Convicted Felon Sentenced to Over Four Years in Prison for Possessing Firearm and Ammunition

BOSTON – A previously convicted felon was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for possessing a firearm and ammunition.

Tarik Muhammad, 30, of Boston, was sentenced by Chief U.S. District Court Chief Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV to 51 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release. In October 2024, Muhammad pleaded guilty to one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition.

On the evening of Feb. 4, 2023, Muhammad was denied entry to the Encore Casino in Everett when security detected that he was carrying a firearm. Casino security alerted law enforcement, but Muhammad left before they arrived. Security cameras at the casino show Muhammad leaving in a blue Toyota Rav 4. The following day, a notice was dispatched to law enforcement about the incident and with photos of Muhammad, the vehicle and license plate.

On Feb. 6, 2023, Muhammad was spotted driving the Rav 4 in Roxbury. When law enforcement attempted to conduct a traffic stop, Muhammad fled, leading to a high-speed chase that ended when Muhammad crashed into a parked vehicle. Muhammad tried to flee on foot but was apprehended. A loaded semi-automatic pistol was found in Muhammad’s waistband.

Muhammad is prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition due to several felony convictions including a June 2022 conviction in U.S. District Court in Boston of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine and cocaine base. Muhammad was on federal supervised release at the time of the offenses.

United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; James M. Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, Boston Field Division; Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox; and Suffolk County District Attorney Kevin Hayden made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Tolkoff of the Organized Crime & Gang Unit prosecuted 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 gun violence and other violent crime, 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. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit https://www.justice.gov/PSN.