Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives

Memphis, TN – Convicted felon Anthony Holmes, 29, has pleaded guilty to illegally possessing a weapon. Joseph C. Murphy, Jr., Acting U.S. Attorney, announced the guilty plea today.

According to information presented in court, on March 3, 2019, while conducting a late-night routine campus patrol, University of Memphis Police officers observed a vehicle running with a male in the passenger seat. After some time, the officers became concerned with the condition of the person in the vehicle, who appeared immobile. As one officer approached the vehicle, he could see a handgun in the waistband of the male in the passenger’s seat. The male did not have any identification and gave only his name as “David Johnson”, which the officers could not verify. He was initially charged with Carrying a Weapon on School Property and was booked and processed at 201 Poplar.

Further investigation revealed him as being Anthony Holmes, and that he had an outstanding warrant for attempted murder, resulting from an alleged shooting on I-240 on June 21, 2018. His name and picture had appeared in the news regarding this incident. The charges regarding the shooting on I-240 are still pending in state court.
In 2011 Holmes was convicted of voluntary manslaughter in Shelby County Criminal Court. As a result of his felony conviction, Holmes is prohibited by federal law from possessing firearms or ammunition.

Sentencing is scheduled for June 22, 2021, before U.S. District Judge Mark Norris where he faces up to ten years in federal prison to be followed by three years supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.

This case was investigated by the Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Task Force. Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) 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 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.

Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Samuel D. Winnig is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government. SAUSA Winnig is currently assigned from the Shelby County District Attorney General’s Office to prosecute violent crimes and firearms offenses in federal court.

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