Memphis, TN – Austin Martin, 23 has been sentenced to 120 months in federal prison for possession
of a firearm. Joseph C. Murphy Jr., United States Attorney, announced the sentence today.
According to the information presented in court, on May 4, 2019, a Memphis Police officer saw a
vehicle doing donuts at the intersection of Knight Arnold and South Mendenhall. The driver then
drove towards the officer’s vehicle and crashed into a fire hydrant. Five males bailed out of the
vehicle, Martin got out of the driver’s door wearing a bright yellow vest and pointed a handgun at
the uniformed Memphis Police Officer. The officer drew his weapon but did not fire because there
was a bystander in the background. Martin fled and was apprehended minutes later with the gun still
in his pocket.
On May 2, 2019, Martin robbed and shot two men in Midtown. Later that same day, Memphis
Police Investigators later matched Martin’s gun to those two shootings. Both victims survived and
identified Martin as their shooter.
Martin also pled guilty in state court to especially aggravated robbery, aggravated assault, and
an unrelated aggravated arson. As a result of his prior convictions, Martin is
prohibited by federal law from possessing firearms and ammunition.
On June 17, 2022, United States District Judge Thomas L. Parker sentenced Martin to 10 years’
incarceration to be followed by three years’ supervised release.
This case was investigated by Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Task Force. 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 neighborhoods 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, and the local community to develop
effective, locally based strategies to reduce violent crime.
Assistant United States Attorney Greg Wagner prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
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