ST. LOUIS – A St. Louis man was convicted Monday for his leadership of a drug-trafficking ring in addition to his connection to nine murders in just under six years, according to officials.

38-year-old Anthony Jordan was found guilty by a jury for leading a cocaine-trafficking ring and murdering several people to protect the ring, as well as in retaliation against a St. Louis gang, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Missouri.

In Jordan’s effort in retaliating against the gang–which he claims was responsible for the murder of his friend–he targeted specific members with co-conspirators. He was also convicted for a non-fatal shooting in December 2013.

Murders included the following victims:

  • April 19, 2008: Al Walters, Linnie Jackson, Keith Burks
    • Walters was Jordan’s target.
  • Feb. 3, 2010: Marquis Jones, Keairrah Johnson
    • Jones was Jordan’s target. Johnson was a bystander.
  • June 25, 2013: Anthony Clark
  • Dec. 29, 2013: Robert Parker, Clara Walker
    • Parker was the target. Walker was a bystander.
  • Jan. 21, 2014: Michail Gridiron

Jordan was convicted of one count of conspiracy to distribute cocaine, one count of possession of firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and nine counts of use of a firearm in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime resulting in death.

The supplier of Jordan’s cocaine is 46-year-old Adrian Lemons, according to officials. He was sentenced to 20 years in prison in 2020. Jordan and Lemons were indicted along with 32 more individuals.

“These murders were committed to benefit a large-scale drug trafficking organization that
flooded our communities with poison directly sourced from cartels in Mexico. Anthony Jordan is
not only a drug trafficker, but a serial murderer whose job was to eliminate competition from
other drug dealers,” Special Agent in Charge Ashley Johnson of the FBI St. Louis Division said in a release. “St. Louis is a safer place with Jordan and his associates off the streets.”

Jordan will be sentenced on May 29. He faces up to life in prison.