McNairy County man sentenced to 15 years as armed career criminal

A Selmer man was sentenced to 180 months on a drug conviction and for being a felon in possession of a firearm, U.S. Attorney Joseph C. Murphy Jr. announced Friday.
The U.S. Justice Department said Lamon Terrill Massengill, 50, was arrested after officers executed a search warrant on Oak Street in Selmer on Oct. 7, 2020. Officers recovered two loaded firearms and over 3 grams of crack cocaine, hydrocodone pills, marijuana, and two digital scales in Massengill’s bedroom.
According to the department, Massengill admitted to selling cocaine since March 2020, purchasing an ounce of crack two or three times, and a half ounce on at least 20 to 30 occasions. Massengill also admitted to being a convicted felon who could not legally have firearms, and that the guns in his home were for his protection.
Massengill had previously been convicted of five aggravated burglaries, two aggravated assaults, and one burglary. As a result of his prior felony convictions, he is prohibited by federal law from possessing firearms and ammunition, the Justice Department said.
Massengill pleaded guilty to the weapon charge and possession with intent to manufacture, distribute or dispense cocaine base on Dec. 13, 2021, the department said. He was sentenced to the mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years prison as an armed career criminal by U.S. Chief District Judge S. Thomas Anderson on Tuesday. There is no parole in the federal system.
This case was investigated by the McNairy County Sheriff’s Department Narcotics Unit, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.