Department of Justice
For Immediate Release
Shelby County Man Sentenced to 15 Years in Federal Prison for Possession of a Firearm
MEMPHIS, Tenn. – A federal judge recently delivered sentencing in the case of a Shelby County man convicted of drug and firearm charges. Devin Wiseman, 37, was sentenced to 180 months in federal prison for being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm. U.S. District Court Judge Mark S. Norris also ordered Wiseman to serve three years of supervised release upon completion of his prison term. U.S. Attorney Kevin Ritz announced the sentence today.
According to information presented in court, on October 18, 2021, Memphis Police Department officers conducted a traffic stop of a 2012 Chevrolet Cruze bearing fraudulent temporary tags. Officers discovered that Wiseman, who was operating the vehicle, had a revoked driver’s license. Wiseman and a female passenger admitted they were smoking marijuana in the car. In addition, officers discovered a loaded black 9mm pistol tucked underneath the passenger seat and an extended magazine loaded with 20 rounds of ammunition in the driver’s side door pocket. Wiseman admitted ownership of the firearm and was charged with being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm.
In May 2023, a federal jury determined that Wiseman’s three prior violent felony convictions were committed on occasions different from one another. This led to an enhanced sentence for Wiseman under the Armed Career Criminal Act. There is no parole in the federal system.
U.S. Attorney Kevin Ritz thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Raney Irwin and Naya Bedini, who prosecuted this case, as well as law enforcement partners who investigated the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities and measuring the results.
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