Fourteen Members of the Traveling Vice Lords/Junk Yard Dogs Street Gang Sentenced in Federal Court

Fourteen Members of the Traveling Vice Lords/Junk Yard Dogs Street Gang Sentenced in Federal Court

Memphis, TN – The last of fourteen members of the Traveling Vice Lords/Junk Yard Dogs (TVL/JYD) street gang, convicted of crimes under the Racketeering Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act, has been sentenced in federal court.  Kevin G. Ritz, United States Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee, announced the sentences today.

According to information presented in court, the TVL/JYD is a violent criminal street gang that operates throughout the Western District of Tennessee.  A subset of Chicago’s Almighty Vice Lord Nation, the gang participated in a series of attempted murders and murders of rival gang members during a gang war in the summer of 2020.  The shootings spanned five different crime scenes across Fayette and Hardeman Counties.

“These defendants were members of a violent gang who threatened the safety and security of communities throughout West Tennessee,” said United States Attorney Ritz.  “Now they will be serving significant time—in some cases, life—in federal prison.  This office will continue to work with our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners to bring gang members and trigger-pullers to justice.”

Tennessee Bureau of Investigation Director David Rausch stated, “Our agency is dedicated to investigating and pursuing violent gang members and restoring safety and peace.  I want to commend the justice system’s commitment to curbing gang violence by sending a strong message that such heinous acts won’t be tolerated.  We will continue to work tirelessly with our partners to combat violent crime across the great State of Tennessee.”

Three of the gang members, Tomarcus Baskerville, Courtland Springfield, and Thomas Smith, were convicted by a federal jury of RICO offenses on February 9, 2024.  Eleven other TVL/JYD members pled guilty to RICO offenses in 2023.  United States District Court Judge Sheryl H. Lipman sentenced the defendants as follows:

There is no parole in the federal system.

This case was investigated by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; Fayette County Sheriff’s Office; Hardeman County Sheriff’s Office; Whiteville Police Department; and Somerville Police Department.

United States Attorney Ritz thanked Assistant United States Attorneys Neal Oldham, William Bateman, Beth Boswell, and Special Assistant United States Attorney Raven Icaza, who prosecuted this case, as well as the law enforcement partners who investigated the case.  Additionally, he thanked District Attorney General Mark Davidson and the 25th Judicial District for their assistance in the prosecution.