KNOXVILLE, TN -The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Tennessee recently announced that eight Knoxville and Chattanooga gang members were convicted by a federal jury for drug, firearm and money laundering offenses following an extensive joint investigation. The defendants, identified as Alim Turner, 23, Ushery Stewart, 22, Ronald Turner, 25, Kedaris Gilmore, 23, Mahlon Prater Jr., 25, and Trevor Cox, 22, Jyshon Forbes, 27, all of Knoxville, Tennessee, and Demetrius Bibbs, 29, of Chattanooga, Tennessee, are facing varying terms of imprisonment of up to life in prison and $10,000,000 in fines.
It is believed that the defendants were involved in other violent criminal acts within the city limits of Knoxville, to potentially include homicides. As part of its ongoing efforts to investigate open and unsolved cases, the Knoxville Police Department Criminal Investigations Division is asking for anyone with information regarding any of the defendants’ involvement in other serious criminal offenses to contact East Tennessee Valley Crime Stoppers.
“Drug trafficking organizations are directly responsible for untold violence in the communities where they do business, and these particular individuals were likely involved in numerous violent acts that have taken place throughout Knoxville. Now that they are behind bars, our hope is that anyone with knowledge of their involvement in the perpetuation of violence will feel safe enough to come forward with that information,” KPD Chief of Police Eve Thomas said.
East Tennessee Valley Crime Stoppers can be reached 24/7 by phone at 1-800-222-8477, online at www.easttnvalleycrimestoppers.
