A federal jury in Memphis has found Mervin Anderson, 40, of Memphis, Tennessee, guilty of possessing contraband while incarcerated at the Detention Center. Anderson was convicted on one count after evidence showed he had two handmade metal knives, known as shanks.
Court documents and trial evidence revealed that Anderson was seen on video surveillance holding the shanks inside the facility. He confronted another inmate and swung the weapons at him. A corrections officer intervened and recovered the knives from Anderson. Upon being disarmed, Anderson stated, “God is on my side, I was about to kill that boy.”
Anderson could face up to five years in prison for this conviction. The sentencing date has not yet been determined.
In addition to this case, Anderson is awaiting trial for an unrelated charge of conspiracy to distribute fentanyl. That trial is scheduled for November 3, 2025.
Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew Galeotti of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney Joseph C. Murphy for the Western District of Tennessee announced the conviction.
The U.S. Marshals Service and Shelby County Division of Corrections investigated the case. Trial Attorneys Amanda J. Kotula and Cesar Rivera-Giraud from the Violent Crime and Racketeering Section are prosecuting it.
This prosecution is part of a broader Violent Crime Initiative led by the Criminal Division in partnership with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Tennessee as well as other law enforcement agencies in Memphis. The initiative aims to address violent crime by using federal laws to prosecute gang members and associates where appropriate.
