Derrick Wilson, Armed Career Criminal, Tennessee 2023

A federal jury found Memphis resident Derrick Wilson, 48, guilty of one count of possession of a firearm as a convicted felon and made a special finding that Wilson had previously been convicted of three violent felonies on different occasions. According to the US Attorney's Office, the verdict demonstrates that the community is fed up with repeat offenders who live a lifestyle of lawlessness and embrace a culture of criminality.

Wilson faces a mandatory statutory minimum sentence of 15 years in federal prison for possession of a firearm as a convicted felon and being an Armed Career Criminal (ACC). Sentencing is set for April 30, 2026, before United States District Judge Thomas L. Parker. There is no parole in the federal system.

The case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the US Attorney's Office launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

Assistant United States Attorney Ashley N. F. Moore and Special Assistant United States Attorney Yosef Hochheiser of the United States Air Force Judge Advocate General (JAG) prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.

Wilson was arrested on November 3, 2023, after he tossed a Ruger .380 caliber pistol to the ground in plain view, according to information presented in court.

The U.S. Attorney's Office continues to provide targeted prosecution of the worst of the worst violent offenders in order to improve public safety in Memphis. For more information, please contact the Media Relations Team at USATNW.Media@usdoj.gov. Follow the U.S. Attorney's Office on Facebook or on X at @WDTNNews for office news and updates.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-wdtn/pr/federal-jury-finds-armed-career-criminal-guilty-illegally-possessing-firearm-1