Union City Man Sentenced to Over Eight Years of Imprisonment for Possession of a Firearm as a Convicted Felon

Jackson, TN - A federal judge has sentenced Michael Eaton, 41, of Union City, Tennessee to 105 months in federal prison for being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm. Reagan Fondren, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee, announced the sentence today.

According to evidence presented in court, on February 11, 2023, an officer with the Union City Police Department saw a silver Ford SUV driving near the area of Todd Street. The Ford SUV was pulled over for a window tint violation. During the stop, the passenger, Eaton, became involved in a confrontation with law enforcement officers, who eventually detained him and found him in possession of a loaded Charter Arms .38 special caliber revolver.

Eaton is a felon who is prohibited from possessing firearms. Previously, in 2000, Eaton was sentenced to 10 years of incarceration for possession of a controlled substance with the intent to resell it. In 2010, he was sentenced to 8 years of imprisonment for attempting to rob a Union City grocery store at gunpoint.

In January 2024, Eaton was indicted in the Western District of Tennessee for being a felon in possession of a firearm. He pled guilty to the offense in August 2024. On December 30, 2024, United States District Court Judge S. Thomas Anderson sentenced Eaton to 105 months in federal prison with three years of supervised release to follow. There is no parole in the federal system.

This case is part of the Project Safe Neighborhood Initiative, 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. On May 26, 2021, the department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

This case was investigated by the Union City Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).

Acting U.S. Attorney Fondren thanked Assistant United States Attorney Immanuel Chioco who prosecuted this case on behalf of the government and the law enforcement partners who investigated this case.

###

For more information, please contact the Media Relations Team at [email protected]. Follow the U.S. Attorney's Office on Facebook or on X at @WDTNNews for office news and updates.