Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives

Memphis, TN – After a three-day jury trial with proper COVID-19 health and safety protocols, Jeremy Fields, 35, was found guilty as charged for being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm. D. Michael Dunavant, U.S. Attorney announced the guilty verdict in what was the second post-COVID-19 federal trial held in Memphis.

According to information presented in court, on March 28, 2019, U. S. Probation and Parole Officers conducted a home inspection at the residence of Jeremy Fields, a convicted felon, who was on supervised release for possessing a firearm and body armor in conjunction with his duties as a bounty hunter. During the search, officers observed suspicious items in the home that led them to believe Fields was still engaged in the bounty hunting business. They discovered a handgun in a case containing Fields’ bounty hunter ID and badge, handcuffs, and two holsters, along with other personal documents in Fields’ bedroom.

Fields explained to the officers that the gun must belong to his brother (friend) Julian Williams, 36. When Williams arrived, he initially told officers nothing in the home belonged to him. After some time on the scene, Williams mentioned he stayed with Fields previously and might have left a gun there some time ago. At trial, Williams took the stand and told the jury that he did not know Fields was a convicted felon. He said he left his gun under Fields' bed in the case without telling Fields it was there. The jury rejected that defense, and found Fields guilty as charged in the indictment.

Sentencing is set for December 18, 2020 before U.S. District Court Judge Samuel H. Mays, where Fields faces a possible sentence of up to 10 years in federal prison followed by up to 3 years supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.

U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant said, "Convicted felons who possess firearms are an inherent danger to community, and in this case, this offender stubbornly continued to possess a firearm despite his prior felony conviction history and his supervised probation status. Fields has demonstrated his refusal to accept responsibility for his criminal conduct, and as a result of this guilty verdict, he will now face a significant consequence for his brazen recidivism."

U.S. Probation and Parole, the Bureau of Alcohol, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Memphis Police Department – Crump Station and Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Task Force investigated the case.

The Project Safe Neighborhoods initiative is a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. In 2017, PSN was reinvigorated as part of the Justice Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally based strategies to reduce violent crime.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Neal Oldham and Jennifer Musselwhite are prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.

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