Tipton County Probationer Arrested During “Operation Crime Driver” Sentenced to Federal Prison for Possessing Firearm
Memphis, TN – Danny Muex, 32, of Tipton County has been sentenced to 40 months in federal prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm. D. Michael Dunavant, U.S. Attorney announced the sentence today.
According to information presented in court, on February 20, 2019, as law enforcement patrolled near the area of Covington, Tennessee where several gunshots had been reported, Officers saw a white 1999 Ford Mustang traveling at a high rate of speed. The driver was later identified as Muex. Corporal Bradley Williams with the Tipton County Sheriff’s Office attempted to stop the vehicle, but Muex continued driving, eventually losing control of the vehicle.
As Muex got out of the vehicle, the deputy observed Muex carrying a firearm in his right hand while attempting to flee on foot. The deputy was able to stop Muex and placed him in custody. Corporal Jeremy Finney located a loaded Bersa .380 caliber firearm underneath Corporal Williams’s vehicle. A search of the suspect vehicle was conducted. Deputies located a straw with a white residue which tested positive for cocaine. Deputies also located a box containing 38 rounds of .380 ammunition, one round of 300 blackout ammunition, $186.00 cash, five cellular telephones, and a digital scale. At the time of the offense, Muex was on probation from a Florida felony conviction for possession of a firearm as a convicted felon. Muex’ arrest was part of "Operation Crime Driver", a joint federal, state and local law enforcement anti-violence initiative led by the District Attorney General’s Office for the 25th Judicial District, and conducted between February and May 2019, where law enforcement targeted offenders wanted on arrest warrants for violent criminal offenses in Tipton County, Tennessee. Muex was among 6 defendants from the first phase of "Operation Crime Driver" to be indicted in federal court in October, 2019 for various drug and gun offenses. https://www.justice.gov/usao-wdtn/pr/operation-crime-driver-targets-violent-criminals-tipton-county.
On July 27, 2020, U.S. District Court Judge Thomas L. Parker sentenced Muex to 40 months in federal prison followed by 3 years supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system. U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant said, "We are pleased to join with our federal, state and local law enforcement partners to focus on the priority areas of firearms and narcotics cases that impact public safety in our rural communities, and we are glad to support this successful joint operation by adopting these cases for aggressive federal prosecution. We are tired of the trigger-pullers and traffickers that terrorize Tipton County, and we will continue our laser focus on the real drivers of violent crime: guns, gangs, and drugs." This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Tipton County Sheriff’s Office. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean Hord prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
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