Multiple Convicted Felon Sentenced to Federal Prison for Possession of a Firearm

Memphis, TN - Zephanial Flynn, 43, of Memphis, has been sentenced to 77 months in prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm. United States Attorney D. Michael Dunavant, of the Western District of Tennessee, announced the sentence today.

According to evidence introduced at trial and court documents, officers with the Memphis Police Department Fugitive Task Force were attempting to arrest Flynn on a pending state warrant when they saw him walking through the Orange Mound neighborhood carrying an assault rifle.

When officers approached, Flynn discarded the rifle in bushes nearby and fled on foot. Flynn was arrested at his grandmother's house minutes later. Following his arrest, Flynn made a recorded jail call admitting to possessing the assault rifle. At trial he also committed perjury and obstructed justice by providing false testimony under oath that he never in fact possessed the rifle.

Flynn has a long criminal conviction history of significant felonies, including attempted robbery, possession of a controlled substance with intent to sell, felon in possession of a firearm, theft of property, and domestic violence - all of which prohibit his possession of a firearm or ammunition under federal law.

On May 5, 2026, a jury returned a verdict of guilty of one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. On August 12, 2026, Flynn was sentenced by Chief U.S. District Court Judge Sheryl H. Lipman to 77 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.

U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant said, "Convicted felons who possess firearms pose an inherent and imminent danger to the community, and are up to no good. This defendant's extensive history of criminal conduct makes him a prime candidate for removal from our community BEFORE he pulls the trigger. This sentence does exactly that, making us all safer."

"This sentence sends a clear message: convicted felons who illegally possess firearms will be held accountable," said Special Agent in Charge Terence G. Reilly of the FBI Nashville Field Office. "The FBI and our partners will remain relentless in our efforts to identify violent offenders, seize illegal firearms, and protect the communities we serve."

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Memphis Police Department (MPD).

Assistant United States Attorney William Bateman III and Special Assistant United States Attorney Nicholas Cohenmeyer, of the United States Navy Judge Advocate General's (JAG) Corps, prosecuted the case on behalf of the government.

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