Ten People Indicted for Federal Firearm and Violent Crimes in Western Tennessee

Press Release

One Defendant is Charged with Possessing a "Switch"; one Defendant is Charged with Possessing a Pipe Bomb.

Memphis, TN - A federal grand jury returned indictments charging ten people in West Tennessee with federal gun and violent crime offenses, including Lavaughn Gilmore, 26, who is facing charges for illegally possessing a machine-gun conversion device (also known as a "switch"). Acting United States Attorney Reagan Fondren announced the indictments today.

"Violent crime endangers every resident and every family in Western Tennessee," said Acting United States Attorney Fondren. "These indictments reflect our commitment to tackling violent crime and sending a strong message: if you break federal gun laws, you will face significant penalties. The safety of our citizens remains our top priority and we will continue to pursue justice for our communities."

The following defendants were charged with other firearm or violent crime offenses:

• Colton Sisco, 30, was indicted on multiple charges involving making and possessing a firearm - specifically a pipe bomb - in violation of the National Firearms Act;
• Anthony Wells, 33, was indicted with being a felon in possession of a firearm;
• Derrico Childs, 21, Exavier Spivey, 25, and James Howard, 22, were charged in a superseding indictment for four counts of armed carjacking and four counts of use of a firearm during a violent crime;
• Derrion Turner, 19, was indicted for two armed car jackings and an attempted armed carjacking in Memphis committed over a 10-day span in August and September 2023;
• Justin Bobo, 33, was indicted for possession of a firearm after having at least three prior convictions for serious drug offenses or violent felonies;
• Keihdra Bledsoe, 28, was indicted for being a felon in possession of a firearm; and
• Mike Alex Burks Jr., 46, was indicted for being a felon in possession of a firearm.

These cases are being investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; the Federal Bureau of Investigation's Safe Streets Task Force; the Project Safe Neighborhoods Gun Task Force; the Memphis Police Department; and the Shelby County Sheriff's Office. Anyone with information about switches or other federal gun crimes can call 1-800-ATF-GUNS (1-800-283-4867).

The charges and allegations contained in the indictments are merely accusations of criminal conduct, not evidence. The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt and convicted through due process of law. If convicted, each defendant's sentence will be determined by the Court after review of the factors unique to the case, including the defendant's prior criminal records (if any), the defendant's role in the offense, and the characteristics of the violation.

These indictments are part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, using data-driven methods to set focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

Acting United States Attorney Reagan Fondren thanked the Assistant United States Attorneys prosecuting these cases, as well as the law enforcement partners who investigated the cases.

Updated November 4, 2024