Man gets 12 years after smuggling nearly 23 pounds of drugs through Memphis airport

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (WMC) - A Memphis man was sentenced to 12 years in federal prison after nearly 23 pounds of drugs were found in his luggage at Memphis Airport.

Lonnie Moore Jr., 38, has been sentenced to 12 years in federal prison for possession of methamphetamine with the intent to distribute, according to United States Attorney D. Michael Dunavant of the Western District of Tennessee.

According to information presented in court, on August 22, 2025, airport police officers flagged luggage belonging to Moore, who had just landed from Los Angeles, California.

A police K9 alerted officers to the luggage, which they seized. Inside were 12 bags of marijuana weighing 13.10 lbs and 2 bags of methamphetamine weighing 9.10 lbs, which later tested positive and were confirmed by laboratory analysis.

On April 15, Moore pled guilty as charged. Moore had prior convictions in Mississippi for possession of cocaine and methamphetamine.

On September 3, United States District Judge Brian C. Lea sentenced Moore to 144 months in federal prison, followed by five years of federal supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.

“This case should serve as a warning to would-be drug traffickers everywhere… find a new line of work; the DEA and our law enforcement partners will find you and bring you to justice”, said DEA Special Agent in Charge Jim Scott. “Mr. Moore will serve a twelve-year prison sentence for his crimes, time that he could have spent as a productive member of society. Instead, he chose criminal behavior and the punishment that goes along with it.”

This case was investigated by the Memphis International Airport Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration

Click here to sign up for our newsletter!

Click here to report a spelling or grammar error. Please include the headline.