UNITED STATES OF AMERICA v. KEVIN FORDHAM (24-2033); MARTIN MURFF (24- 2041); EDDIE REID (24-2046) - Articles

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UNITED STATES OF AMERICA v. KEVIN FORDHAM (24-2033); MARTIN MURFF (24- 2041); EDDIE REID (24-2046)

Posted by: Azya Thornton on Jul 22, 2026

Court: 6th Circuit Court (Published Opinions)

Attorneys 1: ARGUED: Benjamin D. Allen, GESS, MATTINGLY & ATCHISON, PSC, Lexington, Kentucky, for Appellant

Attorneys 2: ARGUED: Meghan Sweeney Bean, UNITED STATES ATTORNEY’S OFFICE, Detroit, Michigan, for Appellee.

Attorneys 3: ON BRIEF: Benjamin D. Allen, GESS, MATTINGLY & ATCHISON, PSC, Lexington, Kentucky, for Appellant Kevin Fordham.

Attorneys 4: ON BRIEF: Linda D. Ashford, Detroit, Michigan, for Appellant Martin Murff. James C. Thomas, Sterling Heights, Michigan, for Appellant Eddie Reid.

Attorneys 5: ON BRIEF: Meghan Sweeney Bean, UNITED STATES ATTORNEY’S OFFICE, Detroit, Michigan, for Appellee.

Judge(s): STRANCH, BLOOMEKATZ, and HERMANDORFER, Circuit Judges

Court Appealed: United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan at Detroit

HERMANDORFER, Circuit Judge. Kevin Fordham, Martin Murff, and Eddie Reid held top posts within the Almighty Vice Lord Nation. Following a lengthy investigation into Vice Lord operations in Michigan, law-enforcement officers arrested dozens of members in an effort to dismantle the organization’s leadership. Dozens of plea agreements resulted. But Fordham, Murff, and Reid opted for trial. After four weeks of proceedings, a jury convicted each of racketeering conspiracy, conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, and related crimes. All three defendants appealed. Their consolidated cases present four suppression issues, two Sixth Amendment claims, two sufficiency-of-the-evidence challenges, and a sentencing dispute. Of those, only Fordham’s procedural sentencing challenge has merit. We therefore vacate Fordham’s sentence, remand for Fordham’s resentencing, and otherwise affirm.

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