Affidavits outline a coordinated plan involving a motorcycle club, the Vice Lords, and an upcoming jury trial.
LAFAYETTE, IN — Prosecutors say a street gang and a motorcycle club conspired to shoot Tippecanoe County Superior Court Judge Steven P. Meyer at his home on Jan. 18, injuring the judge and his wife as a masked gunman fired through their front door in the early afternoon.
Newly unsealed court documents describe a plan to derail an impending jury trial tied to alleged gang activity. Five people face charges in the case, including three on attempted murder counts. The filings detail surveillance footage, a recovered shotgun, and DNA evidence that investigators say connect the suspects to the attack. The case has drawn state and federal attention and prompted security warnings to courts statewide, as a special judge prepares to take over related proceedings and authorities map the next steps in a fast-moving investigation.
Judge Meyer and his wife, Kimberly Meyer, were shot at their Lafayette residence shortly after 2 p.m. on Jan. 18, according to investigators. A masked man knocked at the front door, asked about a dog, and then opened fire through the closed door, striking the judge in the arm and his wife in the hip, the documents state. Both were hospitalized and later reported in stable condition. In a statement issued through the court, Meyer thanked first responders and said he trusted the legal process to move forward. Lafayette police, joined by U.S. marshals, the FBI, and agencies in Indiana, Kentucky, and Pennsylvania, traced the shooter’s movements using home surveillance video, discarded clothing, and a tip from a nearby restaurant that matched a food order tied to an earlier visit to the house, the filings say.
Prosecutors allege the plot centered on Thomas Gregory Moss, 43, a Lafayette resident described in affidavits as a high-ranking member of the Phantom MC motorcycle club with ties to the Vice Lords. Moss was scheduled to stand trial two days after the shooting in a domestic abuse case before Meyer. The probable cause filings say a Lafayette woman, Amanda Milsap, 45, offered the victim $10,000 not to testify. When the witness refused, investigators say Moss coordinated with associates, including Raylen Ferguson, 38, of Lexington, Ky., and Blake Smith, 32, of Lafayette. Ferguson is accused of carrying out the attack; Greer, identified as 61-year-old Zenada Greer of Lexington, is accused of assisting a criminal and obstructing justice. Moss, Ferguson, and Smith face attempted murder, conspiracy, battery, and intimidation counts, with possible gang and firearm enhancements noted in charging documents. Milsap faces bribery and obstruction charges; Greer faces assisting and obstruction counts. Defense attorneys for the defendants were not immediately identified in court records.
The records outline how investigators pieced the case together. Surveillance video captured a masked person with a shotgun approaching the front door. Officers later recovered a shotgun, a silicone mask, and clothing in a wooded area near the Meyers’ home. Forensic analysts matched DNA from the mask to Ferguson, according to the filings. Video from a local restaurant linked to a Jan. 16 food delivery attempt at the Meyers’ address showed a person with a similar build and gait to Ferguson, investigators wrote. Separate records document a January purchase of a shotgun by Smith. Police also describe interstate movements by the suspects and phone contacts that they say placed key players together in the days before the attack. Authorities said the gunman first came to the home two days earlier and left after a brief exchange at the door, a detail investigators cited as evidence of planning.
The shooting lands amid rising concerns about threats against judges and court staff. In a statewide survey, more than half of Indiana judges reported receiving threats in recent years, according to the state judiciary. Nationally, threats against federal judges have climbed markedly since 2021, according to prior congressional testimony by the U.S. Marshals Service. Tippecanoe County’s courthouse has seen increased security since the weekend attack, and Indiana’s chief justice urged vigilance while thanking local and federal partners. Meyer, first elected to the bench more than a decade ago, has presided over a range of criminal and civil matters; court records show he plans to retire at the end of 2026, though proceedings in the shooting case now shift away from his court to avoid conflicts.
Procedurally, the case moves on two tracks. In the domestic abuse matter that was set for trial last week, a special judge is expected to be appointed Monday to oversee pending motions and witness issues. In the shooting case, the five defendants are due for initial hearings in Tippecanoe County, with prosecutors indicating they will seek to add gang and firearm enhancements where applicable under Indiana law. Detectives continue to process forensic evidence and follow out-of-state leads tied to travel between Lafayette and Lexington. Prosecutors said additional charges are possible as laboratory results return and as they review communications seized by search warrants.
On Mill Pond Lane, neighbors described a quiet Sunday disrupted by sirens and blocked streets. One resident said she saw officers fan out along a tree line near the subdivision as investigators searched for clothing and a weapon. Another neighbor said he had waved to the judge on evening walks and was startled to learn of a daytime attack. “You don’t expect something like this on a calm weekend,” he said. Lafayette’s police chief called the case “a coordinated investigation with strong community support,” and the county prosecutor said his office would keep victims informed as the case develops. Outside Purdue University’s campus, where courthouse traffic often blends with student life, a courthouse employee said the building felt “on edge but focused on the work.”
As of Sunday, both Steven and Kimberly Meyer remained in recovery while prosecutors prepared filings for the week ahead. Officials said an announcement on the special judge and initial hearing dates is expected Monday, Jan. 26, with further updates tied to lab reports and any additional arrests.
Author note: Last updated January 25, 2026.