06/13/2026
***PRESS RELEASE***
VIOLENT SHELBY COUNTY FELON BEHIND BARS ON DRUG AND WEAPON CHARGES
SHELBY COUNTY, TENN. – The West Tennessee Violent Crime and Drug Task Force says that a joint investigation with partnering Agencies results in a violent felon behind bars.
During the afternoon hours of June 10th, Agents with the West Tennessee Drug Task Force’s Violent Crime Initiative in partnership with the Tennessee Highway Patrol and the Memphis Office of the D.E.A. concluded an investigation into the selling of fentanyl from a room at the Deluxe Inn and Suites on Lamar Ave. by conducting a traffic stop on the suspect who had been identified as Stephen Shelby, 43, of Memphis. During the traffic stop, Agents seized approximately ¼ ounce of fentanyl and ½ ounce of m**hamphetamine. The roadside investigation, ultimately led to the service of a search warrant on Shelby’s hotel room where Agents seized a loaded semi-automatic handgun, a loaded derringer style handgun and a set of digital scales.
Records indicate that Shelby has been convicted of multiple violent felonies to include; facilitation of first degree murder, especially aggravated robbery, aggravated assault, possession of a weapon by a convicted felon and Aggravated burglary leading Agents to seek charges of 2 counts of possession of schedule II drugs for sale, 2 counts possession of a weapon by a convicted felon and 2 counts possession of a weapon during the commission of a dangerous felony.
"it's sometimes overlooked that this is the West Tennessee VIOLENT CRIME and Drug Task Force. We focus on the connection between violence and the drug trade. This case is a good example."
D.A. Steve Mulroy
“The beauty of the West Tennessee Violent Crime and Drug Task Force is the ability to join multiple people of different expertise from multiple Agencies together to come up with the desired end result and in this case, that is getting a violent individual who peddles poison like fentanyl and m**h to our citizens. I appreciate the partnerships and give kudos to the fine men and women who made Memphis a little safer yesterday.”
- Johnie Carter, Director
The Shelby County District Attorney's Office of Steve Mulroy will be prosecuting this case.
The West Tennessee Violent Crime and Drug Task Force is a law enforcement agency that operates by agreement between the 28th, 29th and 30th District Attorneys General of Frederick Agee, Danny Goodman and Steve Mulroy. The V.C.I.F. Unit operates out of the 30th District and is made up of full time employees of the Drug Task Force. These Task Force Agents, are assigned to work fulltime in the nine most dangerous zip codes in Memphis under the Governor’s Violent Crime Initiative Fund grant (V.C.I.F.).
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Johnie Carter
Director
901-222-1480
