Mid-week update and some full circle result of the Task Force's efforts in Memphis. The TL;DR is FEDERAL courts don't play around and will absolutely sentence guilty felons to real time. Here’s an official federal update on violent crime prosecutions tied to MPD’s Safe Streets Task Force investigations this week — showing actual outcomes in federal court. (SOURCE: Department of Justice)

In two separate cases announced March 16, 2026 by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Tennessee, federal courts imposed long prison terms for violent crime tied to MPD investigations.

Key Outcomes (Federal Sentences): • 130 month prison sentence — Martavious Wilson, age 20, for a 2024 armed carjacking in Memphis; he ambushed a victim at gunpoint, struck her, and fled with her vehicle before being caught by police. Judge Mark S. Norris imposed 130 months’ imprisonment; there is no parole in the federal system.

• 188 month prison sentence — Derrick Richard, age 36, a convicted felon in possession of a firearm. A jury found he had three prior violent felony convictions, triggering an Armed Career Criminal enhancement; Judge Sheryl H. Lipman sentenced him to 188 months in prison.

The violent crime prosecutions — including the armed carjacking and illegal firearm possession — were investigated by the Memphis Police Department alongside federal partners.

Why This Matters: These recent federal sentences show meaningful prosecutorial follow through in cases stemming from local law enforcement investigations. They reflect the Department of Justice’s focus on removing violent offenders from the community and enforcing mandatory minimum sentencing where applicable.