Derriyl DeAndre Maben, 34, of Ripley, Tennessee, is headed to federal prison for 100 months after being convicted of illegally possessing firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking. The sentence, handed down April 26, 2019, by U.S. District Court Judge Thomas L. Parker, marks the end of a violent criminal run through Lauderdale County that law enforcement says endangered the entire community.
Maben, described in court as the ‘go to person’ for firearms in Ripley, was arrested following a multi-agency raid on his residence on July 26, 2017. Agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Ripley Police Department, Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI), and Tennessee Department of Correction (TDOC) seized multiple loaded firearms, along with marijuana, methamphetamine (ICE), and drug paraphernalia. The haul confirmed what investigators had long suspected: Maben was arming a drug operation.
The case took a more violent turn with evidence showing Maben discharged a firearm during a physical altercation at the L & M Market on Eastland Street in Ripley on September 30, 2017. Witnesses placed him at the scene, weapon in hand, escalating what started as a dispute into a life-threatening incident. That act, federal prosecutors argued, proved Maben didn’t just traffic drugs—he used guns to enforce his control.
On July 16, 2018, Maben pleaded guilty to a four-count federal indictment: possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking, being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm, and being a convicted felon in possession of ammunition. His criminal record, stretching back years, includes multiple felony and misdemeanor convictions for violence, drug possession, and property damage.
U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant didn’t mince words: ‘Mr. Maben has devoted his adult life to a career of criminal conduct in Lauderdale County, and that prior history has finally caught up with him.’ Dunavant emphasized that Maben was on felony probation at the time of the offenses, underscoring the brazen nature of his actions. ‘This sentence removing him from the community for more than 8 years will make Lauderdale County and West Tennessee a safer place.’
The investigation was a joint effort by the ATF, Ripley Police Department, TBI, and TDOC. Assistant U.S. Attorney Raney Irwin prosecuted the case for the federal government. Maben will serve 100 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release.
Related Federal Cases
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- Telford Man Stashes Gun, Gets 7 Years · Washington
- Justin Jerome Jones Faces Federal Gun Charges After Nashville Standoff · Mississippi
- Knoxville’s Steven Johnson Gets 37 Months for Gun, Silencer Crimes · Tennessee
- Dunavant Declares War on Violent Gun Crime in West Tennessee · Tennessee
Key Facts
- State: Tennessee
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Weapons
- Source: Official Source ↗
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