Jury Finds Six-Time Felon Guilty Of Drug And Firearm Charges

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. - On April 22, 2026, following a two-day trial in United States District Court, a jury convicted Richard Allen, Sr., also known as "Hoss," 55, of Chattanooga, TN, of possessing 50 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine with the intent to distribute it; possessing 5 grams or more of methamphetamine with the intent to distribute it; possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime; and possessing a firearm as a convicted felon.

Sentencing is set for October 1, 2026, before United States District Judge Charles E. Atchley, in United States District Court at Chattanooga. Allen faces a mandatory minimum 10-years imprisonment up to a maximum of life imprisonment.

The evidence presented at trial showed that on August 15, 2024, Chattanooga Police Officers encountered Allen in the East Lake Courts Housing Complex and found him to be in possession of over 50 grams of a methamphetamine mixture, drug trafficking paraphernalia, and two loaded pistols. Allen is a multi-convicted felon, having sustained six previous felony convictions in state and federal courts. On September 6, 2024, officers again encountered Allen in East Lake Courts. He was found to be in possession of over 21 grams of 99% pure methamphetamine.

United States Attorney Francis M. Hamilton III of the Eastern District of Tennessee made the announcement.

The Chattanooga Police Department Neighborhood Policing Bureau and the Federal Bureau of Investigation Chattanooga Safe Streets Task Force investigated the case. Special Agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives Chattanooga Field Office and Drug Enforcement Administration Chattanooga Resident Office provided valuable assistance during the investigation and trial.

Assistant United States Attorneys Chris Poole and Kevin Brown represented the United States at trial.

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.

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