Nashville Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Drug and Firearms Violations
Investigation Began After East Nashville Shooting
NASHVILLE – A Nashville, Tennessee man was sentenced to 15 years in federal prison today for drug and firearms violations, announced U.S. Attorney Mark H. Wildasin.
Anthony Ussery, 40, pleaded guilty in May to being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm; being a convicted felon in possession of ammunition; and possession with intent to distribute more than 40 grams of fentanyl.
According to Court records, On May 8, 2019, officers with the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department (MNPD) responded to a shots fired call at the intersection of East Trinity Lane and Meridian Street and discovered two victims with gunshot wounds. Video footage from a nearby business showed a black sedan approach the victims, at which point an individual fired multiple shots before fleeing the scene. The subsequent investigation identified Ussery as the shooter and the two victims, who are brothers, believed the shooting occurred as a result of a recent dispute with Ussery. Ussery was later arrested and charged by MNPD in relation to this shooting.
On March 23, 2021, while out on bond for the May 2019 shooting, Ussery was stopped by a Nashville Airport Authority police officer for a traffic violation and was found to be in possession of 57 grams of fentanyl and a loaded 9mm pistol. On March 25, 2021, a federal criminal complaint charged Ussery with federal crimes and he was subsequently indicted by a federal grand jury on July 13, 2021.
Ussery has four prior felony convictions, including attempted robbery; manslaughter; facilitation of the sale of drugs; and possession with intent to distribute Schedule IV controlled substances. In sentencing Ussery, the Court found that these convictions qualified him as an Armed Career Criminal, subjecting him to a mandatory minimum of 15 years in prison.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives; the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department; and the Nashville Airport Authority Department of Public Safety. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Josh Kurtzman and Dwight Artis prosecuted the case.
