Female Gang Member Convicted in Robbery Plot

Prosecutors with DA Charme Allen’s Career Gang Unit obtained an Aggravated Robbery conviction and Criminal Gang Enhancement yesterday for gang member Kaylecia Gabriel Woodard, 22. This is the first time a female in Knox County has been found to be a gang member at trial.

Assistant District Attorney TaKisha Fitzgerald presented evidence that on June 16, 2014, Woodard recruited co-defendants Timeya Harris and Anthony Smith to rob a convenience store on Maryville Pike. Knoxville Police Department Investigator Jeremy Maupin explained how Smith entered the store with a revolver and demanded money. Harris acted as lookout while Woodard served as the getaway driver. Harris and Smith already pled guilty to their role in the robbery and are serving prison sentences.

Upon conviction, Fitzgerald called Knox County Sheriff’s Office Sergeant Tom Walker who testified as an expert in Gang Investigations. He testified that Woodard is a member of the Athens Park Bloods. Because the jury found Woodard to be a gang member, the Aggravated Robbery conviction is a Class A felony that carries a punishment between fifteen and twenty-five years in prison.

“Gang members should be on notice by now that the DA’s Office is cracking down on gang activity. Whatever benefits they think gang life provides cannot be worth spending decades in prison,” said General Allen.”Hopefully, these cases cause young people to think before they go down that road.”

If you have any questions, please contact Sean McDermott at 865-215-2515 or Sean.McDermott@knoxcounty.org. For more information about the District Attorney’s Office, visit our website at dag.knoxcountytn.gov and follow us on Facebook and Twitter.