A federal jury has found three members of the Hoover Criminal Gang guilty of murder and related charges in Tennessee. The conviction stems from the 2017 killing of a suspected rival gang member, which authorities say was carried out in retaliation for a previous attack.
Markell Young, 32; Octavius Ferguson, 27; and Jordan Powell, 25, all from Gibson County, Tennessee, were identified as members of the 83rd or Eight Tray, a subset of the Hoover Criminal Gang. This group is known for its violent activities in Tennessee, California, and other locations, involving murder, robberies, and drug trafficking.
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The incident that led to their conviction occurred on January 31, 2017, in Humboldt, Tennessee. The defendants were accused of murdering a suspected member of the rival Gangster Disciples gang by shooting through the victim’s front door, in a show of retaliation for an earlier shooting against their gang.
The jury convicted Young of aiding and abetting the use of a firearm during a violent crime. Ferguson and Powell were found guilty of conspiracy to commit murder in aid of racketeering, murder in aid of racketeering, aiding and abetting the use of a firearm during a violent crime, and causing death by use of a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. Sentencing for Young, Ferguson, and Powell is scheduled for August 20, with Young facing a maximum life sentence and Ferguson and Powell each facing a mandatory minimum life sentence.
Two additional defendants, Bakari Lenon and Monterio Ross, had previously pleaded guilty for their involvement in the murder and were each sentenced to 30 years in prison in October 2023.
The announcement was made by Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, U.S. Attorney Kevin G. Ritz for the Western District of Tennessee, and Special Agent in Charge Marcus Watson of the ATF Nashville Field Division. The FBI, ATF, West Tennessee Drug Task Force, Humboldt Police Department, and Tennessee Bureau of Investigations played key roles in the investigation. The case was prosecuted by Trial Attorney César S. Rivera-Giraud of the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime and Racketeering Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Hillary Parham for the Western District of Tennessee.
Source: Read Original Release
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