Hardeman County Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal Prison for Possession of a Firearm

Memphis, TN – A federal judge delivered sentencing in the case of a Hardeman County man convicted of firearm charges. Fabian Bills, 34, was sentenced to 120 months in federal prison for being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm. U.S. District Court Judge S. Thomas Anderson also ordered Bills to serve three years of supervised release upon completion of his prison term. United States Attorney Kevin Ritz announced the sentence today.

This case was investigated by the FBI’s Safe Streets Task Force.

According to information presented in court, on May 6, 2022, a deputy in the Madison County Sheriff’s Office conducted a traffic stop of a Nissan Maxima. Upon approaching the passenger’s side of the vehicle, the officer noticed the smell of marijuana coming from inside the car. The officer asked the driver for permission to search the vehicle; the passenger identified himself as Fabian Bills. The officer discovered a loaded 9mm handgun tucked underneath the front passenger seat. Bills admitted ownership of the firearm and stated that he had prior felony convictions. Bills was arrested and charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm. This firearm was later matched by a forensic firearms examiner to two prior shootings.

Based on this, a federal criminal complaint was issued against Bills and on May 27, 2022, a Federal Bureau of Investigations Task Force officer executed the resulting arrest warrant. Additional firearms were recovered from Bills’s vehicle when he was arrested, including an Omni 300 Blackout AR15 and a loaded Taurus G2C 9mm handgun.  

In August 2023, Bills pled guilty to two counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm. Because the Court found the defendant committed prior violent acts with one of these firearms, he was subject to enhanced punishment at sentencing.  There is no parole in the federal system.

United States Attorney Kevin Ritz thanked Assistant United States Attorney Christie Hopper, who prosecuted this case, as well as law enforcement partners who investigated the case.   

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