Former Memphis Cop Sentenced to 12 Years for Civil Rights Violations

A federal judge has sentenced a former Memphis Police Officer to 12 years in federal prison for criminal civil rights violations.

On January 24, 2020, former Memphis Police Officer Sam Blue, 63, pled guilty to conspiracy to violate civil rights by using force, violence, and intimidation, and conspiracy to commit robbery affecting interstate commerce.

On October 25, 2022, United States District Court Judge John T. Fowlkes Jr. sentenced Blue to 144 months in federal prison to be followed by three years’ supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.

U.S. Attorney Kevin G. Ritz said: ‘Our citizens have a right to be policed by officers who follow the law. This officer abused his authority and violated others’ civil rights. He’ll now spend a significant time in federal prison. My hope is that this sentence sends a clear message that law enforcement officers who break the law will be held accountable.’

This is a case of corruption within the Memphis Police Department, where Officer Blue conspired with others to rob drug dealers of drugs or drug proceeds. Blue provided his co-conspirators with information, such as home addresses for the targets of the robberies, obtained from law enforcement restricted sources.

The sentencing of Sam Blue proves that abuse of law enforcement authority will not be tolerated. Every citizen has the right to expect law enforcement officers to act in accordance with the laws they have sworn to uphold, and the FBI is committed to aggressively investigating and bringing to justice those officers who break the law and violate the public trust.

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