CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. — Chris Rayvon Starks, 31, of Shelbyville, Tennessee, is headed to federal prison for 180 months after being convicted of illegally possessing a firearm and ammunition — a crime made far worse by his violent past. On March 7, 2018, Senior U.S. District Judge Curtis L. Collier handed down the maximum penalty under the Armed Career Criminal Act, citing Starks’ long rap sheet of violent offenses.
Starks admitted guilt to the federal charge after a search warrant was executed at his Shelbyville residence in August 2016. Agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) found a loaded .32 caliber semi-automatic pistol stashed inside his home. He was on scene and told investigators the gun was his. Forensic checks later confirmed the weapon had been reported stolen — adding another felony to his count.
The sentence was dramatically enhanced due to Starks’ three prior convictions for aggravated robbery — the exact type of violent history that triggers the Armed Career Criminal Act. That federal law mandates a minimum 15-year prison term for felons caught with guns if they have three or more prior convictions for violent crimes or serious drug offenses. Starks fit the profile to a tee.
On top of his prison term, Starks will face five years of supervised release under the watch of the U.S. Probation Office once he walks out of prison. He also remains under indictment for additional aggravated robbery charges in Bedford County, Tennessee — meaning more court dates and potential time behind bars are likely in his future.
“The U.S. Attorney’s Office will continue to protect the safety of our citizens and neighborhoods by prosecuting convicted felons who illegally possess or attempt to gain access to firearms,” said U.S. Attorney J. Douglas Overbey. “The investigators in this case quickly and thoroughly investigated the information provided to them regarding this defendant, consequently disrupting any plan of violence that he may have intended to pursue.”
The case was investigated by the ATF and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael D. Porter as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the Justice Department’s hard-line initiative to reduce gun violence by leveraging federal charges against repeat offenders. PSN empowers local and federal agencies to team up, ensuring that violent criminals like Starks don’t slip through the cracks — or back onto the streets with loaded weapons.
Related Federal Cases
- Humboldt Man Gets 10 Years for Felon-in-Possession Firearm Crime · Tennessee
- Joshua Whitfield Gets 103 Months for Armed Domestic Rampage · Tennessee
- Newport Man Swaggerty Gets 188 Months for Brandishing Guns on Courthouse Lawn · Tennessee
- Telford Man Stashes Gun, Gets 7 Years · Washington
- Nashville’s Antonio ‘Tony T’ Boyd Gets 9 Years for Gunfire at Kids · Tennessee
Key Facts
- State: Tennessee
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Weapons
- Source: Official Source ↗
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