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 Claibon Burrus, a 51-year-old resident of Memphis, to 260 months in prison for drug distribution and firearm possession. Reagan Fondren, Acting United States Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee, made the announcement.
The case stems from a January 19, 2021 investigation by the Memphis Police Department into an overdose death. During a search at Burrus's residence, detectives found significant quantities of methamphetamine, cocaine, heroin, fentanyl, and marijuana. Multiple firearms were also discovered. Burrus admitted to distributing drugs and later instructed others to relocate additional drugs and firearms from his rented storage units to prevent their seizure.
In July 2024, Burrus pled guilty to charges including possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and possession of firearms related to drug trafficking. On March 25, 2025, United States District Judge John T. Fowlkes Jr. imposed the sentence along with five years of supervised release post-imprisonment. The federal system does not allow parole.
The investigation was conducted by the Memphis Police Department's Heroin/Opioid Response Team and Organized Crime Unit (OCU). Acting United States Attorney Fondren expressed gratitude towards Assistant United States Attorneys Jennifer Musselwhite and Greg Allen for prosecuting the case and acknowledged the efforts of law enforcement partners involved in the investigation.
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