Memphis, TN - Nicholus Leavy, 37, has been sentenced to 90 months in federal prison for illegally
possessing a firearm after being convicted of a felony and domestic violence. Kevin G. Ritz, United
States Attorney, announced the sentence today.
According to the information presented in court, the charges stemmed from an incident that occurred
on May 7, 2021 at "Our Bar," a night club on Jackson Avenue in Memphis. Security guards denied
Nicholus Leavy entry into the club because he was carrying a gun, was intoxicated, and had been in
a verbal altercation with a patron. When security guards asked Leavy to leave the club, he became
irate and made threats to “shoot up the club." Leavy got in his car and circled the block. As he
drove towards the club, Leavy turned off his headlights, rolled down the window, continued making
threats at the guards, and raised a black pistol. Officers recovered a pistol from the driver's
side door of Leavy's car. The gun was loaded with 1 live round in the chamber and 8 live rounds in
the magazine.
Leavy had prior convictions for a felony and domestic assault. As a result of his convictions,
Leavy is prohibited by federal law from possessing firearms.
On Oct. 13, 2022, United States District Judge Thomas L. Parker sentenced Leavy to 90 months in
federal prison with three years of supervised release to follow. There is no parole in the federal
system.
This case was investigated by Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the Memphis Police Department, and
the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is
a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce
gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department
launched a gun violence reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles:
fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement
priorities, and measuring the results.
Assistant United States Attorney Raney Irwin and Special Assistant United States Attorney Nathan
Vrazel prosecuted this case on behalf of the United States.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
