Five men and ten women allegedly fueled a sprawling narcotics network that pumped cocaine, crack, and marijuana into the veins of West Tennessee for half a year in 2016 — and now, seven years later, federal justice has caught up. A federal grand jury has indicted 15 individuals on charges of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances, marking a major blow to one of the region’s entrenched drug operations.
The defendants named in the indictment include: Anthony Lamont Adams, 41, of Obion County; James Williams Ayers, 51, of Shelby County (Already in Federal Custody); Joaquian Jonulle Bowen, 30, of Dyer County; Edrik Deon Fason, 34, of Madison County (Already in Federal Custody); Derrick Shawen Fields, 36, of Dyer County; L.C. Gills Jr., 48, of Dyer County; Monteith Alvarez Haley, 37, of Dyer County; Charlie Dwayan Hartshaw, 35, of Madison County; Demonta Darnell Henning, 25, of Dyer County; Paul Montrale Isom, 30, of Dyer County; Joseph Deangelo Lee, 44, of Dyer County; Billy Joe Liggon Jr., 40, of Madison County (Already in Federal Custody); Bobby Charles McElrath, 54, of Dyer County; Kenneth Wayne Patrick, 38, of Dyer County; and Jermaine B. Temple, 38, of Madison County.
According to the indictment, between June and December 2016, these 15 suspects worked in concert to move powder cocaine, crack cocaine, and marijuana across county lines, feeding addiction and fueling violence. Law enforcement alleges the group didn’t just sell drugs — they operated as a coordinated syndicate, with members sourcing, transporting, and distributing narcotics while insulating themselves behind layers of criminal tradecraft.
On January 31, a sweeping takedown saw 12 of the 15 defendants arrested by a joint task force of federal, state, and local agents. Three were already locked up on unrelated charges. Raids yielded a trove of evidence: kilos of seized narcotics, stacks of cash, digital scales, packaging materials, and firearms — including weapons recovered during the bust. Authorities say the guns recovered were not incidental, but tools of the trade in a business sustained by fear and force.
“As the indictment alleges, these 15 individuals decided to traffic illicit narcotics throughout our district as a means to fatten their pockets,” said Edward L. Stanton III, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee. “Law enforcement has no tolerance for the distribution of illegal drugs, and this indictment serves as a reminder that we will keep pursuing those suspected of poisoning our community.”
“Gang-related drug activity tears at the fabric of our communities, as gang members peddle poison and innocent people are caught in the violence and related crimes that accompany the drug trade,” said FBI Memphis Special Agent in Charge Michael T. Gavin. Local chiefs echoed the sentiment: Dyersburg’s Steve Isbell praised his Street Crimes Unit and FBI Safe Streets Task Force collaboration, while Jackson’s Christopher Wiser vowed that “criminals do not stop at city limit signs and neither do we.” The message is clear: the feds aren’t backing down from organized drug networks — and no corner of West Tennessee is off-limits.
RELATED: Ex-NYPD Officer, Driver Face Manslaughter in Fatal Crash
RELATED: Serial Embezzler Siphons $1.1M, Faces 20 Years
Related Federal Cases
- Kevin ‘Booger’ Coleman Gets 17 Years for Cocaine Ring · Tennessee
- Billy Ray Allen Gets 20 Years for Crack Cocaine Empire · Tennessee
- Daniel Roger Alo Pleads Guilty to Running Drug Ring from Prison · Georgia
- 25 Charged in ‘Major Stackz’ Drug Ring Bust · Texas
- MS-13 Enforcer Frijole Gets 19 Years for Cocaine and Torture · Tennessee
Key Facts
- State: Tennessee
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Organized Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
🔒 Get the grimiest stories delivered weekly. Subscribe free →
Browse More
MORE FEDERAL CRIME NEWS
Organized CrimeOrganized CrimeOrganized CrimeOrganized Crime