Gang Leader Sentenced For Multiple Armed Home Invasions

Defendant’s Continuous Violent Actions Draws Over 78-Year Prison Sentence

Corey Lamont Lanier a/k/a Foot, 34, of Nashville, was sentenced yesterday by Chief U.S. District Judge William Haynes to 946 months (78 years and 10 months) in prison, announced David Rivera, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee and Jeff Fulton, Special Agent in Charge the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Nashville Field Division.  Lanier was found guilty in December 2012 by a federal jury for his role in planning and carrying out three armed home invasion robberies.

“This defendant carried out violent armed home invasions, targeting drug dealers with impunity,” said Acting U.S. Attorney David Rivera.   His crimes endangered others and are the type of crimes that can lead to completely innocent people being killed.   This sentence ends the violence.”

Jeff Fulton, Special Agent in Charge, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, said  “ATF will remain vigilant in aggressively investigating violent criminals within the City of Nashville who utilize firearms to endanger the safety of our citizens.”

Lanier was convicted on three counts of conspiring to commit robberies affecting interstate commerce, as well as three counts of brandishing a firearm during these crimes.  

According to evidence presented at trial, Lanier was an “OG” (Original Gangster) - the highest rank in the 98 Mafia Crips street gang.  Lanier organized and participated in three armed home invasions that occurred in Nashville in 2009.  Each home invasion targeted a location or individual suspected by Lanier and his co-conspirators to be involved in narcotics trafficking. During each instance, a group of three to four armed assailants burst into a home and held those present at gunpoint while demanding drugs and drug proceeds.  During two of these robberies, young children were present when armed assailants kicked down the door, burst into the home, and threatened to kill the residents inside. 

On November 17, 2009, Metropolitan Nashville Police Officers, including the SWAT Team, responded to the third  home invasion and arrested the assailants, who had conspired with Lanier to commit the robbery.  Multiple firearms used in the home invasions were recovered.   Lanier was not present at the scene of that home invasion, and was later arrested and charged with these offenses as a result of the local and federal investigation.

After his conviction and while pending sentencing, Lanier had another person create a Facebook page which included the government’s witness list with photographs of some of the victims and witnesses who Lanier described as “rats.”

At sentencing, Chief Judge Haynes found that Lanier used electronic media to “malign, harass, and intimidate government witnesses,” that Lanier’s actions posed a “particularly serious threat to these victims and witnesses” especially in light of Lanier’s status as a significant gang leader, and that Lanier continued pursuing “violent actions to terrorize people even after trial.” 
The court also found Lanier to be a career offender, with prior felony convictions which included a prior robbery conviction. 

Based partly on Lanier’s continuing harassment and intimidation of victims and witnesses, and Chief Judge Haynes’ finding that Lanier committed “particularly egregious violent offenses which affected the victims in a horrifically emotional way,” Chief Judge Haynes denied Lanier’s request for leniency and instead imposed the maximum sentence within the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.  The sentence also prohibited Lanier from contacting any of the victims, including through the Internet.  Since there is no parole from federal sentences, Lanier will likely serve the rest of his life in federal prison.

The investigation was conducted by the ATF and the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department.  Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sunny A.M. Koshy and William F. Abely prosecuted the case.