.
The indictment charges the following 15 defendants:
|
Defendant |
Age |
Charges |
|
Brian Lackland |
34 |
Conspiracy to distribute fentanyl, over 500 grams of methamphetamine, and marijuana; possession of firearms during and in relation to drug trafficking crimes; and being a felon in possession of firearms |
|
Paul Nelson |
31 |
Conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and over 500 grams of methamphetamine; and being a felon in possession of firearms |
|
Ebony Cobb |
41 |
Conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and over 500 grams of methamphetamine |
|
Jerrod Cox |
31 |
Conspiracy to distribute fentanyl |
|
Darius Moore |
38 |
Conspiracy to distribute fentanyl |
|
Edgar Smith |
38 |
Conspiracy to distribute fentanyl |
|
Mervin Anderson |
38 |
Conspiracy to distribute fentanyl |
|
Courtney Davis |
28 |
Conspiracy to distribute fentanyl |
|
Timothy Achols |
36 |
Conspiracy to distribute fentanyl |
|
Jehu Cruz |
23 |
Conspiracy to distribute fentanyl; and possession of firearms during and in relation to drug trafficking crimes |
|
Mohamed Samba |
24 |
Conspiracy to distribute marijuana; and possession of firearms during and in relation to drug trafficking crimes |
|
Prentiss Broadway |
33 |
Possession with intent to distribute fentanyl |
|
Braxton Beck |
32 |
Federal firearms offenses and being a felon in possession of firearms |
|
Darion Allen |
28 |
Federal firearms offenses and being a felon in possession of firearms |
|
Delifarroe Goins |
29 |
Federal firearms offenses and being a felon in possession of firearms |
If convicted, the defendants charged with conspiracy to distribute marijuana face a maximum penalty of five years in prison and defendants charged with distributing methamphetamine face a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. The defendants charged with conspiracy to distribute fentanyl face a mandatory minimum of five years or 10 years in prison, depending on the amount distributed, and a maximum penalty of life in prison. The defendants charged with possession of firearms during and in relation to drug trafficking crimes face a mandatory minimum of five years in prison and a maximum penalty of life in prison.
Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, and U.S. Attorney Kevin G. Ritz for the Western District of Tennessee made the announcement.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF); FBI; U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS); Multi-Agency Gang Unit; Memphis Police Department; Bartlett Police Department; and Shelby County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case.
Trial Attorneys Amanda Kotula and Aaron Henricks of the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime and Racketeering Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Neal Oldham for the Western District of Tennessee are prosecuting the case.
This case is brought as part of the Criminal Division’s Memphis Violent Crime Initiative, conducted in partnership with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Tennessee and local, state, and federal law enforcement. The joint effort addresses violent crime by employing, where appropriate, federal laws to prosecute gang members and associates in Memphis. As part of the initiative, the Criminal Division has dedicated attorneys and other resources to prosecuting violent offenders and assisting intervention, prevention, and reentry efforts to address the root causes of violent crime.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.