Armed Career Criminal Gangster Pleads Guilty to Illegal Possession of a Firearm

Memphis, TN - Dock Exum, 50, of Memphis, pled guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm as an Armed Career Criminal. United States Attorney D. Michael Dunavant, for the Western District of Tennessee, announced the guilty plea today.

According to the evidence, on September 30, 2025, Memphis police officers conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle that had visible fraudulent tags. Officers approached the vehicle and identified the sole occupant as Exum. During the stop, officers detected an odor of marijuana and conducted a probable cause search on the vehicle for suspected narcotics. During the search, a Sig Sauer P238 .380 caliber pistol was recovered, and Exum claimed ownership of the firearm.

Exum is a long-standing and known member of the Gangster Disciples street gang and has a lengthy criminal history of significant felonies, including especially aggravated robbery, two convictions of burglary of a motor vehicle, burglary of a building, and five convictions of aggravated burglary. Under federal law, due to Exum's criminal history, he is prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition and is subject to the enhanced sentencing penalties under the Armed Career Criminal Act (ACCA).

On August 18, 2026, Exum pled guilty to being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm. Exum is scheduled to be sentenced before District Chief Judge Sheryl H. Lipman on November 23, 2026 and faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in prison. There is no parole in the federal system.

U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant said: "This case targets and removes a dangerous gangster from the community BEFORE he pulls the trigger. Exum has spent years sowing a culture of criminality in Memphis, and he will now reap a long prison sentence without the sanctuary of parole."

This case was investigated by the Memphis Police Department (MPD) as part of the Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) initiative.

Special Assistant United States Attorney Brandon Wright, of the United States Army Judge Advocate General's (JAG) Corps, prosecuted the case on behalf of the government.

Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the Department of Justice's nationwide initiative that brings federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement, prosecutors, and other public safety partners together to coordinate efforts to combat violent crime and make communities safe. Coordinated by U.S. Attorneys' offices in each of the 94 federal districts, PSN is tailored to particular communities to strategically address specific violent crime and public safety challenges. As a key component of Operation Take Back America, PSN serves a central role in the Department's commitment to make our country safe. PSN emphasizes three core principles: rapid federal response to violent crime and criminal offenders; strong, strategic partnerships among law enforcement at all levels; and accountability and deterrence through the prosecution of the most serious, readily provable offenses and other strategies. These efforts complement and strengthen President Trump's Homeland Security Task Forces, ensuring a comprehensive federal response to the most pressing public safety issues facing communities.

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