Security News: Local Man Sentenced to Over 8 Years in Federal Prison After Being in Possession of a Firearm During an Attempted Robbery

Source: United States Department of Justice News

Memphis, TN – Reginald Pigram, 39, has been sentenced to 102 months in federal prison for illegally 
possessing a firearm during an attempted robbery. Joseph C. Murphy, Jr., United States Attorney, 
announced the sentence today.

According to information presented in court, on September 15, 2020, officers with the Memphis 
Police Department responded to an attempted robbery at a gas station on Old Austin Peay Highway. 
The victim reported that while he was unloading his delivery truck, a male approached him, lifted 
his shirt to brandish a firearm, and demanded that the victim hand over his wallet. The victim 
pulled out a knife and refused, and the suspect walked away to a hotel next door. The victim 
briefly followed the suspect, who then pointed the firearm at the victim.

Responding officers went to the hotel and the management identified the suspect as a guest and led 
officers to a specific room where he was staying. When officers knocked on the door to the room and 
announced their presence, they heard someone manipulating the toilet lid. Several minutes after 
officers repeatedly knocked on the door, Pigram answered the door. He matched the suspect 
description and was detained.

Officers secured the hotel room, obtained a warrant, and recovered two handguns and multiple 
magazines (including one high capacity) from the tank of the toilet. One of the handguns was a 
Ruger .45 and the other was a Springfield .45.

On October 26, 2021, Pigram pled guilty to being a felon in possession of two firearms.

On August 11, 2022, United States District Judge John T. Fowlkes, Jr., sentenced Pigram to 102 
months in federal prison to be followed by three years’ supervised release. There is
no parole in the federal system.

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.

Assistant United States Attorney Greg Wagner prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.

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