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          FORMER DEPUTY JAILERS AND OTHERS INDICTED ON DRUG CHARGES

Andre Bowen

Dennis Gunn

Lakisha Sharp

Tiar Shabazz

Patrick Harris

  

Tamera Johnson

Tyrone Taylor

Memphis, TN- A federal grand jury in Memphis returned five indictments charging a total of twelve people with a total of twenty-seven violations of the federal Controlled Substances Act on Wednesday, August 20, 2008 announced Lawrence J. Laurenzi, Acting United States Attorney, My Harrison Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Memphis Division, Mark Luttrell, Shelby County Sheriff and Larry Godwin, Director of the Memphis Police Department. 

        Two of the defendants charged in this series of cases, Tiar Shabbaz, A/K/A “Chicago” and Darryl Brandon Taylor, were employed by the Shelby County Sheriff’s department as deputy jailers at the county jail during 2008.  Shabbaz is named as a defendant in four cases and Taylor is named as a defendant in one case.

        In the first case, Tiar Shabbaz, A/K/A “Chicago,” a 34 year old resident of Memphis Tennessee, Andre Bowen, age 29 and a resident of Memphis, Tennessee, Tamara Johnson, age 26 and a resident of Memphis, Tennessee, Dennis Gunn, a 29 year old resident of Memphis, Tennessee, and Lakisha Sharp, a 27 year old Memphis, Tennessee resident, were all charged with conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute and to distribute marijuana and Xanax in violation of Title 21, United States Code, section 841.  According to the indictment, this conspiracy operated from February of 2008 until July of 2008.  This violation is punishable by imprisonment for up to five years and a fine of up to $250,000.  In addition, each of these defendants was also charged with using a communications facility  to facilitate the commission of a felony violation of the federal Controlled Substances Act in violation of Title 21, United States Code, section 843(b).  The indictment charges that a total of eleven violations of section 843(b) occurred between February 4, 2008, and July 13, 2008. A violation of section 843(b) is punishable by a term of imprisonment of four years and a fine of no more than $250,000.

        In the second case, Shabbaz, Cedric Turner, A/K/A/ “Psycho,” a 29 year old resident of Memphis , Tennessee , and Karleen Zissler, age 41 and a resident of Saginaw , Michigan were charged with conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute and to distribute marijuana in violation of Title 21, United States Code, section 841.  According to the indictment, this conspiracy operated during June and July of 2008.  This violation is punishable by imprisonment for up to five years and a fine of up to $250,000.  In addition, Shabbaz and Zissler were also charged with two counts of using a communications facility to facilitate the commission of a felony violation of the federal Controlled Substances Act in violation of Title 21, United States Code, section 843(b).  The indictment charges that the two violations of section 843(b) occurred on June 28, 2008. A violation of section 843(b) is punishable by a term of imprisonment of four years and a fine of no more than $250,000.      

        In the third case, Shabbaz, Darren Brown, age 25 and a resident of Memphis , Tennessee , and Erika Mayes, a 30 year old Memphis , Tennessee resident, were charged with conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute and to distribute marijuana in violation of Title 21, United States Code, section 841.  According to the indictment, this conspiracy operated during June and July of 2008.  This violation is punishable by imprisonment for up to five years and a fine of up to $250,000.  In addition, each of these defendants was also charged with using a communications facility to facilitate the commission of a felony violation of the federal Controlled Substances Act in violation of Title 21, United States Code, section 843(b).  The indictment charges that a total of seven violations of section 843(b) occurred between June 27, 2008, and July 17, 2008. A violation of section 843(b) is punishable by a term of imprisonment of four years and a fine of no more than $250,000.

                In the fourth case, Shabbaz, Patrick Harris, age 30 and a resident of Memphis , Tennessee , and Latash Golden, a 31 year old Memphis , Tennessee resident, were all charged with conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute and to distribute marijuana in violation of Title 21, United States Code, section 841.  According to the indictment, this conspiracy operated during June of 2008.  This violation is punishable by imprisonment for up to five years and a fine of up to $250,000.  In addition, each of these defendants was also charged with using a communications facility to facilitate the commission of a felony violation of the federal Controlled Substances Act in violation of Title 21, United States Code, section 843(b).  The indictment charges that two violations of section 843(b) occurred in the case, one on June 24, 2008, involving Shabbaz and Golden, and a second on June 26, 2008, involving Harris and Golden. A violation of section 843(b) is punishable by a term of imprisonment of four years and a fine of no more than $250,000.

        In the fifth case, Darryl Brandon Taylor, a 26 year old resident of Memphis , Tennessee , is charged with conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute and to distribute marijuana in violation of Title 21, United States Code, section 841.  According to the indictment, this conspiracy operated during June of 2008.  This violation is punishable by imprisonment for up to five years and a fine of up to $250,000.                        

        At the time of indictment, Andre Bowen, Cedrick Turner, Darren Brown, and Patrick Harris were already incarcerated at the Shelby County Jail.

        All six cases were investigated by members of the Tarnished Blue Task Force, a task force sponsored by the Memphis office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.  The task force is composed of criminal investigators from the FBI, the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office and the Memphis Police Department.  Its purpose is to investigate and prosecute violations of criminal law committed by members of law enforcement.  Assistant United States Attorney Joe Murphy is prosecuting the cases for the government.

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