A respected judge and his wife who were shot in their home were attacked as part of a targeted operation by a motorcycle gang days after an assailant cased their property, prosecutors said.
Indiana Judge Steven Meyer, 66, and his wife, Kimberly, were gunned down inside their Lafayette home on January 18, prompting a massive multi-agency manhunt for the attempted killers.
Four days later, the Lafayette Police Department (LPD) announced five arrests in connection with the shooting.
Authorities now believe the five individuals have gang affiliations and that the shooting was an attempt to protect one of the members from an impending domestic abuse case that Meyer was presiding over.
Raylen Ferguson, 38, Zenada Greer, 61, Thomas Moss, 43, Blake Smith, 32, and Amanda Milsap, 45, have been named as suspects in the alleged coordinated attack, according to LPD.
Police suspect that Ferguson scoped out the couple's home by posing as a delivery driver just two days before the shooting, an arrest affidavit obtained by the Associated Press reveals.
The suspects are from Lexington, Kentucky, and Lafayette. Ferguson, Moss, and Smith face a slew of charges including attempted murder, conspiracy to commit murder, aggravated battery and gang enhancement.
Moss, a member of the Phantom Motorcycle Club with ties to the Vice Lords street gang, has a long rap sheet including unlawful possession of a firearm and domestic battery.
Five alleged gang members were arrested in connection with a targeted shooting against a judge. Raylen Ferguson, pictured above, was arrested in Indiana during a traffic stop. Police believe he fired the weapon
Thomas Moss, pictured above during his arrest, was set to appear in front of the judge in a domestic abuse case before the shooting
Judge Steven Meyer was shot with his wife, Kimberly, pictured above, in their home on January 18 in what authorities are not calling a targeted attack
He was out on bond and scheduled to go on trial in front of Meyer on January 20, just two days after the judge was shot in his home.
Authorities believe the gang members had planned to target Meyer to try and influence the trial.
On January 16, Meyer reported suspicious activity at their home when a man knocked on their door posing as a food deliveryman, even though they hadn't ordered anything, according to the arrest affidavit.
Investigators analyzed surveillance camera footage and determined that the man posing as a delivery driver had the same 'distinct pattern/cadence as Ferguson' when he allegedly approached Meyer's door on the day of the shooting.
Smith, who authorities have also identified as a 'high-ranking' Phantom MC member, is alleged to have purchased a gun on January 5 that matches the one found near the crime scene.
Meyer and his wife were shot by a masked man who knocked on their door pretending he was looking for his dog.
He shot them through the door before fleeing. Meyer sustained injuries to his arm and Kimberly was shot in her hip.
Authorities recovered the mask, the shooter's clothing, and a shotgun at the crime scene. Ferguson was named as the suspect who fired the shots after law enforcement recovered his DNA on the mask.
Authorities believe that Meyer, pictured above, was targeted because one of the suspects was set to go to trial for a case he presided over
Thomas Moss, Ferugson and Blake Smith (left to right) face a slew of charges: attempted murder, conspiracy to commit murder, aggravated battery, and gang enhancement
Mislap and Greer have been charged with obstruction of justice, while Mislap faces an additional charge of bribery and Greer has been charged with assisting a criminal
An arrest affidavit stated that a man approached the judge's home, pictured above after the shooting, days before Meyer was targeted posing as a delivery driver
The arrest affidavit stated that Ferguson was an associate of the 'Almighty Vice Lord Nation' in Lexington.
Adding to the evidence against the group, the victim in Moss's upcoming trial was allegedly offered $10,000 by the Vice Lords not to testify, but she refused.
Greer and Mislap, the two female suspects, have been charged with obstruction of justice.
Greer faces an additional charge of assisting a criminal, while Mislap has been charged with bribery for allegedly offering the $10,000.
Greer allegedly lived with Ferguson and traveled with him to Lafayette from Lexington before the shooting.
Indiana State Police Lt. Col. Al Williamson said at a press conference on Tuesday that the gang, 'went after [Meyer] for a reason'.
Police released the dramatic body camera footage of the suspects' arrests, revealing Ferguson was detained at a traffic stop in Indiana.
He was seen in a white t-shirt, a white beanie, and a star necklace as Indiana State Police patted him down.
Police targeted five individuals in connection to the shooting. Smith was accused of purchasing a gun that matches the weapon used to shoot Meyer and his wife. A still from his arrest is pictured above
Smith was apprehended at his home in Indiana, pictured above. Investigators believe he is a 'high-ranking' Phantom MC member
The Phantom Motorcycle Club is affiliated with the Vice Lords gang. Moss, pictured above during his arrest, was named as a member of the gang
Moss was arrested at his home. Authorities swarmed his house and instructed him to walk outside with his hands up while firearms were pointed at him.
Law enforcement broke a window in Smith's home and apprehended him. Body camera footage of Greer and Mislap's arrests wasn't released to the public.
The Vice Lords have a criminal history dating back to the 1950s.
The organization began as an informal peer group and has evolved into a multi-state operation, according to an analysis shared by the National Gang Crime Research Center.
The Meyers are recovering from the injuries they sustained in the shooting. Kimberly has been released from the hospital.
They said in a statement that they were grateful for the community's support and that they had strong faith in the judicial system.
'I want the community to know that I have strong faith in our judicial system. This horrific violence will not shake my belief in the importance of peacefully resolving disputes,' Meyer added.
