Byrd Gang Members Sentenced to Life Imprisonment for 2017 Double Homicide Committed Outside Edna Karr High School Basketball Game

NEW ORLEANS - U.S. Attorney David I. Courcelle announced that TERRAN WILLIAMS, a/k/a "Funky" ("WILLIAMS,") TYRONE BOVIA, a/k/a "Sixx" ("BOVIA,") and JAVONTA DOLEMAN, a/k/a "Dutt" ("DOLEMAN,") all from New Orleans, were sentenced to life imprisonment by United States District Judge Jane Triche Milazzo.

In April 2025, WILLIAMS, BOVIA and DOLEMAN were found guilty by a jury after a multi-week trial of various violations, including RICO conspiracy, drug trafficking conspiracy, firearms conspiracy and Violent Crime in Aid of Racketeering (VCAR) murder.

"The sentences of life imprisonment for WILLIAMS, BOVIA and DOLEMAN ensures that these violent murderers and drug traffickers will spend the rest of their lives in federal prison," stated U.S. Attorney David I. Courcelle. "These prosecutions and sentences are examples of the federal government's dedication to bring individuals who wreak havoc on our community to justice."

All three defendants were members of the Byrd Gang, also known as M3, MagFischer, 315 and Piff Gang, which operated primarily out of the former Magnolia Housing Development, but additionally had ties to the Westbank. Its members distributed drugs- heroin, fentanyl, crack cocaine and marijuana- daily, and always possessed firearms. WILLIAMS, BOVIA and DOLEMAN participated in numerous drug trafficking activities and violent crimes and acted as gunmen for the Byrd Gang.

On January 31, 2017, Lawrence Williams, IV, and Wynston Jackson, a/k/a "Ghost," were shot and killed by the three defendants shortly after leaving an Edna Karr High School basketball game. Jackson was a member of the rival Ghost Gang, sometimes referred to as the Goonie Gang, while Williams was an associate of Jackson.

When Williams and Jackson left the basketball game and sat in a car in front of the school, WILLIAMS, BOVIA and DOLEMAN approached the car with two rifles and a handgun and unloaded a torrent of bullets. Jackson attempted to return fire with his nine-millimeter handgun but was shot and killed on the scene. Williams, who was also shot, later died at the hospital.

TYRONE BOVIA was also convicted for his role in another shooting that he committed in May 2017 at an apartment complex, where another Ghost Gang member, resided and was the intended target. BOVIA'S companion and fellow Byrd Gang member, Terrence Augustine, was shot and killed during this incident by return fire. Byrd Gang member, James Alexander, has additionally pled guilty to this shooting.

During the trial, evidence was presented that showed a slew of back-and-forth retaliatory shootings between the Byrd Gang and the Ghost Gang, much of which was fueled by social media posts, rap music, and videos. Numerous individuals from both gangs have been shot and killed, and many innocent bystanders have likewise been shot during these inner-city rivalries.

During the investigation, dozens of firearms, most with large-capacity magazines, as well as hundreds of rounds of ammunition, have been recovered from Byrd Gang members, including from the three defendants.

WILLIAMS, BOVIA and DOLEMAN faced a mandatory life sentence for the Edna Karr murders which were charged in Counts 4 and 6 of the Superseding Indictment and were sentenced accordingly. WILLIAMS, BOVIA and DOLEMAN were additionally sentenced to life imprisonment for Count 1 (RICO conspiracy), and to 240 months for Counts 2 (drug conspiracy) and 3 (firearm conspiracy). BOVIA was also sentenced to 120 months imprisonment for discharging a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime and crime of violence, which was charged in Count 9. This sentence was imposed consecutively to all other sentences.

U.S. Attorney David I. Courcelle praised the work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, especially the New Orleans Gang Task Force, the New Orleans Police Department, Sulphur Police Department, Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office, Louisiana State Police, and the Jackson County Sheriff's Office in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorneys Elizabeth Privitera, David Haller and Sarah Dawkins are in charge of the prosecution.

Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the Department of Justice's nationwide initiative that brings federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement, prosecutors, and other public safety partners together to coordinate efforts to combat violent crime and make communities safe. Coordinated by U.S. Attorneys' offices in each of the 94 federal districts, PSN is tailored to particular communities to strategically address specific violent crime and public safety challenges. As a key component of Operation Take Back America, PSN serves a central role in the Department's commitment to make our country safe. PSN emphasizes three core principles: rapid federal response to violent crime and criminal offenders; strong, strategic partnerships among law enforcement at all levels; and accountability and deterrence through the prosecution of the most serious, readily provable offenses and other strategies. These efforts complement and strengthen President Trump's Homeland Security Task Forces, ensuring a comprehensive federal response to the most pressing public safety issues facing communities.

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