A Memphis man has been handed down a significant sentence for firearm possession and marijuana distribution. Joseph C. Murphy, the Interim United States Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee, declared that Robert Ingram, 39, has been sentenced to 15 years in prison. Ingram, a convicted felon, was found guilty of carrying guns and possessing marijuana with the intent to distribute it, according to a press release from the U.S. Attorney's Office.
Detectives with the Western District of Tennessee Multi-Agency Gang Unit, working in tandem with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), started to closely investigate Ingram back in June 2022. This probe was rooted in intelligence, which suggested that Ingram was actively distributing marijuana from his apartment located on S. Country Oaks Circle in Memphis. This operation led to a search warrant being executed on June 28, 2022, where detectives were able to swiftly detain Ingram without incident and to likewise discover more than 10 kilograms of marijuana and two loaded pistols, a Glock 9mm, and a stolen Smith & Wesson 9mm, ensconced within the dwelling's confines.
The indictment against Ingram came in February 2023, as he faced charges including possession with intent to distribute marijuana, two counts of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and two counts of felon in possession of a firearm. However, in a turn of events on January 15, Ingram entered a guilty plea to one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm and one count of possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute. The information surrounding these developments was outlined in court during the trial proceedings. United States District Court Judge Jon Phipps McCalla ultimately sentenced Ingram to 180 months’ incarceration on Tuesday, to be followed by three years of supervised release. It was noted that Ingram had been classified as a career offender under the United States Sentencing Guidelines.
"This individual persistently violates the law by illegally possessing firearms and distributing narcotics," Assistant Special Agent in Charge Matthew Belew of the ATF Nashville Field Division noted, per the U.S. Attorney's Office. In light of this, the ATF expressed its commitment to work collaboratively with local, state, and federal partners to not only fight violent crime but also ensure that criminals such as Ingram are held accountable for their actions. The case against Ingram was a combined effort involving the Western District of Tennessee Multi-Agency Gang Unit and the Memphis Field Office of the ATF, with additional support coming from the Drug Enforcement Administration's Nashville laboratory. Assistant United States Attorneys Bryce H. Phillips and William Crow represented the government in the prosecution of this case.
