MEMPHIS, TN – Vincent Grant, 41, a high-ranking member of the notorious Unknown Vice Lords (UVL) gang, was convicted yesterday by a federal jury for his chilling role in a gang-related murder that unfolded in broad daylight. The conviction brings a measure of closure to a case that has haunted the streets of Memphis since January 2019, and exposes the brutal inner workings of a criminal enterprise stretching across state lines.
The evidence presented at trial painted a grim picture of UVL, also known as The Ghost Mob, a gang that allegedly controlled territory not only throughout Memphis, but also extending into Arkansas and Mississippi. Prosecutors detailed how UVL members engaged in a litany of crimes – murder, burglary, assault, human trafficking, and drug trafficking – all in the name of maintaining control. The current case stemmed from the January 10, 2019, murder of the gang’s Supreme Elite Chief and his girlfriend, a brazen act that ignited a furious quest for revenge.
Initially, UVL members believed a rival gang, the Traveling Vice Lords (TVL), was responsible for the Chief’s murder. A retaliatory gun battle erupted that same night at a known TVL hangout. However, internal investigation soon revealed a far more disturbing truth: a fellow UVL member was suspected of betraying their leader. This revelation led to the cold-blooded execution of the implicated member, and Grant’s central role in it.
Five days after the Chief’s murder, on January 15, 2019, the victim – the very man UVL suspected of the betrayal – was murdered. Grant, described as a “keeper of guns” for the gang, allegedly supplied firearms to multiple UVL members just one day prior, for what the gang termed a “demo” – a chilling euphemism for a violent act. Grant and three other gang members then drove the victim to an apartment complex, where two of them carried out the execution with the very weapons Grant had provided. The body was left as a grim warning to any potential future traitors.
“This violent gang brutally executed one of their own and left the body on display as a warning that betrayal would not be tolerated,” stated Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Their blatant disregard for human life – carrying out shootings in broad daylight and in residential neighborhoods – underscores the urgent need to confront and dismantle this threat to public safety.”
Acting ATF Director Daniel Driscoll echoed those sentiments, stating, “Gang violence is never isolated – it endangers entire communities. This gang’s brutal executions…sent a chilling message of intimidation; but ATF and our law enforcement partners sent an even stronger one back: violence and fear will not prevail.” The ATF and the Justice Department have worked tirelessly to turn this cold case into a conviction, promising continued dedication to dismantling violent gangs and holding perpetrators accountable. Grant now awaits sentencing on the charge of causing death by use of a firearm.
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Key Facts
- Agency: ATF
- Category: Organized Crime|Violent Crime|Weapons
- Source: Official Press Release
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