Sterling Rivers, Crack Cocaine Distribution, Tennessee 2013

Tennessee Vice Lord Leader Sentenced to 28 Years in Prison for Crack Cocaine Distribution

Sterling Rivers, 26, of Lebanon, Tennessee, was sentenced yesterday in U.S. District Court to 28 years in prison for conspiring to distribute large quantities of crack cocaine and cocaine, as part of his involvement in a criminal street gang called the Unknown Vice Lords.

Rivers, also known as ‘Little Real’, fled following his indictment in September 2011 and was arrested in October 2011 as a fugitive in Texas. He was convicted following a trial in September 2013, during which he represented himself.

According to U.S. Attorney David Rivera, ‘This sentence reaffirms that drug trafficking and organized crime will result in significant prison sentences.’

The convictions in this case followed a two-week trial, during which Rivers represented himself. Proof at trial established that Rivers was engaged in organizing the Vice Lords Gang throughout the state of Tennessee and had been involved in an array of violent crime, including the robbery of another drug dealer and the shooting of another individual.

Sixteen other defendants were also charged in connection with this investigation and all have been convicted. The investigation was conducted by the FBI, the Lebanon Police Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, and the Tennessee Highway Patrol. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Braden H. Boucek and Brent Hannafan.

This case sends a clear message that violent gang activity in this district will be vigorously pursued by the U.S. Attorney’s Office and our law enforcement partners, said U.S. Attorney David Rivera. We will continue to work tirelessly to bring those responsible for organized crime to justice.

Rivers’ sentence is a significant blow to the Vice Lords Gang, which has been a source of violence and crime in Tennessee for far too long. We hope that this sentence will serve as a deterrent to others who would engage in similar activity.

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