Convicted Felon Pleads Guilty to Gun Possession after Drunken Car Crash
Memphis, TN – Omar Fair, 31, pled guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm. Acting U.S. Attorney, Joseph C. Murphy, Jr., announced the guilty plea today.
According to the information presented in court, on April 20, 2019, at 3:30 a.m., Memphis Police officers received a "man down" call at Walnut Grove and Humphreys Blvd. The officers and paramedics approached the vehicle and knocked repeatedly on the windows. When Fair awoke, he saw the officers and sped away in the vehicle. As the officers attempted to chase him, Fair struck two other vehicles and crashed in the median.
Again, the officers approached Fair; he got out of the car, smelled of intoxicants and spoke incoherently. The defendant was detained. Law enforcement inventoried his vehicle prior to towing and recovered a Rossi .357 Magnum revolver from the driver's side door. Fair was on probation.
Fair had previously been convicted of aggravated assault, a misdemeanor domestic violence involving physical injury, as well as three prior DUI charges. As a result of his prior convictions, Fair is prohibited by federal law from possessing firearms or ammunition.
Sentencing is scheduled for August 12, 2021, before U.S. District Judge Mark S. Norris, where he faces up to ten years in federal prison to be followed by three years supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.
This case was investigated by the Memphis Police Department and Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Task Force. Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) initiative is a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our communities safer for everyone. In 2017, PSN was reinvigorated as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally based strategies to reduce violent crime.
Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Samuel D. Winnig is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government. SAUSA Winnig is currently assigned from the Shelby County District Attorney General’s Office for the purpose of prosecuting violent crimes and firearms offenses in federal court.
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