MEMPHIS MAN SENTENCED FOR ILLEGAL POSSESSION OF GUN AFTER A HIGH-SPEED CHASE INTO MISSISSIPPI

OXFORD, Miss. - Sharka Corbin of Memphis, Tennessee, was sentenced yesterday to over ten years in prison followed by three years of supervised release for possessing a firearm as a prior convicted felon. Corbin was charged after he fled law enforcement from Tennessee into the Northern District of Mississippi.

At the time of his arrest, the 34-year-old Corbin was wanted for several violent offenses in Shelby County, Tennessee. He was pursued by law enforcement in a high-speed chase wherein he wrecked his vehicle and was arrested. A pistol was recovered from the prior convicted felon by the Desoto County Sheriff's Department. Corbin pled guilty to the charge on a prior date.

Senior U.S. District Court Michael P. Mills sentenced Corbin to 125 months imprisonment followed by a 3 year term of supervised release.

U.S. Attorney Scott F. Leary states, "Prosecuting habitual offenders is a top priority for the Northern District of Mississippi, especially offenders that violate firearm laws. This case was part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program that works with all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and gun violence. Our goal is, simply, to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone, which can only be accomplished by maintaining a strong working relationship with state and local law enforcement. Through this comprehensive approach, we hope to build trust in the communities we serve."

PSN brings 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, DOJ 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.

"In our effort to disrupt violent gun crime in our community, ATF will continue to focus efforts on prohibited individuals who unlawfully possess firearms," said ATF New Orleans Special Agent in Charge Joshua Jackson. "The sentence imposed today sends a message to convicted felons who are prohibited from possessing firearms that we will continue to work to keep our neighborhoods safe as the top priority for ATF."

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, along with the Desoto County Sheriff's Department, investigated the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Julie Addison prosecuted the case.