A Memphis man, Claibon Burrus, has been sentenced to 260 months in federal prison for drug distribution and possession of firearms. The sentence was announced by Reagan Fondren, Acting United States Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee.
Court documents revealed that on January 19, 2021, Memphis Police Department detectives executed a search warrant at a residence in Memphis during an overdose death investigation. They found Burrus with significant quantities of methamphetamine, cocaine, heroin, fentanyl, and marijuana. He also had multiple firearms and admitted to distributing drugs. After his arrest, Burrus instructed others to relocate additional drugs and firearms from storage units he rented to prevent their seizure by law enforcement.
In July 2024, Burrus pled guilty to charges including possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. On March 25, 2025, United States District Judge John T. Fowlkes Jr. sentenced him to over two decades in federal prison followed by five years of supervised release. Federal sentences do not allow for parole.
The case was investigated by the Memphis Police Department's Heroin/Opioid Response Team and Organized Crime Unit (OCU). Acting U.S. Attorney Fondren expressed gratitude towards Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jennifer Musselwhite and Greg Allen for prosecuting the case along with the law enforcement partners involved in the investigation.
For further information or updates from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Tennessee, contact their media relations team or follow them on social media platforms.