Source: Office of United States Attorneys
Memphis, TN – The Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals has affirmed the 108-month federal prison sentence handed down to Jaquan Bridges, 22, following his conviction for possession of a machinegun in the Western District of Tennessee. Joseph C. Murphy, Jr., Interim United States Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee, announced the affirmation of the sentence today.
On February 1, 2022, a Shelby County Sheriff’s Deputy observed Bridges driving a gray Ford Fusion near I-240 and Walnut Grove, traveling slowly while looking at his cell phone. The deputy activated emergency equipment to alert Bridges to put his phone down. Bridges rolled down his passenger-side window and fired gunshots at the deputy’s vehicle, striking it several times. Bridges then fled at a high rate of speed, leading deputies on a 10-mile pursuit, before Bridges hit at least three other vehicles and crashed into a concrete barrier at I-240 and Highway 385. When Bridges was taken into custody, deputies recovered a Glock .40 caliber pistol with an attached machinegun conversion device (known as a “switch”) and extended magazine.
On February 6, 2024, Bridges pled guilty to possessing a machinegun. On September 17, 2024, Senior United States District Judge John T. Fowlkes sentenced Bridges to 108 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.
Bridges appealed the judgment of the district court, arguing that his prosecution for machinegun possession violated his Second Amendment right to bear arms. In an opinion filed August 7, 2025, the Sixth Circuit upheld the 108-month sentence and the constitutionality of the federal statute regulating the possession of machineguns. This is the first published case in which the Sixth Circuit has addressed this issue since the Supreme Court’s holding in New York State Rifle & Pistol Association, Inc. v. Bruen, 597 U.S. 1 (2022).
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods 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.
The case was investigated by the Shelby County Sheriff’s Department.
Assistant United States Attorney Eileen Kuo prosecuted this case and handled the appeal on behalf of the government.
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