Three Memphis gang members receive lengthy sentences after retaliatory shooting case.
Three members of the Unknown Vice Lords, a Memphis street gang, have received prison sentences totaling more than 42 years after federal cases tied them to a planned gang shooting and firearms offenses. The sentences were announced by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) on October 1, 2026. The case involved an attack on a Memphis home where members of a rival gang and their families were staying. Federal prosecutors said the shooting was carried out as retaliation after an earlier attack injured four people.
Antwon Brown, 33, of Memphis, received the longest sentence. Also known as Yayo, Brown was sentenced to 300 months, or 25 years, in prison for attempted murder and firing a gun into an occupied home. Cordera Douglas, 37, of Memphis, also known as Chuckie Dee, received an 87-month sentence for conspiring to commit murder. Willie Merriweather, 42, of Antioch, Tennessee, was sentenced to 120 months for the same offense. Merriweather was described in court records as a high-ranking member of the gang.
According to court documents cited by the DOJ, Brown, Douglas and Merriweather were ranked members of the Unknown Vice Lords, also known as the Ghost Mob. Prosecutors said the group operated as a criminal organization across parts of Tennessee, Arkansas and Mississippi. Court records say members were involved in murders, assaults and drug trafficking carried out for the group.
The events leading to the shooting began on September 6, 2020, when rival gang members reportedly fired at members of the Unknown Vice Lords and their families. Four people were injured during that attack. Federal prosecutors said Merriweather then ordered a retaliatory shooting. Douglas took part in a meeting where the planned response was discussed, according to court documents.
Shortly after midnight on September 7, 2020, Brown went to the home of the rival gang members. Prosecutors said he was carrying assault-style rifles and wearing a mask and gloves. He then fired about 40 to 50 rounds into the residence while people were inside. Security cameras in the neighborhood recorded the shooting, and the department said the video showed Brown carrying and firing several firearms at the home.
The case also involves two other defendants. Ricky Rogers Jr., 32, of Memphis, known as Double R or RR, is scheduled to be sentenced on November 5. Tevin Richardson, 34, also of Memphis and known as Santana, is scheduled for trial on April 4, 2027. The prosecution is part of a federal effort focused on violent crime in Memphis and nearby areas. The DOJ said federal, state and local agencies have been working together to investigate gang-related violence and bring cases under federal law.
Officials said the case shows the federal government’s continued focus on violent offenses involving gang members. The department also said federal resources are being used alongside local and state law enforcement efforts in Memphis. The three sentences announced October 1 resolve the cases against Brown, Douglas and Merriweather. The separate proceedings involving Rogers and Richardson remain pending, with Rogers facing sentencing and Richardson scheduled for trial in 2027.
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3 unknown Vice Lords members sentenced in attempted murder of rival gang
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