Memphis Man Sentenced to 30 Years in Federal Prison for Multiple Armed Business Robberies by Discharging a Firearm

Memphis, TN - A federal judge has sentenced Laquarius King, 28, of Memphis, to 360 months in federal prison for multiple business robberies by discharging a firearm. D. Michael Dunavant, United States Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee, announced the sentence today.

According to information presented in court, between July 2, 2023 and October 2, 2024, 0n five separate occasions, King robbed the Exxon gas station located on Appling Road and the Berryhill Market located on Berryhill Road in Memphis, Tennessee. On two occasions, he fired a round in the air next to the clerk when the clerk hesitated to open the cash drawer. The incident was recorded on store surveillance video, and King was wearing the same shirt in several robberies.

On October 2, 2024, an off-duty Memphis police officer saw the robbery taking place from the parking lot and called 911 while following the suspect vehicle. Active units joined in the pursuit before King was taken into custody.

In February 2026, King pled guilty to five counts of robbery of a business and two counts of discharging a firearm during the robberies. On May 29, 2026, Chief United States District Judge Sheryl H. Lipman sentenced King to 360 months of federal imprisonment, to be followed by five years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.

U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant said: "King's violent crime spree is over. His lifestyle of lawlessness and selfish greed terrorized multiple victims - and has rightly earned him a long sentence in a federal prison that will remove him from the community and protect Memphians."

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Memphis Police Department's Safe Streets Task Force investigated the case. This case is part of the Safe Streets Task Force's (SSTF) efforts to prosecute violent crimes in Memphis, Tennessee and surrounding areas.

Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Musselwhite prosecuted this case on behalf of the United States.

###

For more information, please contact the media relations team at [email protected]. Follow the U.S. Attorney's Office on FacebookLinks to other government and non-government sites will typically appear with the "external link" icon to indicate that you are leaving the Department of Justice website when you click the link. or on XLinks to other government and non-government sites will typically appear with the "external link" icon to indicate that you are leaving the Department of Justice website when you click the link. at @WDTNNews for office news and updates.