13 arrested for $250K chicken heist used for drug debt
by: Deja Davis
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — A man was arrested along with 12 other people after the Memphis Safe Task Force said they were executing an arrest warrant for him and caught the group trying to steal $250,000 worth of chicken from a semi-trailer.
Javunte Johnson, 33, was charged with possession of a firearm and theft of property $60,000-$250,000. He is currently held in jail on a $280,000 bond.
On September 15, law enforcement said they were conducting a warrant pick-up on Javunte Johnson for aggravated robbery in the 3800 block of Lamar Avenue.
When they pulled up behind the hotel, they said Johnson, along with 12 other people, was seen unloading stolen pallets of chicken from an 18-wheeler. When the individuals saw the police, they were accused of running away.
However, the task force says they were still able to arrest everyone, including Robert Wilson, who was identified as the driver of the semi-truck.
Wilson told police that he was trading his load to pay off a drug debt that he owed to one of the men who was also arrested. He says he made a deal with the man to take the load as payment for the drugs.
Investigators say they contacted Wilson’s employer and the company that hired his employer to ship the load.
Here is a list of those arrested:
- Javunte Johnson
- Robert Wilson
- Quantrivious Shaver
- Jessie Moore
- Samuel Jackson
- John Shipp
- Rico Jackson
- Devean Hoyle
- Trashawn Featherson
- Robert Dishmon
- Marcellous McKinney
- Alexis Pike
The task force says two of the thirteen people arrested, 25-year-old Quantrivious Shavers and 37-year-old Jessie Moore, were charged with felon in possession. Three guns were also found at the scene
Robert Wilson and Quantrivious Shavers are currently held in jail on a $100,000 bond. Moore’s bond was set at $200,000.
They are set to appear in court on Thursday morning.
Records showed that Johnson was a convicted felon after pleading guilty to possession of a controlled substance with intent back in May 2021 and was sentenced to six years.
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