Department of Justice
For Immediate Release
Felon Pleads Guilty to Possessing Stolen Gun
Memphis, TN – Erik Macklin, 24, has pleaded guilty to possessing a stolen gun. D. Michael Dunavant, U.S. Attorney announced the guilty plea today.
According to information presented in court, on November 1, 2019, members of the Germantown Police Department were conducting surveillance on Macklin, a suspect in multiple aggravated burglaries in Germantown, Tennessee. Macklin also had an outstanding arrest warrant.
Officers located Macklin at a local business. As they approached and asked him to step outside, Macklin pulled away from the officers and grabbed a firearm from his waistband. Law enforcement was able to restrainMacklin, which caused him to drop the firearm, and he was taken into custody.
The firearm was a.45 caliber pistol that had been reported stolen from West Memphis, Arkansas, several weeks prior. Macklin waived his Miranda rights and admitted to possessing the firearm.
As a result of his prior felony convictions, including aggravated burglary, felony theft, and felony vandalism, Macklin is prohibited by federal law from possession of firearms or ammunition.
On September 23, 2020, Macklin entered a guilty plea to being a felon in possession of a firearm. Sentencing is scheduled for December 16, 2020, before U.S. District Court Judge John T. Fowlkes Jr., where he faces up to 10 years in federal prison followed by three years supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.
U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant said, "A stolen firearm in the hands of a convicted felon threatens everyone, including law enforcement. There is a good reason that federal law prohibits and punishes such illegal gun possession, and this conviction resulting in prison with no parole will help to reduce gun crime in Memphis."
The Germantown Police Department and Project Safe Neighborhoods Task Force investigated this case. The 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 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. Project Guardian is a new DOJ initiative designed to reduce gun violence and enforce federal firearms laws across the country by focusing on investigating, prosecuting, and preventing gun crimes.
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 for prosecuting violent crimes and firearms offenses in federal court.
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