Shuntario Johnson, Carjacking by Force and Violence, Tennessee 2018

Shuntario Johnson, 37, of Memphis, Tennessee, stands charged in a violent federal indictment tied to a string of armed robberies targeting drug dealers across Western Tennessee — one of which ended in a fatality. Federal prosecutors unsealed the charges on March 7, 2018, following a four-month investigation led by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and supported by multiple federal and state agencies. The operation targeted illicit drug operations, but unleashed a wave of violence that crossed the line into murder.

Johnson is named in five counts, including carjacking by force and violence, discharging a firearm during a crime of violence, and possession of a firearm after a prior felony conviction. Specifically, Count 3 charges Johnson with carjacking with intent to cause serious bodily injury. Counts 4 and 5 allege he carried and discharged a firearm during the violent theft of a motor vehicle transported in interstate commerce. Count 6 accuses him of illegal firearm possession due to a prior conviction punishable by more than one year in prison.

Also indicted: Marcus Danner, 38; Quintez Agnew, 33; and John Lott, 29 — all of Memphis, Tennessee. The four men are jointly charged in Counts 1 and 2 with conspiracy to obstruct commerce by robbing drug traffickers, and conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of a cocaine mixture. These charges stem from a coordinated effort to rip off narcotics dealers, exploiting their reluctance to report crimes to law enforcement.

Count 7 accuses all four of attempting to rob an individual involved in narcotics trafficking — an act that directly interfered with interstate commerce. Counts 8 and 9 escalate the charges, alleging they used and discharged firearms during the attempted robbery of a man identified as B.B., again targeting drug proceeds. The use of firearms during violent crimes triggers mandatory minimum sentences under federal law, exposing the crew to decades behind bars if convicted.

The investigation was conducted under the Department of Justice’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) Program, aimed at dismantling major drug and violent crime networks. By focusing on high-level traffickers and the armed crews that prey on them, federal authorities seek to disrupt the underground economy fueling violence in cities like Memphis. This case underscores how predator gangs infiltrate already-illegal markets, turning drug deals into death sentences.

All four defendants — Marcus Danner, Quintez Agnew, Shuntario Johnson, and John Lott — are currently in federal custody awaiting trial. U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant emphasized that no one is above the law, even in the shadow economy: ‘Robbing drug dealers doesn’t make you a vigilante — it makes you a violent criminal. And when you pull the trigger, you will face the full weight of federal justice.’

Related Federal Cases