Dyer County Armed Career Criminal Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison for Illegal Possession and Discharge of a Firearm

Jackson, TN - A federal judge has sentenced Timothy Adams, 55, of Dyersburg, Tennessee, to 15 years in federal prison for unlawful possession of a firearm as a convicted felon. United States Attorney D. Michael Dunavant, of the Western District of Tennessee, announced the sentence today.

According to information presented in court, on February 2, 2024, Dyer County deputies responded to a 9-1-1 hang up call. Upon arrival, they encountered Adams hiding behind a shed. It was determined through the investigation that Adams picked up a .38 revolver from the house and fired one round into the headboard near another occupant of the residence during a domestic violence incident. Officers confirmed the bullet hole in the headboard and recovered one spent shell casing from the .38 revolver.

On January 22, 2025, Adams pled guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm. Due to his extensive prior criminal conviction history which includes prior violent and serious drug offenses, the Court determined that Adams qualified as an Armed Career Criminal (ACC) and was prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition under the Armed Career Criminal Act (ACCA), resulting in enhanced mandatory minimum sentencing penalties.

On August 19, 2026, United States District Judge J. Daniel Breen sentenced Adams to 180 months in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.

U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant said, "Adams' prior conviction history demonstrates his disrespect for the law, and his lifestyle of lawlessness has finally caught up with him. He has devoted most of his life to repeated criminal conduct, and now the federal system will do what should have been done a long time ago - impose a real consequence that will prevent him from victimizing anyone else for years to come."

United States Attorney Dunavant thanked Assistant United States Attorney Hillary Parham, who prosecuted this case in conjunction with Assistant District Attorney General Andrew Hays, of the Tennessee District Attorney's Office for the 29^th Judicial District, as well as the law enforcement partners who investigated the case.

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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