A federal judge has sentenced Desmond Woods, 43, of Memphis, to over 17 years in federal prison for possession of cocaine with the intent to distribute, being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm, and possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime. The sentence was announced by Kevin G. Ritz, United States Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee.
According to court documents, Woods was first stopped by security guards in October 2020 at a local apartment complex for loitering. A search of his belongings revealed a Glock 22 caliber pistol, approximately 17 grams of cocaine, and a digital scale, leading to his arrest by the Memphis Police Department (MPD).
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In a second incident in July 2021, security guards at another apartment complex again detained Woods for loitering. After a brief chase, they found him in possession of an API .45 caliber pistol, a Smith & Wesson .40 caliber pistol, approximately 61 grams of cocaine, and a digital scale.
In June 2022, Memphis Police officers responded to an emergency call involving Woods and found him with a Del-ton 5.56 caliber rifle loaded with 50 rounds. At the time, Woods was a convicted felon.
Woods pled guilty in March 2024 to three counts of being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm, two counts of cocaine possession with intent to distribute, and two counts of possession of a firearm during the commission of a dangerous felony.
On July 18, 2024, United States Chief District Court Judge John T. Fowlkes sentenced Woods to a total of 207 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program aimed at reducing violent crime and gun violence by fostering trust in communities, supporting preventative community-based organizations, setting focused enforcement priorities, and measuring results.
The case was investigated by the PSN Gun Task Force and the Memphis Police Department. United States Attorney Kevin Ritz thanked Assistant United States Attorney Jermal Blanchard and law enforcement partners for their work on the case.
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.
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