Memphis Man Sentenced to Serve 100 Months in Prison for Unlawfully Possessing Gun in Cape Girardeau

CAPE GIRARDEAU – The United States Attorney's Office announced Wednesday that Deon R. Crittenden, 32, of Memphis, Tennessee, has been sentenced to serve 100 months in federal prison following his guilty plea to unlawfully possessing a firearm.

Crittenden appeared for his sentencing hearing Tuesday before U.S. District Judge Audrey G. Fleissig at the federal courthouse in Cape Girardeau.

The charges arose after an officer with the Cape Girardeau Police Department conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle near a Cape Girardeau hospital in April 2022. Crittenden, who was a passenger in the vehicle, jumped out and ran inside the hospital with a red backpack, according to court documents. Officers found him hiding in a restroom a short time later. The red backpack was in a trashcan in that same restroom, and contained a loaded .40 caliber semi-automatic pistol and marijuana, court documents say.  Crittenden had previously been convicted of several felony offenses in the State of Tennessee, including aggravated assault and robbery.     

After serving his 100-month sentence, Crittenden will be placed on supervised release for a period of four years.  This case was investigated by the Cape Girardeau Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jack Koester handled the prosecution for the government.