Memphis, TN - A Memphis man has been sentenced to 15 years in federal prison for being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm. U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant for the Western District of Tennessee announced the sentence today.
According to information presented in court, on August 4, 2017, Memphis Police Department officers attempted to conduct a traffic stop on a vehicle driven by defendant Ladarius Porter, 27. When the vehicle stopped, Porter exited and ran from officers through a residential area. After the foot chase that lasted several minutes, officers eventually caught up to and detained Porter.
Officers retraced the path that Porter had run and located a loaded firearm he discarded during his flight. Porter pled guilty to possessing the firearm as a convicted felon. In 2009, the defendant had been previously convicted of several counts of aggravated and especially aggravated robbery.
On July 13, 2018, U.S. District Judge Thomas L. Parker sentenced Porter to 15 years in federal prison as an armed career criminal.
This case was 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 make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. Attorney General Jeff Sessions reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally based strategies to reduce violent crime.
U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant said: "Our PSN reinvigoration efforts provide targeted prosecution of the worst of the worst violent offenders in order to enhance public safety in Memphis. This significant sentence removes an armed career criminal from the community, and sends a strong message that we will no longer tolerate this lawless behavior. We are FED UP with gun crime in Memphis, and will continue to aggressively prosecute prohibited and dangerous offenders with firearms. Gun Crime is Max Time."
Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth Rogers prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
