Inmate Convicted of Possessing Shanks While in Federal Prison

Today, a federal jury in Memphis convicted Mervin Anderson, 40, of Memphis, Tennessee, of one count of possession of contraband in prison, including two homemade knives, or shanks.

According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Anderson was observed on video surveillance inside of the Detention Center in possession of two sharpened, handmade metal knives, commonly referred to as "shanks." The defendant confronted another inmate while swinging the shanks at him. A corrections officer immediately responded to the cell block area and found the defendant still in possession of the shanks. When the shanks were taken from the defendant, he exclaimed, "God is on my side, I was about to kill that boy."

The defendant faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison. Sentencing will be set at a later date.

The defendant is currently awaiting trial in a pending case where he is charged with conspiracy to distribute fentanyl. The pending case is currently set for trial on Nov. 3, 2025.

Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew Galeotti of the Justice Department's Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney Joseph C. Murphy for the Western District of Tennessee made the announcement.

The U.S. Marshals Service and the Shelby County Division of Corrections are investigating the case.

Trial Attorneys Amanda J. Kotula and Cesar Rivera-Giraud of the Criminal Division's Violent Crime and Racketeering Section are prosecuting the case.

This case is part of the Criminal Division's Violent Crime Initiative in Memphis conducted in partnership with the U.S. Attorney's Office in the Western District of Tennessee and local, state, and federal law enforcement. The joint effort addresses violent crime by employing, where appropriate, federal laws to prosecute gang members and their associates in Memphis.