A Federal Grand Jury has recently indicted thirty-nine people charged with serious and violent gun crime in Shelby County, ensuring these individuals will face tough federal sanctions rather than weaker state gun laws. The indictments are part of the Memphis/Shelby County Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Initiative, a strategy of Operation Safe Community.
PSN is a collaborative effort between the United States Attorney’s Office, the Shelby County District Attorney General’s Office, the Memphis Police Department, the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosive, and the U.S. Marshal’s Service.
Since February 11, 2000, members of the PSN Task Force have met weekly to review every arrest involving a firearm that occurs in Shelby County. These cases are presented each week to federal and state court prosecutors. Through this unit, 11,500 arrests have been reviewed resulting in over 1,000 indictments in federal court and over 400 guilty pleas in state court to “above-range” offers to avoid the higher federal penalties for firearms related offenses.
This approach ensures that whenever possible defendants with the most serious criminal history and those who pose a danger to the community are subjects to the higher federal penalties for gun crime, while other individuals charged with illegal gun possession are given the opportunity to enter a guilty plea in state court.
For More Information Contact: Leigh Anne Jordan (901) 544-4231
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