Abe Collins: Memphis Druglord Craig Petties Took 9 Life Sentences to Avoid Death Penalty (Part 7)

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In an exclusive interview, former investigator Abe Collins shed light on the sentencing of Craig Petties, a notorious Memphis druglord linked to the Sinaloa cartel. Petties, who was charged with a continuing criminal enterprise, conspiracy to distribute large quantities of cocaine and marijuana, money laundering, firearm offenses, and ordering multiple murders, ultimately pled guilty to nine life sentences in federal prison.

Collins explained Petties never went to trial, choosing instead to accept the life sentences, likely to avoid the death penalty, which was a genuine possibility in his case. “He was facing a death sentence, and I think that’s why he plead out,” Collins said. While Collins had hoped Petties would cooperate with authorities, the complexities of legal decisions and political pressures reportedly hindered that possibility.

Reflecting on the unprecedented plea, Collins noted, “That’s a lot of time… you got to die and come back and then die again.” Petties’ case remains one of the most significant in recent Memphis crime history.