Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives

Memphis, TN – Damenion Richmond, 36, was sentenced to 110 months in federal prison for being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm. U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant of the Western Division of Tennessee announced the sentence today.

 

According to information presented in court, on February 19, 2017, Mrs. Sheris Richmond called 911 to report her husband, Dameion A. Richmond, fired shots at her on the expressway after a verbal altercation at her home. Mrs. Richmond said she and her husband argued at the residence when he drew a handgun and pointed it at her face. He then fled the scene in his vehicle; Mrs. Richmond pursued him in her vehicle until he stuck a gun out of the window and fired shots at her along the way. Mrs. Richmond called 911 for police assistance and pulled into the parking lot of Click’s Pool Hall at 3705 Malco Way, in Memphis, Tenn.

 

U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant said: "Reducing violent crimes committed with firearms is the top priority of this office and the Department of Justice. Prohibited persons in possession of firearms, such as convicted felons, persons with histories of domestic violence, and unlawful users of illegal narcotics present a known and immediate risk of violence to their families and the community at large. This is exactly the type of dangerous offender that the PSN Task Force is designed to target, and I commend their work in holding Richmond responsible and removing him from our streets."

 

When law enforcement arrived on the scene, Mr. Richmond was questioned and asked to step out of the vehicle. While searching the vehicle, Memphis Police Department officers discovered a Mauser .32 pistol where the defendant had been sitting. The magazine was empty, but the chamber still held one live round. Mr. Richmond admitted to possessing the gun but stated he only fired shots in the air. He also confessed to being a convicted felon. A further search of the vehicle yielded another weapon, a Smith and Wesson .22 caliber pistol with three magazines. Two of the magazines had 12 live rounds each and the third magazine had six live rounds.

 

Several small bags of drugs containing crack cocaine, marijuana, ecstasy and other pills were located in the vehicle. The defendant admitted to law enforcement that the guns and drugs were his property and did not belong to the passengers in the car.

 

The case was investigated by Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Task Force, which includes the U.S. Attorney’s Office; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the Memphis Police Department; and the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office, who have all joined together to address gun-related crimes through aggressive investigation and prosecution. Attorney General Jeff Sessions reinvigorated PSN in 2017 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.

 

Assistant U.S. Attorney Raney Irwin prosecuted this case on the government’s behalf.