A federal jury in Memphis has delivered a major blow to the Unknown Vice Lords, convicting two high‑ranking members in the 2019 killing of one of their own during a violent internal power struggle.
Edward "E‑Money" Allen, 42, and Deandre "Dre" Rodgers, 29, were found guilty of causing death by use of a firearm during a racketeering murder after a one‑week federal trial. The two now face up to life in prison and are scheduled to be sentenced on May 11, 2026.
Prosecutors Say the Slaying Was Retaliatory
According to a Department of Justice press release, prosecutors told jurors the killing unfolded in the chaotic days after the Jan. 10, 2019, daylight murder of the gang’s Supreme Elite Chief. In the aftermath, Unknown Vice Lords members launched a series of retaliatory attacks, with this slaying framed as part of that wave of violence.
Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva called the killing "calculated and merciless" and said the gang’s actions "pose a clear danger to our communities." Prosecutors said the jury convicted Allen and Rodgers of causing death by use of a firearm during and in relation to a murder in aid of racketeering.
Evidence, a 'Demo', and a Prior Conviction
Prosecutors presented evidence that on Jan. 14, 2019, co‑defendant Vincent "V‑Slash" Grant supplied guns to several members for what the gang described as a "demo," essentially a violent mission meant to send a message. According to court documents cited by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of Tennessee, Allen and Rodgers then drove the victim to the rear of an apartment complex, where he was executed.
Grant was previously convicted at trial and later sentenced to more than 24 years in prison, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Local coverage by WREG reported on the verdict and highlighted the defendants’ ages and gang aliases.
Sentencing and Legal Stakes
Allen and Rodgers face a statutory maximum of life in prison and will be sentenced by a federal judge on May 11, 2026. The judge will weigh the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines along with other statutory factors, according to the Department of Justice.
Trial attorneys from the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime and Racketeering Section prosecuted the case with support from the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Memphis and a lineup of federal and state partners that included the ATF, the FBI, and the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation. Prosecutors cast the case as part of a broader Violent Crime Initiative aimed at taking down violent street‑gang leadership in the Memphis area.
What This Means for Memphis
The convictions mark another chapter in a sustained federal push to target entrenched gang networks in Memphis and move long‑running investigations into the trial phase. Hoodline previously reported on Grant’s Earlier Racketeering Murder Conviction last June, as well as recent task‑force crackdowns that officials say are intended to tamp down neighborhood violence.
With Allen and Rodgers now awaiting sentencing in May, prosecutors say the investigation into the broader Unknown Vice Lords network remains active, and more cases could be on deck.
