Reagan T. Fondren Acting United States Attorney for the Western District Of Tennessee | U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee
A federal judge has sentenced Actavious Ellis, a 31-year-old resident of Memphis, to 87 months in federal prison for possessing a machine gun. The announcement was made by Reagan Taylor Fondren, Acting United States Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee.
Court documents revealed that on August 17, 2023, detectives from the Memphis Police Department executed search warrants at two locations. They found Ellis in possession of several stolen firearms, including a 9mm Glock pistol modified with a conversion device to function as a fully automatic weapon. Additionally, Ellis possessed large-capacity magazines and pill presses used to manufacture illegal substances. Following his arrest, Ellis attempted to bribe someone to falsely claim ownership of the illegal substances found.
In November 2024, Ellis pled guilty to unlawful possession of a machine gun. On March 11, 2025, United States District Judge Jon P. McCalla sentenced him to serve 87 months in federal prison followed by three years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.
The case falls under Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), an initiative aimed at reducing violent crime and gun violence through collaboration between law enforcement and communities. Launched on May 26, 2021, PSN's strategy focuses on building community trust and legitimacy, supporting organizations that prevent violence, setting strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring outcomes.
The investigation was conducted by detectives from the Memphis Police Department Drug Response Team and the Project Safe Neighborhoods Gun Task Force. Acting United States Attorney Fondren expressed gratitude towards Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Musselwhite for prosecuting the case and acknowledged the contributions of law enforcement partners involved in the investigation.
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