U.S. Attorney Kevin G. Ritz | U.S. Department of Justice
A Memphis man has been sentenced to over nine years in prison for possessing more than 200 grams of fentanyl and multiple firearms found during a search of his home. Reagan Fondren, Acting United States Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee, announced the sentence.
In May 2023, agents from Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Memphis and detectives from the Bartlett Police Department started investigating large-scale fentanyl distribution in the Memphis area. During this investigation, law enforcement identified Myshun Jefferson, 21, as a distributor operating from two locations in Memphis. Controlled purchases were arranged at each property.
Based on these controlled purchases, search warrants were executed on both properties. At the Baywood Avenue residence, agents and detectives found Jefferson along with over 200 grams of a substance containing fentanyl and four firearms.
Among these firearms was a Glock pistol discovered in a sofa near Jefferson when officers entered. This pistol had an unregistered device allowing it to function as a machine gun installed. Two other firearms were also unlawfully altered: another Glock pistol with an automatic device and a JTS 12-gauge illegal short-barrel shotgun.
Jefferson was indicted in September 2023 for possession of fentanyl with intent to distribute and possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking activity. He pleaded guilty to the charges on September 4, 2024.
On November 19, 2024, United States District Court Judge Mark S. Norris sentenced Jefferson to 117 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.
“HSI, alongside our law enforcement partners across Tennessee, will continue to pursue those who pose a significant threat to public safety through the illegal possession of firearms and contribute to the opioid crisis,” said Homeland Security Investigations Deputy Special Agent in Charge Colin Jackson. “Today’s sentence reflects the serious nature and consequences of engaging in the illegal possession and distribution of fentanyl, a drug that continues to claim lives and devastate communities.”
The case was investigated by HSI Memphis and the Bartlett Police Department with assistance from the United States Customs and Border Patrol Laboratories in Savannah, Georgia.
Acting U.S. Attorney Reagan Fondren expressed gratitude towards Assistant United States Attorney Bryce H. Phillips who prosecuted this case along with law enforcement partners involved in the investigation.
