Former Drug Kingpin, Plotted Jailbreak with Helicopter, Receives Additional 20-Year Sentence on Conspiracy Charges

Jamal Shakir, 42, of Los Angeles, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Nashville, to conspiracy and attempting to conduct a continuing criminal enterprise and was sentenced to twenty years in prison, announced David Rivera, U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee.  Shakir is already serving multiple, consecutive life sentences which were imposed in 2009.

This sentence stems from an indictment returned in September 2014 alleging that Shakir, while incarcerated at Nashville’s Criminal Justice Center and awaiting sentencing, attempted to engage in another continuing criminal enterprise and solicited further crimes, including planning his escape with the use of a helicopter, the murder of witnesses who testified against him, armed robberies, fire-bombings, and continued drug trafficking.

Shakir was convicted in 2008 after a lengthy jury trial in U.S. District Court in Nashville, Tenn., which involved a long and complex investigation and prosecution.  The crimes for which Shakir was convicted date back to 1994 and included several murders; conducting a continuing criminal enterprise; drug trafficking; money laundering; obstruction of justice; and firearms offenses.  In 2009 Shakir was sentenced to 16 terms of life in prison.

The Shakir investigation also led to an investigation of the Rollin’ 60s Crips Gang which resulted in convictions of about 30 individuals for various violent crime offenses.