MEMPHIS, TN – Justice came down hard on four members of the Gangster Disciples street gang this week, with collective sentences exceeding 30 years in federal prison. The crew was convicted for a pair of brazen armed robberies – one targeting a Ripley, Tennessee convenience store, and the other a local drug dealer. U.S. Attorney Edward L. Stanton III announced the sentences, the culmination of a years-long investigation.
The sentences handed down by U.S. District Judge John T. Fowlkes Jr. break down as follows: Joe Reed, aka “Four Times,” 26, of Ripley, Tennessee, received 120 months. Antwone Crew, aka “Gator,” also 26 and from Ripley, was sentenced to 109 months. Andreas Wells, aka “Drizzy,” 20, of Ripley, will spend 106 months behind bars. The lightest sentence went to Sequna Copeland, aka “Cutthroat,” 27, of Ripley, who received 27 months, but also faces consequences for a separate charge of perjury.
The crime spree began on the evening of December 10, 2014, when Reed, Wells and Crew stormed the Ripley Express Convenience Store, masks covering their faces and firearms in hand. According to court documents, one of the trio brandished a shotgun at the terrified store clerk while emptying the cash register. Hours later, the same group targeted a trailer home in Gates, Tennessee, intending to rob a known drug dealer. Law enforcement arrived just as the masked men were entering the residence, and a man was fleeing out the back.
A tense standoff ensued. The four suspects initially denied any involvement when questioned by officers, refusing to allow a search of the trailer. However, a search of the surrounding area quickly turned up crucial evidence – clothing matching what was seen in the Ripley Express surveillance footage. Inside a nearby Buick Century, officers discovered a firearm, further linking the suspects to the convenience store robbery. An anonymous tip later confirmed that the robbers were still inside the trailer, prompting a more thorough investigation.
The investigation, a joint effort by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI), and the Ripley Police Department, pieced together the evidence through witness interviews, search warrants, and GPS data. Crew and Wells were quickly apprehended. Reed and Copeland, however, managed to evade capture for eight months, landing them both on the TBI’s “Top 10 Most Wanted” list before finally being brought to justice. Copeland’s troubles didn’t end there; while testifying before a Grand Jury on July 30, 2015, she knowingly provided false statements to protect Reed and Crew, resulting in a perjury charge.
Ultimately, between March and June 2016, Reed, Wells, and Crew each pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to rob a drug dealer and one count of aiding and abetting the robbery while armed with a firearm. Copeland pleaded guilty to perjury in July 2016. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sam Stringfellow successfully prosecuted the case, bringing a violent crew of Gangster Disciples to account for their crimes and sending a clear message that such brazen acts will not be tolerated in Western Tennessee.
Related Federal Cases
- Gangster Disciple ‘D-Money’ Pleads Guilty to RICO · Tennessee
- Memphis Robber Pleads Guilty to Armed Heist · Tennessee
- Greg & Patricia Fessell Get Over 18 Years for Meth & Guns · Washington
- Convicted Felon Pleads Guilty to Armed Carjacking in Memphis · Tennessee
- Whipple Sentenced to 70 Months for TN Bank Robberies · Tennessee
Key Facts
- State: Tennessee
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Organized Crime|Violent Crime|Weapons
- Source: Official Source ↗
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