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Case Intel

• A Memphis jury convicted inmate Mervin Anderson after he was caught with two homemade knives.
• Anderson allegedly shouted, “God is on my side, I was about to kill that boy,” when officers disarmed him.
• He faces up to five years at sentencing, all while awaiting trial in a separate fentanyl conspiracy case.

MEMPHIS - A federal jury in Memphis has delivered a guilty verdict against 40-year-old Mervin Anderson, convicting him of possessing contraband in prison after he was caught wielding two sharpened metal shanks.

According to trial evidence, Anderson was recorded on surveillance cameras inside a cell block at the Detention Center confronting another inmate. The video showed him swinging the crude weapons in a threatening manner. A corrections officer rushed to the scene, immediately confiscating the knives from Anderson.

What Anderson reportedly said next stunned the courtroom: “God is on my side, I was about to kill that boy.”

Court documents confirm Anderson was charged with one count of possession of contraband in prison, specifically the two handmade shanks recovered on the spot. The jury’s verdict was based on video surveillance, eyewitness testimony from corrections officers, and Anderson’s own statements at the time of the incident.

Prosecutors emphasized that the weapons were not only dangerous but intended for use, given Anderson’s aggressive confrontation with another inmate.

This conviction adds to Anderson’s mounting legal troubles. He is already awaiting trial on a conspiracy to distribute fentanyl case scheduled for November 3, 2025. That pending prosecution raises the stakes considerably, as Anderson now faces federal sentencing in two separate cases.

The case was announced by Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew Galeotti of the DOJ’s Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney Joseph C. Murphy for the Western District of Tennessee. They credited the U.S. Marshals Service and the Shelby County Division of Corrections for their swift investigation.

Trial Attorneys Amanda J. Kotula and Cesar Rivera-Giraud of the DOJ’s Violent Crime and Racketeering Section led the prosecution.

This prosecution is part of the broader Violent Crime Initiative in Memphis, a joint federal-state program designed to aggressively target gang members, drug traffickers, and violent offenders by leveraging federal charges where possible.

What’s Next

Anderson’s sentencing date has not yet been set. He faces up to five years in federal prison for the shank conviction alone. However, with his fentanyl conspiracy trial looming in November, his legal jeopardy is far from over.

If convicted in the upcoming drug case, Anderson’s prison time could increase dramatically, combining his violent prison conduct with narcotics trafficking exposure.