Department of Justice
For Immediate Release
Felon Receives 57-Month Sentence for Firearm Possession
Memphis, TN – Deeric Walton, 25, has been sentenced to 57 months in federal prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm. Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph C. Murphy Jr., announced the sentenced today.
According to information presented in court, on December 8, 2018, Memphis Police Department officers were searching for Deeric Walton at his residence on East Trophy Way. As officers announced their presence, they heard someone running throughout the apartment. Walton eventually answered the door, advising investigators that he was hiding guns. Law enforcement then transported the defendant to the MPD Homicide Office for a statement regarding a homicide.
A search warrant for his apartment revealed in the living room, a Lorcin .380 caliber handgun; in a bedroom, a Zastava Arms 7.62x39mm caliber firearm with a 30-round magazine, and a stolen Charles Daly 1911 .45 ACP caliber handgun; in another bedroom, an FNH USA 9mm handgun and a Mossberg 12-gauge shotgun. Walton was Mirandized and admitted to owning several of the handguns, having purchased all the guns "off the streets."
As a juvenile, Walton was previously convicted of a robbery and was prosecuted as an adult. As a result of his prior conviction, Walton is prohibited by federal law from possessing firearms or ammunition. On November 19, 2020, a Federal Grand Jury in the Western District of Tennessee indicted the defendant for this offense. Walton pled guilty, May 20, 2021.
On October 5, 2021, U.S. District Judge Mark S. Norris sentenced Walton to 57 months imprisonment, to be followed by three years supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.
The Memphis 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.
Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Samuel D. Winnig and Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth Rogers prosecuted this case on behalf of the government. SAUSA Winnig is currently assigned from the Shelby County District Attorney General’s Office for the purpose of prosecuting violent crimes and firearms offenses in federal court.
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