Armed Career Criminal Sentenced to 15 Years in Federal Prison for Possession of a Firearm

Memphis, TN – Nicholas Marshall, 36, has been sentenced to 188 months in federal prison for being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm. Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph C. Murphy Jr., announced the sentence today.

According to information presented in court, on October 4, 2020, Memphis Police officers were notified about an unconscious man who had a gun in his lap in a Silver Volvo parked on Spottswood Avenue. Upon arrival, officers observed Nicholas Marshall slumped over the steering wheel with the horn blaring. Officers seized the gun and assisted until he became alert and responsive. Marshall was treated by paramedics on the scene.

The gun was determined to be a Rossi .357 revolver, loaded with five live rounds of ammunition. Further search revealed Marshall had 91 Xanax pills and two bags of cocaine weighing 3.9 grams on his person.

Marshall had multiple felony drug convictions, including 7 prior convictions for possession of cocaine with intent to distribute. As a result of his felony convictions, he is prohibited by federal law from possessing firearms or ammunition. Under the federal sentencing guidelines, Marshall was determined to be an armed career criminal and subject to a mandatory minimum sentence of 180 months.

On December 2, 2021, U.S. District Judge Mark S. Norris sentenced Marshall to 188 months in federal prison to be followed by 3 years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.

This case was investigated by the Memphis Police Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms Explosives (ATF) and Project Safe Neighborhoods Task Force. The Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) initiative is a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. In 2017, PSN was reinvigorated as part of the Justice Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local and tribal law enforcement, and the local community to develop effective, locally based strategies to reduce violent crime.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Raney Irwin prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.

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