Memphis, TN – Mondraques Newby, 30, has been sentenced to 100 months in federal prison for being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm. Joseph C. Murphy Jr., United States Attorney, announced the sentence today.
According to the information presented in court, on March 2, 2020, Memphis Police Officers observed a red Ford Focus being driven by a male suspected to be Mondraques Newby who had outstanding warrants. When officers contacted Newby at a traffic stop, a strong odor of marijuana was emanating from the vehicle. Mondraques Newby was confirmed as the driver along with a female passenger.
Officers observed in plain view, sitting on Newby’s lap, 20.5 grams of marijuana, a black scale with green residue and a clear plastic bag with approximately 30 pills of MDMA. Newby was detained and officers recovered a black and silver 9mm pistol from inside of Newby’s waistband. The pistol was loaded with one live round in the chamber and eight live rounds in the magazine. An additional live round was found underneath the driver’s seat. Newby claimed ownership of the gun and drugs.
Newby was previously sentenced on March 3, 2010, to seven years’ incarceration for aggravated robbery. In 2015, he also had a prior conviction as a convicted felon in possession of a firearm for which he received a three-year sentence of incarceration. As a result of his felony convictions, Newby is prohibited by federal law from possessing firearms.
On June 2, 2022, United States District Judge John T. Fowlkes, Jr., sentenced Newby to 100 months in federal prison with three years of supervised release to follow. There is no parole in the federal system.
This case was investigated by Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the Memphis Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). The PSN initiative is a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our communities safer for everyone. In 2017, PSN was reinvigorated as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local and tribal law enforcement.
Assistant United States Attorney Raney Irwin prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
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