Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives

Memphis, TN – John Lott was sentenced to 420 months imprisonment for his role in a conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine, the possession of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, and aiding and abetting an attempted robbery. U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant announced the sentence today.

According to information presented in court, Lott was a member of an armed robbery crew that targeted narcotics traffickers in the Memphis area. On January 9, 2019, a federal grand jury returned an 11-count third superseding indictment against Lott and four others. The indictment followed a four-month investigation involving agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) as well as other state and local agencies, in which Lott and his co-defendants were alleged to have participated in a conspiracy to rob drug dealers in Memphis. Lott was also indicted for his role in a conspiracy to tamper with evidence. During the investigation, agents seized multiple firearms, approximately $2,000 in U.S. currency, and approximately 28 grams of crack cocaine.

Following his guilty plea to counts five, six, seven, eight and eleven of the indictment, the proof presented at sentencing showed that Lott, who qualified as a career offender, participated along with his co-defendants in an attempted robbery of a drug trafficker in January 2018, where the mother of the drug trafficker was beaten and shot in the chest and for his role in a conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute over 5 kilograms of cocaine. Lott has an extensive history of multiple prior violent and drug felony convictions.

On April 19, 2019, U.S. District Court Judge John T. Fowlkes Jr., sentenced Lott to 420 months imprisonment followed by five years’ supervised release.

U.S. Attorney Dunavant said, "Armed Robbery crews made up of violent felons will NOT continue to terrorize and endanger our communities in West Tennessee with impunity. We use all available law enforcement and prosecutorial resources to pursue, disrupt, and dismantle groups and conspiracies that are most responsible for violence and drug dealing, and to remove dangerous offenders with firearms from our streets. I commend the great investigative work of ATF and our local partners in neutralizing this violent recidivist and his crew of trigger-pullers and traffickers."

ATF Special Agent in Charge Marcus Watson said, "ATF’s Crime Gun Intelligence Centers are the driving force to reduce the violent crime that plagues our neighborhoods. This sentencing illustrate the effective partnerships with law enforcement and the community."

This prosecution is part of an extensive investigation of the Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). OCDETF is a joint federal, state and local cooperative approach to combat drug trafficking organizations, targeting national and regional level drug trafficking organizations, and coordinating the necessary law enforcement entities and resources to disrupt or dismantle the targeted criminal organization and seize their assets.

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Memphis Police Department, Multi Agency Gang Unit (MGU), and the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jerry Kitchen and Gregory Allen prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.

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