DOJ Seal

Department of Justice

U.S. Attorney's Office
Western District of Tennessee

For Immediate Release

Thursday, September 9, 2021
Joseph C. Murphy, Jr.
, United States Attorney

Felon Pleads Guilty to Being a Convicted Felon in Possession of a Firearm

Memphis, TN – Kelvin Seymour, 36, has pleaded guilty to possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph C. Murphy Jr., announced the guilty plea today.

According to information presented in court, on December 15, 2018, Memphis Police Officers responded to an aggravated assault on Jones Road. The victim informed law enforcement of the recent assault by Kelvin Seymour. Further, the victim stated that Seymour borrowed her car and refused to return it. Upon entering the car, the victim was forced to drive around for hours as Seymour became irate. He pulled an unknown black handgun from his waistband and made multiple threats to kill her, while striking her several times in her face.

Officers located Seymour in the passenger seat of the victim's car. The victim advised officers Seymour hid the gun under the center console, subsequently, where officers recovered a black Ruger .380 caliber pistol.

Seymour is a convicted felon, having previously been convicted of four felonies and several misdemeanor convictions. The defendant was on probation for a 2016 conviction of aggravated assault to a police officer when this crime occurred.

On September 7, 2021 the defendant pled guilty.

This case is set for sentencing on January 5, 2022, before U.S. District Judge Mark S. Norris where he faces up to 10 years imprisonment, to be followed by no more than three years supervised release and a fine of $250,000. There is no parole in the federal system.

This case was investigated by the Memphis Police Department and 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 communities 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.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Wendy K. Cornejo is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.

Nashville Field Division