MEMPHIS, TN – A Memphis man, Wesley Richardson, 21, will spend the next decade behind bars after being sentenced Friday for a brazen armed carjacking that terrorized a woman at her apartment complex in January 2022. U.S. District Court Judge Jon P. McCalla handed down the 121-month (10 years and 1 month) sentence, followed by five years of supervised release, with no possibility of parole in the federal system.
The January 18, 2022, attack unfolded around 7 p.m. when Richardson and an accomplice approached the victim as she parked her 2015 Hyundai Elantra. Richardson, according to court documents, brandished a loaded firearm and demanded the woman’s keys, phone, cash, and bank cards. The pair then sped away in the stolen vehicle, leaving the victim shaken and robbed.
The stolen Elantra was spotted by Memphis police just two hours later near S. Mendenhall and Cottonwood Streets. A pursuit ensued, culminating in a crash into a drainage ditch. Five individuals bolted from the vehicle, but officers apprehended three suspects, recovering a black backpack containing three loaded firearms at the scene. Richardson and his co-defendant, Derek Coach, 22, quickly confessed to their roles in the carjacking.
Richardson admitted to being the one who directly threatened the victim with the loaded gun and stole her car. Coach admitted to acting as a lookout during the commission of the crime. Coach was previously sentenced on April 11 to 121 months in federal prison, also with three years of supervised release following his term. Both men are now facing the consequences of their violent actions.
“This sentence sends a clear message that armed carjacking will not be tolerated in the Western District of Tennessee,” said U.S. Attorney Kevin G. Ritz. The investigation was a joint effort between the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Memphis Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Raney Irwin prosecuted the case.
The case falls under Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a Department of Justice initiative focused on reducing violent crime and gun violence by fostering collaboration between law enforcement and communities. The DOJ launched a strengthened PSN strategy in May 2021, emphasizing community trust, preventative measures, strategic enforcement, and measurable results. This sentencing is a direct result of those efforts to make Memphis streets safer.
Related Federal Cases
- Jadakiss Johnson, Armed Carjacking, Memphis TN, 2024 · Virginia
- Markel Strong, Armed Career Criminal, Memphis TN, 2023 · Tennessee
- Cornelius Richmond, Armed Robbery of Brink’s Truck, Memphis TN, 2023 · Louisiana
- Gangster Disciples Members Sentenced for Armed Robberies, Memphis T… · Tennessee
- Cody Davis, Armed Carjacking, TN 2024 · Tennessee
Key Facts
- Agency: ATF
- Category: Weapons|Violent Crime|Organized Crime
- Source: Official Press Release
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