Memphis police say 13 people were arrested after they were caught unloading roughly $250,000 worth of stolen chicken from an 18-wheeler in the back parking lot of an Economy Inn. When officers moved in, the suspects fled, and all of them were caught. Along with the pallets of poultry, investigators recovered three handguns, about $110,000 in additional stolen merchandise, and deadly drugs including fentanyl and cocaine.
The charges spread across the group. Javunte Johnson, 33, faces aggravated robbery and theft counts, and a warrant was executed against him for aggravated robbery. Quantrivious Shavers, 25, and Jessie Moore, 37, were each charged with felon in possession of a handgun. Samuel Jackson, 38, faces theft and cocaine possession, while Alexis Pike, 21, was charged with evading arrest and two counts of theft under $1,000. Twelve suspects were listed in the charges, with 13 arrests reported overall.
For Suncoast listeners, the food heist is the easy headline, but stolen freight is a real issue along Florida’s trucking corridors. I-75 and I-4 carry produce, frozen goods, and retail merchandise year-round, and stolen food is difficult to trace once it leaves a trailer. The presence of weapons and fentanyl in the same bust is the part worth watching.
What would you want to know about how stolen freight gets resold in Florida? Let us know.
