Three members of the Hoover Criminal Gang have been convicted for their roles in the murder of a suspected rival gang member, announced federal authorities. Markell Young, Octavius Ferguson, and Jordan Powell, all from Gibson County, Tennessee, were found guilty by a federal jury in connection to the violent crime.
The murder took place on Jan. 31, 2017, in Humboldt, Tennessee, when the defendants targeted a suspected member of the rival Gangster Disciples gang. Young ordered Ferguson, Powell, and two other co-defendants to carry out the murder by indiscriminately shooting firearms through the victim's open front door, resulting in the victim's death.
Young, Ferguson, and Powell were convicted of various charges including aiding and abetting the use of a firearm during a crime of violence and conspiracy to commit murder in aid of racketeering. They are set to be sentenced on Aug. 20, with Young facing a maximum penalty of life in prison, while Ferguson and Powell each face a mandatory minimum sentence of life in prison.
Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, U.S. Attorney Kevin G. Ritz, and Special Agent in Charge Marcus Watson of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Nashville Field Division were among the officials who made the announcement regarding the convictions.
The investigation and prosecution of the case involved multiple law enforcement agencies including the FBI, ATF, West Tennessee Drug Task Force, Humboldt Police Department, and Tennessee Bureau of Investigations.
Trial Attorney César S. Rivera-Giraud and Assistant U.S. Attorney Hillary Parham are handling the prosecution of the case in collaboration with the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and the Western District of Tennessee.
The two additional defendants, Bakari Lenon and Monterio Ross, who were involved in the homicide, had previously pleaded guilty in October 2023 and were each sentenced to 30 years in prison.