In a decisive crackdown on gang violence, Philmon Deshawn Chambers, a top dog in the Gangster Disciples, and Andrea Paige Browner, a chief figure in the affiliated Sisters of the Struggle, were slapped with hefty prison sentences for their parts in a spate of gang-related murders in Athens, Georgia. The pair were handed their fates by Chief U.S. District Judge Marc Treadwell on March 20, with Chambers receiving two consecutive life terms plus a 120-month chaser and Browner locked in for two concurrent 30-year stretches, as reported by the Department of Justice.
Found guilty on a slew of charges, including Racketeer Influenced and Corruption Organization (RICO) Conspiracy and Violent Crime in Aid of Racketeering, the duo epitomized the kind of ruthless street law that has terrorized communities. "Philmon Chambers and his co-conspirators’ murderous crimes caused intense pain and suffering for three Georgia families whose loved ones were taken from them in a heinous manner," U.S. Attorney Peter D. Leary said in a Department of Justice press release. “While no court can restore the lives that were lost, we hope these sentences provide some measure of justice and underscore our office’s commitment – working alongside our law enforcement partners – to combatting violent crime.” This sentiment was echoed by FBI Special Agent Keri Farley, who stressed the message of hope to communities besieged by gang violence.
The murders date back to December 2018, when a Gangster Disciple was killed in Athens. In a purported act of vengeance, Chambers, Browner, and their cohorts mistakenly targeted and executed three Athens men between December 14 and 19. The bodies of Ruff and Jackson were concealed in a storage unit until discovered by law enforcement in March 2019, based on evidence presented at trial.
Two more among the accused, Robert Maurice Carlisle and Shabazz Larry Guidry, have entered guilty pleas and are staring down the barrel of potential life sentences, scheduled to be sentenced on March 27. Ahead of them, Lesley Chappell Green, identified as a member of the Gangster Disciples' Enforcement Team, already began serving a life sentence post-conviction in February, as detailed by the DOJ.
The feds made it clear that these sentences signal a zero-tolerance policy for violent criminal enterprises. The case is a feather in the cap for the Project Safe Neighborhoods program, a keystone in the Department of Justice's violent crime reduction efforts – a coordinated offensive by federal, state, and local players aiming to roll back the tide of crime by targeting the most violent offenders.
