Two Metro Atlanta Men Sentenced in Gang-Related Murder Conspiracy

Two metro Atlanta residents, Shabazz Larry Guidry and Robert Maurice Carlisle, were sentenced to prison this week for their involvement in the gang-related shooting deaths of three Athens, Georgia, residents. Guidry, also known as “Lil Larry,” received a 20-year sentence, while Carlisle, aka “Different,” was sentenced to 15 years in prison. The sentences were handed down by Chief U.S. District Judge Marc Treadwell on March 27.

The case stems from a lengthy investigation into a conspiracy that resulted in the deaths of three Athens men. U.S. Attorney Peter D. Leary stated, “These sentences conclude a lengthy investigation and complex prosecution of all those involved in the murderous conspiracy that took the lives of three Athens men whose murders have caused unbearable pain for their families and friends.”

In addition to Guidry and Carlisle, three other co-conspirators were found guilty on all counts in August 2023 and were sentenced to prison earlier this year. Philmon Deshawn Chambers received two consecutive life terms plus 120 months, Andrea Paige Browner received two concurrent sentences of 30 years, and Lesley Chappell Green received a life sentence.

According to court documents, Chambers held a position of authority within the Gangster Disciples criminal organization and oversaw members of the “Enforcement Team,” which was responsible for disciplining gang members. Evidence presented at trial revealed that the conspiracy led to the murder of Gangster Disciples member Walter Brown in Athens, Georgia, on December 10, 2018.

Chambers and Browner sought retaliation for Brown’s death and believed three Athens residents were responsible. Browner then met Rodriquez Apollo Rucker, a relative of one of the individuals she believed killed Brown, and directed Chambers to travel to the motel where Rucker was staying. Chambers followed Rucker home and shot and killed him.

Following Rucker’s murder, Chambers incorrectly suspected Derrick Ruff and Joshua Jackson of cooperating with law enforcement and directed Green to carry out their murders. Ruff and Jackson were lured to Lawrenceville, Georgia, on December 19, 2018, where they were murdered and their bodies concealed in a storage unit until March 17, 2019, when they were discovered by police.

The case was prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, aimed at reducing violent crime. It was investigated by the FBI Athens Resident Agency Middle Georgia Safe Streets Gang Task Force, the Athens-Clarke County Police Department, and the Gwinnett County Police Department.