What started as a fugitive pickup on Ardwick Drive quickly turned into something much bigger, as Memphis officers say they found guns, drugs, and cash stashed inside a southeast Memphis apartment.
On May 7, members of the Memphis Police Department's Fugitive Unit and the Memphis Safe Task Force hit an apartment in the 6900 block of Ardwick Drive with an arrest warrant and ended up detaining three people, according to authorities. Inside, investigators reported finding multiple firearms, suspected narcotics, and a large amount of cash. The three suspects - 27-year-old Anthony Thomas, 24-year-old Jamell Taylor, and 26-year-old Jamie Moss - were booked on a slate of drug and weapons charges.
According to the Memphis Police Department, officers arrived around 10:53 a.m., entered the residence, and detained Taylor inside. Thomas was found in a back room and was also taken into custody without incident. Moss, identified by police as a resident, was detained when he came back to the apartment while officers were still on the scene. Detectives then obtained a search warrant for the unit and conducted a full search.
What officers found
Once they started looking, investigators say the apartment looked a lot less like a simple hideout and more like a small-scale operation. Officers recovered four handguns and three rifles, and later learned that one of the rifles had been reported stolen. They also logged weapon magazines, assorted ammunition, and six digital scales as evidence.
On top of the firepower, police say they seized suspected controlled substances, including packaged marijuana, psilocybin mushrooms, promethazine with codeine and hydrocodone, along with what they described as a significant amount of currency, according to FOX13 Memphis.
Charges and booking
Per the Memphis Police Department, Thomas drew the longest list of counts. He is charged with multiple counts of possession with intent to manufacture or deliver marijuana, psilocybin and promethazine with codeine; possession of legend drugs without prescriptions; possession of drug paraphernalia; seven counts of possession of a firearm during the commission of a dangerous felony; and being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm.
Taylor and Moss face similar drug and weapons counts tied to the seized narcotics and firearms, police said. Taylor was also cited for indecent exposure. All three suspects were booked into the Shelby County Jail. Officials did not immediately release bond information.
Task force context
The operation brought in personnel from the Memphis Safe Task Force, a multi-agency team that has made thousands of arrests and seized hundreds of firearms since it launched in late 2025, according to The Daily Memphian. Local leaders have leaned heavily on targeted warrant work and fugitive sweeps like this one in an effort to disrupt suspected drug dealers and repeat gun offenders.
Legal implications
The three defendants are staring down state felony charges that carry serious prison time if they are convicted, particularly the enhanced penalties that come with possession of a firearm during a dangerous felony and for a convicted felon found with a gun. Formal charging documents and court dates will be recorded in Shelby County criminal court records as the cases move forward.
Investigators are still asking for the public's help. Anyone with information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers at 901-528-CASH. Police said they posted photos of the seized evidence along with their news release and encouraged potential witnesses to come forward.
