Convicted Felon Sentenced to Federal Prison for Over 8 Years for Possession of a Firearm

Memphis, TN – Eric Hunt, 23, has been sentenced to 100 months in federal prison for being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm. Joseph C. Murphy, Jr., United States Attorney announced the sentence today.

According to information presented in court, on February 29, 2020, at 12:25pm, officers with the Memphis Police Department initiated blue lights and sirens for a traffic violation to stop Eric Hunt. He refused to stop and continued driving until reaching an apartment complex near Frayser Boulevard where he jumped out of the car, threw a gun, and ran. When apprehended a short time later, Hunt had on his person $773 in cash and a small amount of marijuana. The weapon recovered was a Taurus G2C 9mm handgun, loaded with 12 rounds in the magazine and one in the chamber.

On March 10, 2020, Hunt was arrested at his home for an outstanding warrant. A search of his home revealed six guns, and more than one pound of marijuana found in a safe. Hunt admitted that two of the six guns found in the home belonged to him.

Hunt is a convicted felon having pled guilty to two counts of aggravated assault in 2019, for which he was sentenced to three years’ incarceration. As a result of his prior convictions, he is prohibited by federal law from possessing firearms or ammunition.

On February 15, 2022, United States District Judge Mark S. Norris sentenced Hunt to 100 months in federal prison to be followed by two years’ supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.

This case was investigated by the Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Task Force. The (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 Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all United States Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local and tribal law enforcement.

Assistant United States Attorney Raney Irwin prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.

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