MEMPHIS, Tenn. — A Memphis man has been sentenced to more than 82 years in federal prison after being convicted of a series of armed business robberies committed just months after being released from federal custody.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Tennessee announced that 32-year-old Maurice Harris was sentenced to a total of 946 months and one day in federal prison.
U.S. District Judge Mark S. Norris imposed a sentence of 900 months and one day for the robbery convictions, followed by an additional 46 months for violating the conditions of Harris’ supervised release from a previous federal case.
According to prosecutors, Harris committed three armed robberies in October 2024:
- Oct. 4: Metro by T-Mobile, 4673 Elvis Presley Blvd. in Memphis.
- Oct. 7: Cricket Wireless, 1129 S. Dupree St. in Brownsville.
- Oct. 10: AT&T, 5287 Airline Road in Memphis.
Investigators said Harris entered each business posing as a customer before pulling out a handgun and demanding phones and tablets.
During the Brownsville robbery, a 5-year-old child was inside the store.
Authorities said Harris accidentally left his driver’s license behind while fleeing the Brownsville robbery, providing investigators with a key piece of evidence.
He was later arrested at his workplace while in possession of the handgun used during the robberies, the same vehicle used in each crime, and property stolen from two of the businesses.
All three robberies were captured on surveillance video. Prosecutors said each victim identified Harris both in a photo lineup and in court.
Evidence also showed Harris had previously been convicted in federal court for robbing a business and had only been released on supervised release in June 2024, approximately four months before committing the new offenses.
Following a three-day trial, a federal jury convicted Harris of:
- Three counts of robbery.
- Three counts of using a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence.
- One count of being a felon in possession of a firearm.
“There is a heavy price to pay for a lifestyle of lawlessness,” U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant said. “Within the short span of seven days, this recidivist violent offender’s selfish and impulsive greed terrorized multiple victims across West Tennessee and has rightly earned him an effective life sentence in federal prison.”
Because there is no parole in the federal system, Harris is expected to serve virtually all of his sentence.
The investigation was conducted by the FBI Safe Streets Task Force, Memphis Police Department, Brownsville Police Department, and the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jennifer Musselwhite and Greg Wagner prosecuted the case.
