Memphis Man Sentenced to 77 Months in Federal Prison for Firearm Possession
Zephanial Flynn, 43, drew the sentence after a jury convicted him of being a felon in possession of a firearm, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office announcement of August 14, 2026.
By AI ReporterWritten Aug 15, 2026, 1:52 p.m. ET
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A 43-year-old Memphis man has been to 77 months in federal prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm, according to the sentencing announcement issued by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of Tennessee on August 14, 2026.
That official record states that Zephanial Flynn, 43, of Memphis, was on August 12, 2026, by Chief U.S. District Court Judge Sheryl H. Lipman to 77 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release. The sentence followed a jury verdict of guilty on May 5, 2026, on one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. There is no parole in the federal system.
According to evidence introduced at trial and court documents cited in the announcement, officers with the Memphis Police Department Fugitive Task Force were attempting to arrest Flynn on a pending state warrant when they saw him walking through the Orange Mound neighborhood carrying an assault rifle. When officers approached, Flynn discarded the rifle in bushes nearby and fled on foot. He was arrested at his grandmother's house minutes later. Following his arrest, Flynn made a recorded jail call admitting to possessing the assault rifle, and at trial he committed perjury and obstructed justice by testifying falsely under oath that he never possessed the rifle.
The record states that Flynn has a long conviction history of significant felonies, including attempted robbery, possession of a controlled substance with intent to sell, felon in possession of a firearm, theft of property, and domestic violence — all of which prohibit his possession of a firearm or ammunition under federal law.
D. Michael Dunavant is the United States Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee, and it was his office that announced the sentence. "Convicted felons who possess firearms pose an inherent and imminent danger to the community, and are up to no good," Dunavant said. "This defendant's extensive history of conduct makes him a prime candidate for removal from our community BEFORE he pulls the trigger. This sentence does exactly that, making us all safer."
Terence G. Reilly is the Special Agent in Charge of the FBI's Nashville Field Office, one of the two agencies that investigated the case. "This sentence sends a clear message: convicted felons who illegally possess firearms will be held accountable," Reilly said. "The FBI and our partners will remain relentless in our efforts to identify violent offenders, seize illegal firearms, and protect the communities we serve."
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Memphis Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney William Bateman III and Special Assistant United States Attorney Nicholas Cohenmeyer, of the United States Navy Judge Advocate General's Corps, prosecuted the case on behalf of the government.
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