NASHVILLE — Ivy C. Starks, 50, of Nashville, has pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court to bribery and witness tampering, charges stemming from a shooting at the J.C. Napier public housing development.
According to court documents, Starks, mother to Darryl Starks and aunt to Calvin Starks, was aware that Joshua Woods, also known as J-Looney, was set to testify against her offspring in relation to a previous dispute. On October 16, 2014, Woods was shot by Darryl and Calvin Starks.
Starks is accused of offering Woods a cash bribe and a used Chevrolet Monte Carlo, compelling him not to provide truthful testimony. At the November 2016 preliminary hearing for Darryl Starks, Ivy Starks reportedly threatened Woods’s safety if he testified truthfully, causing him to avoid the witness stand.
Subsequently, after Woods was brought to court as a material witness in December 2014, he gave false testimony and lied to federal agents and grand jury. Woods faced charges of lying to the grand jury and being a convicted felon in possession of firearms, with his case pending.
Darryl Starks and Calvin Starks have been charged with federal firearm offenses, with their cases also pending before the court. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.
The investigation was conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department Gang Unit, with Assistant United States Attorney Sunny A.M. Koshy handling the prosecution.
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Key Facts
- State: Tennessee
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Public Corruption|Weapons|Organized Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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