Reagan T. Fondren Acting United States Attorney for the Western District Of Tennessee | U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee
A Memphis man has been sentenced to 15 years in federal prison for firearm possession and intent to distribute marijuana. Joseph C. Murphy, Interim United States Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee, announced the sentencing.
Court records show that in June 2022, detectives from the Western District of Tennessee Multi-Agency Gang Unit (MGU), with help from special agents at the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), began investigating Robert Ingram, 39. Authorities believed Ingram was selling marijuana from an apartment on S. Country Oaks Circle in Memphis. On June 28, 2022, MGU and ATF executed a search warrant at the location.
Detectives detained Ingram without incident upon entering the apartment. Inside, they found more than 10 kilograms of raw marijuana packaged in various increments and two loaded pistols: a Glock 9mm and a stolen Smith & Wesson 9mm.
In February 2023, Ingram was indicted on charges including possession of marijuana with intent to distribute, two counts of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and two counts of felon in possession of a firearm. He pleaded guilty on January 15, 2025, to one count each of being a felon in possession of a firearm and possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute.
At sentencing, Ingram was classified as a career offender under federal guidelines. On August 5, 2025, U.S. District Court Judge Jon Phipps McCalla sentenced him to 180 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release. There is no parole available in the federal system.
“This individual persistently violates the law by illegally possessing firearms and distributing narcotics,” said Assistant Special Agent in Charge Matthew Belew, ATF Nashville Field Division. “The ATF will continue to work collaboratively with our local, state, and federal partners to combat violent crime and hold these criminals accountable.”
The investigation was conducted by the Western District of Tennessee Multi-Agency Gang Unit and the Memphis Field Office of ATF. The Drug Enforcement Administration's Nashville laboratory provided assistance during the investigation.
Assistant United States Attorneys Bryce H. Phillips and William Crow prosecuted the case for the government.
