Department of Justice
For Immediate Release
Milan Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Being a Felon in Possession of a Firearm
Jackson, TN – Michael Peoples, 27, of Milan, TN, has been sentenced to 49 months in federal prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm. D. Michael Dunavant, U.S. Attorney announced the sentence today.
According to information presented in court, on July 7, 2018, Peoples was released from a six-year state sentence for convictions of two counts of aggravated assault in Gibson County. On October 10, 2018, Milan Police Department was called to a vehicle at a stop sign on Ellis Street. An officer arrived on the scene and discovered the individual later identified as the defendant, asleep in the driver's seat. The officer knocked on the window until the defendant awoke. After performing poorly on a series of field sobriety tasks, Peoples was placed into custody for driving under the influence.
A search of the vehicle revealed a loaded Smith and Wesson 9mm pistol under the driver's seat. As a result of his prior felony convictions, Peoples is prohibited by federal law from possession of firearms or ammunition, and was charged accordingly.
On February 10, 2020, the defendant pled guilty as charged to the federal offense of being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm.
On October 2, 2020, U.S. Chief District Court Judge S. Thomas Anderson sentenced Peoples to 49 months in federal prison followed by three years supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.
U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant said: "It is well known that past violence is predictive of future violence. Clearly, Peoples did not learn a lesson from his prior state convictions and sentence for violence, and continues to be a danger to the community. Now, he will be rightly punished for his recidivism and incapacitated in federal prison, where there is no sentence discount or sanctuary of parole."
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF); West Tennessee Violent Crimes and Drug Task Force; and the Milan Police Department investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Hillary Lawler Parham prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
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