Department of Justice
For Immediate Release
Gangster Disciples Member Receives 120 Months in Federal Prison
Memphis, TN – A 22-year-old member of the Gangster Disciples has been sentenced to 10 years in federal prison for felony possession of a firearm. The sentencing was announced today by Edward L. Stanton III, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee.
Gregory Shaw a.k.a. Violent is part of a Ripley, TN-based subset of the Gangster Disciples, one of the nation’s largest gangs. According to the indictment, on November 4th, 2014, Shaw knowingly possessed a Smith & Wesson .380 caliber pistol. He was a felon at the time.
According to information presented at the sentencing hearing, Shaw, along with several other members of the criminal street gang, robbed five individuals in the Highland Street Apartments Complex at gunpoint. Shaw struck two of the individuals in the head with a pistol. The perpetrators reportedly yelled out phrases symbolizing their allegiance to the Gangster Disciples during the crime.
An anonymous individual alerted the Ripley Police Department of a commotion involving individuals with handguns, according to court information. When officers arrived on the scene, they saw several males running from the back of the apartment complex. Law enforcement was able to locate and apprehend Shaw shortly after the crime behind a nearby residence. A loaded Smith & Wesson .380 caliber pistol and one of the victims’ wallets were in his possession. The gun had been stolen during a residential burglary in May 2013.
Last week, Judge John T. Fowlkes Jr. sentenced Shaw to the statutory maximum of 120 months imprisonment.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives; Tennessee Bureau of Investigation; Ripley Police Department; and 25th Judicial District Attorney General’s Office.
The case was prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Samuel Stringfellow on the government’s behalf.
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