Memphis, TN – After a three-week trial involving a total of
74 witnesses and more than 120 exhibits, a federal jury found five members of
the Conservative Vice Lords Concrete Cartel criminal gang guilty of conspiracy
to participate in racketeering activities, multiple armed pharmacy robberies,
and drug trafficking conspiracy. U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant announced
the guilty verdict today.
On May 31, 2018, a federal grand jury returned a 34-count
indictment against 12 members of the Concrete Cartel, a subset of the
Conservative Vice Lords criminal gang whose headquarters is located in Chicago.
The Concrete Cartel and its members operate mainly in Memphis, Shelby County, Tennessee
and North Mississippi. The indictment charged a RICO conspiracy, 10 separate
Hobbs Act business robberies, and multiple counts of brandishing and
discharging firearms during the commission of those crimes of violence. The
indictment also charged conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute
multiple controlled substances that were obtained as proceeds in the robberies.
According to information presented in court, the members of the Concrete Cartel
targeted and committed armed robberies of multiple CVS and Walgreens
pharmacies, obtaining thousands of opioids for redistribution to members of
their organization as well as the public to enrich themselves and the gang
enterprise.
Seven of the twelve members previously pled guilty to the
RICO conspiracy and other crimes charged. The five members who went to trial
and were found guilty were high-ranking leaders in the organization, and
included:
• Nernest Andre Nesby a/k/a/ "Neno," 25
• Markease Tyshawn Alexander a/k/a/ "Citi," 26
• Davante Levert Turner a/k/a/ "Star," 26
• Tondwin Tierre Lewis a/k/a "T-Luey," 26
• Ariq Rayford a/k/a/ "Curry," 22
One of the defendants was a Tennessee statewide leader and
another was a citywide leader in the Conservative Vice Lords Concrete Cartel
gang. The remaining defendants were branch leaders in the organization,
claiming areas in East Memphis, Orange Mound and Whitehaven. This federal
prosecution and guilty verdict is the result of an extensive investigation
which began in 2015 by federal, state and local law enforcement officials into
the criminal gang enterprise, and entailed the recovery or seizures of
thousands of opioids and other controlled substances before the defendants
distributed the drugs on the streets.
The defendants were found guilty on a total of 29 of the 34
charged counts. All of the defendants were found guilty of the RICO conspiracy
and other charges in the indictment.
U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant said, "Dismantlement
of criminal gangs is a top priority of this office and the Department of
Justice, and this case represents the collaborative efforts of federal, state,
and local law enforcement to target and remove several significant violent
leaders and participants in the Conservative Vice Lords organization. We are
taking the fight to the gangs in West Tennessee, we are successfully punishing
gang members for their criminal activity, and we are relentless in our
resolve."
Sentencing will be set on a later date before U.S. District
Court Judge Thomas L. Parker. Each of the defendants faces possible sentences
of up to 20 years for each of the RICO conspiracy, Hobbs Act business robbery,
and drug conspiracy counts, as well as consecutive mandatory minimum sentences
of 7 years for brandishing a firearm and 10 years for discharging a firearm during
a crime of violence.
This case was investigated by the FBI’s Safe Streets Task
Force and the Multi-Agency Gang Unit (MGU) of the Memphis Police Department and
the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kevin Whitmore and Raney Irwin are
prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
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