Carrington Coleman, Felon in Possession of Firearm, TN 2024

Carrington Coleman, 33, has pled guilty to being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm, a charge that carries up to 10 years in federal prison. The guilty plea, announced today by U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant, stems from a traffic stop in Memphis that quickly unraveled into a loaded discovery of drugs, cash, and a loaded handgun.

On July 18, 2018, Memphis Police Department officers pulled over a 2000 GMC Yukon with a Mississippi license plate after the vehicle ran a stop sign. The tags didn’t match the vehicle in state records. The driver, Coleman, was found to be operating with a revoked license. When ordered out of the SUV, officers detected a strong odor of marijuana wafting from the cabin.

A search of the vehicle turned up a clear bag containing 10.5 grams of marijuana in the center console. Tucked beside it: a Taurus TCP .380 caliber handgun loaded with four live rounds. Nearly $3,000 in cash was also recovered. Coleman admitted to officers that he knew his license was suspended and that he had just smoked marijuana.

Further investigation confirmed Coleman’s status as a prohibited person under federal law. He was convicted of a felony drug offense in Shelby County Criminal Court on December 9, 2011—making it illegal for him to possess any firearm. That past conviction now seals his return to the federal system.

Sentencing is scheduled for November 10, 2020, before U.S. District Court Judge Thomas L. Parker. Coleman faces a maximum of 10 years in federal prison. There is no parole in the federal system, meaning any sentence imposed must be fully served.

U.S. Attorney Dunavant emphasized the danger posed by armed felons: “Prohibited persons in possession of firearms such as convicted felons and unlawful users of controlled substances present a known and immediate risk of violence to the community at large.” The case was investigated by the Memphis Police Department and the Project Safe Neighborhoods Task Force and prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Samuel D. Winnig, assigned from the Shelby County District Attorney General’s Office.