McNairy County Man Sentenced to 5 Years for Being a Felon in Possession of a Firearm

Jackson, TN – Peyton McCray Roberts, 21, has been sentenced to 60 months in federal prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm. D. Michael Dunavant, U.S. Attorney announced the sentence today.

According to information presented in Court, on August 12, 2019, officers with the Selmer Police Department responded to an apartment complex in Selmer, TN., with regard to a shooting incident. Officers spoke with the defendant, Peyton Roberts, who admitted to being intoxicated and firing a gun into the floor of his apartment after having an argument with friends.

Roberts gave consent to law enforcement to enter his apartment and recover his gun which he had placed under a mattress. Officers recovered an H & R, Model Topper Jr., .410 gauge shotgun containing a fired shell. Roberts informed law enforcement that he shot the gun into the floor after he tried to coerce his friends to leave his residence. He said the gun went off while he was trying to unload it.

After taking Roberts into custody, law enforcement verified that he was previously convicted of the felony offenses of Introduction of Contraband into a Penal Institution and Possession of a Schedule III Controlled Substance with the Intent to Deliver in McNairy County on December 3, 2018. As a result of those prior felony convictions, Roberts is prohibited by federal law from possession of firearms or ammunition.

On August 7, 2020, U.S. District Court Chief Judge S. Thomas Anderson sentenced Roberts to 60 months in federal prison followed by three years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.

U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant said: "Prohibited persons in possession of firearms present a known and immediate risk of violence to the community at large, as seen by this convicted felon who recklessly endangered individuals with an illegal gun. In order to protect public safety and uphold the rule of law, we must remove firearms from the hands of prohibited persons and remove dangerous felons from our streets. This sentence does just that, and will make McNairy County and West Tennessee a safer place."

This case was investigated by the Selmer Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

Assistant U.S. Attorney Josh Morrow prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.

###