Convicted Felon Found Guilty of Methamphetamine Possession and Multiple Firearm Crimes
Memphis, TN – A Memphis man was recently convicted by a federal jury of possessing methamphetamine with intent to distribute along with multiple counts related to his illegal possession of firearms. Reagan Fondren, Acting United States Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee, announced the verdict today.
According to information presented in court, on July 13, 2022, detectives in the Multi-Agency Gang Unit executed a search warrant on an apartment in Memphis where Andre Blue, 37, was living. There, they discovered a loaded Glock Inc. .45 caliber pistol, a Sig Sauer Inc. 9mm caliber pistol, and a loaded Smith and Wesson .45 caliber pistol in the primary bedroom. Detectives also found 15 grams of pure methamphetamine in the primary bathroom toilet bowl. An American Tactical Imports Inc. multi-caliber pistol was found in the closet of a child’s bedroom on the top shelf next to a magazine loaded with at least 50 live rounds.
On February 23, 2023, detectives with the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office executed a search warrant on another residence occupied by Blue, where they found a Sig Sauer pistol under the primary bathroom sink along with various drug-sale paraphernalia.
Due to his prior felony convictions, Blue is prohibited by federal law from possessing firearms and ammunition. On November 20, 2024, after a three-day trial, a federal jury found Blue guilty of possession of a firearm as a convicted felon, possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking, and possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute.
Blue faces a mandatory statutory minimum of five years in federal prison for possession of five grams or more of actual methamphetamine as well as a consecutive five-year mandatory minimum prison sentence related to his conviction for possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking. Sentencing is set on February 26, 2025 before United States District Judge Jon P. McCalla.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
The investigation in this case was conducted by the PSN Gun Task Force, along with the Multi-Agency Gang Unit and the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office.
Acting United States Attorney Fondren thanked Assistant United States Attorneys Eileen Kuo and Regina Brittenum, who prosecuted this case, as well as the law enforcement partners who investigated the case.