Federal officials in Tennessee reported that two more convicted felons in the state have run afoul of the law for owning firearms even though the law forbids it.
After a two-day trial, a federal jury in Memphis convicted Carl Clarke, 31, already a convicted felon, for possessing a firearm. This, according to a press release that Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph C. Murphy Jr., published this week.
“According to information presented in court, on June 3, 2018, officers with the Dyersburg Police Department reported to a residence on Cumberland Street after receiving information that Clarke was at that address and had active arrest warrants. Officers found Clarke and three others seated in the residence with a loaded Black Taurus PT111 G2 9mm handgun on the coffee table. Clarke was arrested on the active warrants and waived his Miranda rights. Officers asked if the handgun was his and he replied, ‘Yeah, that’s my gun,’” according to the press release.
“Clarke is a convicted felon, having previously been convicted of attempted aggravated robbery, burglary, and aggravated assault. As a result of his prior felony convictions, he is prohibited by federal law from possessing firearms or ammunition. Sentencing is scheduled for September 10, 2021, before Chief U.S. District Judge S. Thomas Anderson where, if found to be an Armed Career Criminal, he faces not less than 15 years imprisonment.”
Meanwhile, in Chattanooga, officials with the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee sentenced Clinton P. Wilborn, 47, to 57 months imprisonment followed by three years of supervised release. Wilborn, a convicted felon, earlier pleaded guilty to an indictment charging him with one count of possessing a firearm.
This, according to a press release that federal officials published this week.
“According to court records, in April 2019, investigators with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (“ATF”), and Chattanooga Police Department Gun Team responded to Discount Depot located at 6308 Highway 58 in Chattanooga following reports that the store operator was a convicted felon and illegally selling firearms from the business,” the press release said.
“Following a search of the premises, investigators recovered a large amount of assorted ammunition, firearm magazines, and 14 firearms—including rifles, shotguns, and pistols—hidden in various locations on the property. One of the firearms was stolen. During an interview with an ATF Special Agent, Wilborn, the store operator, admitted to possessing the firearms and stated he knew it was illegal to possess firearms due to his status as a convicted felon.”
– – –
Chris Butler is an investigative journalist at The Tennessee Star. Follow Chris on Facebook. Email tips to [email protected].
Great job! By enforcing gun laws, we show that current gun laws can have teeth and can be used to reduce the number of armed felons.
The problem is that gun charges against felons are often plead bargained away during trials
for murder, assault of other serious crimes.
Gun charges should stand alone and result in more jail time when violated not just washed away.
Someone should really look into the record of the Metro Nashville’s District Attorney’s record on gun crimes.
I would bet that DA Funk does not hold gun violations to the letter of the law.
Some people violent I can see but what do you say to the one that was 18 made a mistake. And the crime wasn’t violent.Paid for it with his time hard work and went through all the hoops to get his rights back? And somehow people don’t know how to use a dictionary.. God given right. LIFE, LIBERTY, and the pursuit of HAPPINESS. Also includes the right to self preservation under LIFE. Natural law is the only law. Government can’t take something they didn’t grant nor could it take something that was put in place specifically to keep government under control.
What I want to know is how we allow crooked cops to violate the Constitution and a family’s right to 2nd Amendment. These special task forces are the dirtiest of em all. They will lie ,ambush you, rob you,and ransom you off. Without any recourse for their actions. Then while they got you locked up they will put out three different versions of the truth. Where is justice in that? There isn’t any
Why would the court decide to let a repeat felon, Wilborn, out on supervised release? This kind of reduction in sentencing lessens the impact of federal firearm possession violations. I had thought that federal sentencing did not provide for probation but “supervised release” sure sounds like probation. Possibly the laws on this has been changed but I hope not.