Travis Lester, Convicted Felon in Possession of a Firearm, Tennessee 2022

MEMPHIS, TN – Travis Lester, 42, is headed to federal prison for ten years after a jury found him guilty of being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm. U.S. Attorney Kevin Ritz announced the sentence today, marking another win for federal agents battling the flow of illegal weapons on Memphis streets.

The bust went down May 19, 2021, when U.S. Marshals and the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office tracked Lester to a Memphis hotel. They weren’t looking for a social visit. Lester, already wanted, was found packing a loaded Smith & Wesson .40 caliber pistol – a weapon that turned out to be stolen from a vehicle back on December 26, 2020. Sixteen live rounds were stuffed into an extended magazine, ready to fire.

Lester’s criminal history made the gun charge stick. As a convicted felon, federal law slammed the door shut on his right to own a firearm. Despite that, and despite already being on federal supervised release from a previous conviction, Lester brazenly carried the stolen handgun. That’s what sealed his fate with Judge Samuel H. Mays, who handed down the 120-month sentence on December 9, 2022.

But the judge didn’t stop there. Lester was also sentenced to an additional 17 months in prison, to be served consecutively to the ten-year sentence, for violating the terms of his previous supervised release. Forget about early release – there’s no parole in the federal system. Lester will serve the full term, a harsh reminder that repeat offenders will face the maximum penalty.

The investigation was a collaborative effort under the umbrella of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program aimed at reducing violent crime. The ATF, Memphis Police Department, and Shelby County Sheriff’s Office all contributed to bringing Lester to justice. PSN, recently bolstered by the Department of Justice, focuses on building trust with communities, supporting violence prevention groups, and strategic enforcement.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Raney Irwin prosecuted the case, securing the conviction and lengthy sentence. Ritz praised Irwin’s work, signaling a continued commitment to aggressively prosecuting those who illegally possess firearms in Western Tennessee. The message is clear: possessing a gun when you’re legally barred from doing so will land you in a federal prison cell.

Related Federal Cases