A federal jury in Memphis found Rodrigus Carter, also known as Rodregus Carter, guilty on July 29 of unlawfully possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. United States Attorney D. Michael Dunavant for the Western District of Tennessee announced the verdict following the one-day trial. Carter, 42, faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in federal prison due to his prior felony convictions.
Court information revealed that on March 10, Memphis police responded to an empty commercial building in downtown Memphis after complaints from the owner about unauthorized occupants. Officers entered and discovered Carter with two others inside. They found a revolver and a semiautomatic pistol on a table in an office converted into a bedroom; Carter was seen exiting this room when officers arrived. Witnesses, including Carter himself, indicated that the revolver belonged to him while the other firearm belonged to his girlfriend who had been living there with him.
Carter has multiple previous felony convictions: three for Burglary of a Building, two for Aggravated Burglary, and one for Sale of a Controlled Substance. The jury determined he had committed at least three violent felonies on separate occasions, which triggers enhanced sentencing under the Armed Career Criminal Act (ACCA). Sentencing is scheduled for November 19 before Chief United States District Judge Sheryl H. Lipman. There is no parole in the federal system.
U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant said, “The best way to reduce violent crime is to remove firearms from the hands of prohibited persons and remove dangerous felons from our streets, BEFORE they pull the next trigger. This recidivist armed career criminal is one more gun-toter who will now be removed from our community for at least 15 years, and Memphis will be safer because of this verdict.”
The case was investigated by officers from the Memphis Police Department and agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigation; Assistant United States Attorneys Jennifer Musselwhite and Gavin Smith prosecuted it on behalf of the government.
The U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee advances community safety through federal law enforcement efforts and public outreach initiatives; it is one of 93 offices under the U.S. Department of Justice serving its district with offices in Memphis and Jackson while handling prosecutions of federal crimes and defending civil matters involving the United States, according to the official website.