Memphis Man Sentenced to 11 Years in Prison for Possession of a Machinegun and Possession of 121 Grams of Fentanyl with the Intent to Distribute

Memphis, TN - Christopher Young, aka Christopher Minnis, 35, has been sentenced to 132 months in federal prison followed by four years of supervised release for possession of a machinegun, possession of 121 grams of Fentanyl with the intent to distribute, and being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm. Joseph C. Murphy, Jr., Interim United States Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee, announced the sentence today.

According to the information presented in court, on December 9, 2021, officers with the Memphis Police Department observed the defendant near Cottonwood Road and Cherry Road driving erratically in a Black Chevrolet Corvette with fraudulent tags that had expired on October 14, 2021. When Young parked the car, the officers attempted to conduct a traffic stop, but Young fled on foot. Police gave chase, and Young was apprehended in his neighbor's back yard. At the time of his arrest, Young had 121.81 grams of Fentanyl and a Glock 9mm caliber pistol with an extended magazine in his possession. The Glock also had an attached Machinegun Conversion Device (commonly referred to as a "switch"), which made the gun fully automatic. The gun was loaded with 1 round in the chamber and 23 rounds in the extended magazine.

On January 6, 2025, Young pled guilty before United States District Court Judge Thomas L. Parker. Young was sentenced on April 10, 2025 to 132 months in federal prison, to be followed by four years of supervised release.

There is no parole in the federal system.

Assistant United States Attorney Raney Irwin prosecuted this case on behalf of the government. The Memphis Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives investigated this case.

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