A Memphis police affidavit alleges that truck driver Robert Wilson offered a $110,000 shipment of chicken in an effort to settle a drug debt. Officers reportedly interrupted the exchange on Sept. 15 behind an Economy Inn, where several people were unloading frozen cargo from Wilson’s semi-trailer.
The investigation resulted in 12 arrests, the recovery of three firearms and multiple drug-related charges.
Wilson was operating as an independent contractor under the authority of Armada Freight, the company told FreightWaves. Armada had assigned him to transport the Koch Foods shipment. According to Wilson’s statement to police, he owed a drug debt to a man wearing an orange shirt who was driving a blue SUV. The complaint alleges that Wilson was “trading his load to pay off a drug debt.”
Unrelated warrant leads police to suspected cargo exchange
Around 9 a.m., members of the Memphis Police Department’s Fugitive Unit arrived at 3896 Lamar Avenue while searching for Javunte Johnson, who was wanted on an aggravated robbery warrant unrelated to the chicken shipment.
Instead, detectives observed several people transferring boxes from a white semi-trailer into multiple vehicles. Court records state that several individuals fled after realizing that law enforcement officers were present.
According to his affidavit, Officer Smith saw Johnson move from the blue SUV toward a maroon Cadillac. Johnson then crouched behind a rear tire before attempting to escape. Investigators detained him and reportedly found a Glock 42 next to the vehicle.
The court filing describes Johnson as the man wearing an orange shirt, although it does not explicitly identify him as the person Wilson said was owed the drug debt.
Detectives located Wilson inside the truck and arrested him. Armada later confirmed that Wilson did not have permission to distribute any of the merchandise.
The shipment originated in Morton, Mississippi, and was supposed to be delivered to Swedesboro, New Jersey. Koch Foods valued the chicken at $110,000.
Frozen chicken, firearms and drugs recovered from three vehicles
According to the complaint against him, Quantrivious Shavers ran toward the blue SUV before throwing a handgun and marijuana inside. Detectives also found two pills inside a folded dollar bill in his pocket. A handwritten correction in the filing identifies the substance as fentanyl based on a presumptive reagent test.
Police also discovered 30 cases of assorted frozen chicken inside the blue SUV.
Marcellous McKinney allegedly attempted to leave the parking lot in a 2009 Nissan Armada. Detectives activated their lights and sirens, but the affidavit states that McKinney continued driving through the property. Officers eventually stopped him and found 50 boxes of frozen chicken inside the vehicle. Investigators said the packages matched merchandise removed from Wilson’s trailer.
A separate affidavit connects Robert Dishmon to a 2009 Cadillac DTS. Dishmon told investigators that the vehicle belonged to him. A subsequent search reportedly uncovered 41 boxes that matched the same shipment.
Taken together, court records describe 121 recovered boxes or cases spread across the three vehicles.
Armada owned both the tractor and trailer used for the shipment. Police contacted the company after discovering its equipment at the Memphis hotel. Armada immediately terminated Wilson’s contracting relationship after learning of the incident. The company later recovered its equipment and disposed of the remaining cargo.
Armada also filed a claim and contacted the shipment’s broker and its insurance provider. The carrier uses GPS and electronic logging devices to monitor its equipment and driver activity. “Armada Freight Inc. takes the allegations surrounding this incident very seriously,” the company told FreightWaves. Armada said it would cooperate with law enforcement and other investigators upon request.
The carrier said the alleged conduct violated its policies and the shipment’s instructions. Armada declined to speculate further while the criminal charges remain pending. Koch Foods did not respond to FreightWaves’ request for comment before publication.
MPD announces charges against 12 people
MPD identified 12 defendants following the discovery at the Memphis hotel. Ten of them were charged with felonies involving property valued between $60,000 and $250,000. Several defendants also face allegations involving firearms, drugs or attempts to evade police.
The department announced the following charges:
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Javunte Johnson: Aggravated robbery, theft of property valued between $60,000 and $250,000, and possession of a handgun by a convicted felon.
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Robert Wilson: Theft of property valued between $60,000 and $250,000, along with evading arrest in a vehicle.
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Quantrivious Shavers: High-value theft, possession of a handgun by a convicted felon, and possession of fentanyl with intent to sell.
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Samuel Jackson: High-value theft and possession of cocaine with intent to sell.
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John Shipp: Theft of property valued between $60,000 and $250,000.
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Rico Jackson: Theft of property valued between $60,000 and $250,000.
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Devean Hoyle: Theft of property valued between $60,000 and $250,000.
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Trashawn Featherson: Theft of property valued between $60,000 and $250,000.
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Robert Dishmon: Theft of property valued between $60,000 and $250,000.
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Marcellous McKinney: High-value theft and evading arrest in a vehicle.
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Jessie Moore: Possession of a handgun by a convicted felon and evading officers on foot.
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Alexis Pike: Evading officers on foot and two theft counts involving property valued at less than $1,000.
As with all criminal allegations, the defendants are presumed innocent unless prosecutors prove their guilt in court.
MPD counted Johnson among the 12 people named in its announcement. The U.S. Marshals Service, however, described Johnson alongside 12 other people in its account of the arrests, producing a total of 13 arrests. Neither law enforcement agency has identified the additional person reflected in that federal total.
The Marshals Service placed the value of the chicken at $250,000, while MPD reported approximately $110,000 worth of stolen merchandise recovered during the investigation. The Memphis Police Department later confirmed to FreightWaves that the full shipment was valued at $110,000.
Koch Foods and Armada Freight did not respond to FreightWaves’ requests for comment before publication.
Why the case matters for carriers
For motor carriers, the incident illustrates the exposure that can arise when a legitimate shipment is allegedly diverted by someone with authorized access to the cargo rather than being taken in a conventional roadside hijacking.
The case also underscores the role of insider controls, route monitoring and rapid exception reporting in protecting high-value freight, particularly in cold-chain operations where shipments can move through multiple handoffs and delivery points.
