Federal Jury finds Armed Career Criminal Guilty of Unlawful Possession of a Firearm

Memphis, TN – On July 29, 2026, a federal jury delivered a guilty verdict in the case of a Memphis man, Rodrigus Carter, aka Rodregus Carter, 42 , who was charged with unlawfully possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. Carter faces a mandatory statutory minimum sentence of 15 years in federal prison based on his prior convictions. United States Attorney D. Michael Dunavant, for the Western District of Tennessee, announced the verdict today. According to information presented in court, on March 10, 2026, Memphis police went to an empty commercial building in downtown Memphis after receiving complaints from the owner that individuals were living inside the building without authorization. Officers entered the building and found Carter, along with two others. They located a revolver and a semiautomatic pistol on a table in an interior office being used as a bedroom. Carter was seen exiting from this room when officers arrived. Witnesses, including Carter, indicated the revolver belonged to him and the other firearm belonged to his girlfriend who had been living in the building with him. Carter has multiple prior felony convictions, including three convictions for Burglary of a Building, two convictions for Aggravated Burglary, and Sale of a Controlled Substance. After a one-day trial, Carter was convicted as charged of being a felon in possession of a firearm, and the jury made a finding that he had committed at least three violent felonies on different occasions, triggering the enhanced sentencing penalties under the Armed Career Criminal Act (ACCA). Sentencing is set on November 19, 2026, before Chief United States District Judge Sheryl H. Lipman. There is no parole in the federal system. U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant said, "The best way to reduce violent crime is to remove firearms from the hands of prohibited persons and remove dangerous felons from our streets, BEFORE they pull the next trigger. This recidivist armed career criminal is one more gun-toter who will now be removed from our community for at least 15 years, and Memphis will be safer because of this verdict.” This case was investigated by officers from the Memphis Police Department (MPD) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). Assistant United States Attorneys Jennifer Musselwhite and Gavin Smith prosecuted this case on behalf of the United States. ### For more information, please contact the media relations team at USATNW.Media@usdoj.gov . Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office on Facebook or on X at @WDTNNews for office news and updates.