Memphis, TN – Marquis Davis, 19, has been sentenced to 18 years in federal prison for discharging a firearm in furtherance of a violent crime. United States Attorney D. Michael Dunavant, for the Western District of Tennessee, announced the sentencing today. According to court documents, on October 31, 2025, officers with the Memphis Police Department responded to a shooting call at The Exotic Smoke Shop located at 1740 North Germantown Parkway Suite #12 in Memphis, Tennessee. Upon arrival, officers located the store employee lying on the sidewalk in front of the business suffering from a gunshot wound to her abdomen. Davis robbed The Exotic Smoke Shop several minutes before the shooting occurred. The incident was captured on surveillance video and depicted Davis entering the business and looking at tobacco products. The employee asked Davis for his identification. When Davis asked if he had to show identification, the employee responded yes. When Davis asked if he had to be 21 years old to make a purchase, the employee responded yes. A short time later, Davis approached the counter and pointed a black handgun with an extended magazine at the employee and demanded money from the register. The employee complied and opened the cash register. Davis removed the money from the register and placed it in his pocket. He continued to threaten the employee with the handgun. After obtaining the money, Davis fired one shot striking the employee in the abdomen. He appeared to pull the trigger three more times after the initial shot; however, the handgun did not fire. Several minutes later, while administering medical assistance to the employee, officers heard multiple gunshots west of their location. Officers responded to the area and observed special agents from the Memphis Safe Task Force apprehend Davis outside of Corky’s Ribs and BBQ located at 1740 North Germantown Parkway Suite #1. During the encounter, Davis was shot. A black handgun with an extended magazine was located next to him and approximately $370 in U.S. currency was recovered from his clothing.

On September 21, 2026, Davis was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Thomas L. Parker to 216 months' imprisonment to be followed by five years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system. Davis has also been charged in State court with the felony offenses of Attempted First Degree Murder, Aggravated Robbery, and Employment of a Firearm During the Commission of a Dangerous Felony.

U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant said: "Armed business robberies are especially dangerous due to the high risk of death by the simple squeeze of a trigger. This 19-year-old offender’s impulsive greed and gratuitous violence caused serious injuries to the victim and terrorized the Cordova community - and have rightly earned him the next 18 years in a federal prison.""This was not simply a business robbery - it was a violent and dangerous act involving a firearm and gunfire that put the public at risk," said Special Agent in Charge Terence G. Reilly of the FBI Nashville Field Office. "This sentence is a testament to what can be accomplished when law enforcement agencies work together and sends a clear message: violent crime will be met with a relentless law enforcement response."

Members of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Memphis Police Department's (MPD) Safe Streets Task Force investigated the case. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jermal Blanchard on behalf of the government. This case is part of the Safe Streets Task Force’s efforts to prosecute violent crimes in Memphis, Tennessee, and surrounding areas. This case is also part of the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime Initiative to prosecute violent crimes in Memphis, Tennessee, and surrounding areas. The Criminal Division and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Tennessee have partnered, along with local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies, to confront violent crimes committed by gang members and associates through the enforcement of federal laws and use of federal resources to prosecute the violent offenders and prevent further violence.###For more information, please contact our Media Relations Team at USATNW.

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