Tennessee Man Sentenced to Over 18 years in Prison for Illegally Possessing a Firearm
Wednesday, November 19, 2025 - A federal judge sentenced a Tennessee man to 221 months in prison and three years of supervised release today for being a felon in possession of a firearm under the Armed Career Criminal Act.
“Gun violence poses a significant danger to the safety and security of our communities,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew R. Galeotti of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Today’s significant sentence highlights the Criminal Division’s steadfast commitment to aggressively prosecuting repeated armed offenders and protecting the public. I thank the prosecutors and our federal and state law enforcement partners who worked diligently to achieve this result.”
“Convicted felons who possess firearms are an inherent danger to community, and in this case, the defendant was an armed career criminal who continued to possess a firearm despite his prior felony conviction history,” U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant for the Western District of Tennessee. “There is and ought to be a significant consequence for such recidivist criminal behavior, and this is one more armed career criminal removed from our streets for a long time.”
“These efforts signify what can be accomplished when we work together with our local, state, and federal law enforcement partners to combat violent crime,” said Special Agent in Charge Jamey VanVliet of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Nashville Field Division. “Through this collaboration, we were able to remove a violent armed career criminal from our Memphis streets.”
According to documents and evidence presented to the court, on Jan. 19, 2022, Memphis Police Department (MPD) stopped a vehicle driven by Markel Strong, 29, of Memphis because its tint violated traffic law. Police observed, and seized, a firearm in plain view located in the front seat near the vehicle’s center console. Strong was prohibited from possessing a firearm because of his numerous prior violent felony convictions.
On Aug. 19 a federal jury found Strong guilty of being a felon in possession of the firearm and separately determined that Strong’s three prior violent felony convictions occurred on separate dates, which triggered enhanced punishment under the Armed Career Criminal Act.
At today’s sentencing hearing, the United States presented evidence of the defendant’s violent behavior while in custody, as well as other crimes to which the seized firearm has been linked.
ATF and MPD investigated the case.
Trial Attorney Ashleigh Atasoy of the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime and Racketeering Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Regina Brittenum for the Western District of Tennessee prosecuted the case.
This case is part of the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime Initiative in Memphis conducted in partnership with the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Western District of Tennessee and local, state, and federal law enforcement. This joint effort addresses violent crime by employing, where appropriate, federal laws to prosecute violent gang members and other violent criminals in Memphis.
U.S. Department of Justice
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Source: Justice.gov
