Chattanooga Man Convicted Of Being A Felon In Possession Of A Firearm

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. – On June 27, 2023, following a one-day trial in United States District Court, in Chattanooga, Tenn., a jury convicted Andre Blocker, Jr., 22 of Chattanooga of possessing a firearm as a convicted felon in violation of 18 U.S.C. §922(g)(1).

Sentencing is set for October 26, 2023, at 10:00 a.m. before the Honorable Charles E. Atchley, Jr. in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee at Chattanooga. Blocker faces up to ten years imprisonment.

The evidence presented at trial showed that on February 9, 2022, a Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office Lieutenant observed Blocker driving recklessly on Glenwood Drive in Chattanooga and initiated a traffic stop. During the stop, Blocker brandished a pistol and then fled, leading law enforcement on a high-speed pursuit. Block eventually crashed, striking an innocent motorist’s vehicle and a building, and then fled on foot. He was taken into custody a short distance from the crash. Officers located a Taurus 9-millimeter pistol in Blocker’s vehicle.  Blocker is a multi-convicted felon.

U.S. Attorney Francis M. Hamilton III of the Eastern District of Tennessee made the announcement.

Law enforcement agencies participating in the arrest and investigation which led to indictment and subsequent conviction of Blocker included the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office, Chattanooga Police Department, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation Chattanooga Safe Streets Task Force.

Assistant United States Attorney Kevin T. Brown represented the United States at trial. 

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.

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