FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
TUESDAY, JUNE 30, 2009
WWW.USDOJ.GOV/USAO/MA
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BOSTON MAN AGREES TO 15 YEAR SENTENCE ON GUN POSSESSION CASE
BOSTON, MA - A Boston man was convicted today in federal court of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. Under his plea agreement, he is to be sentenced to 15 years in federal prison.
United States Attorney Michael K. Loucks, Glenn N. Anderson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives - Boston Field Division, Police Commissioner Edward Davis of the Boston Police Department and Chief Matthew A. Cummings of the Newton Police Department announced today that REGINALD DENNIS, age 32 , of Boston, pled guilty before U.S. District Judge George A. O’Toole to being a felon-in-possession of a firearm and ammunition.
At today’s plea hearing, the prosecutor told the Court that, had the case proceeded to trial the Government’s evidence would have proven that on February 18, 2009 members of the Newton Police Department identified DENNIS as the driver of an SUV in the area of Route 9 in Chestnut Hill. The officers knew that DENNIS’ license to operate had been suspended and they attempted to effect a traffic stop.
DENNIS initially pulled over as if he were complying with the officers’ request but when the officers got out of their cruiser to approach him, DENNIS drove away and began a high speed chase. The chase ended when DENNIS lost control of his vehicle, rolling over and almost striking a residential home.
DENNIS was trapped inside the SUV, which lay on its side on the front lawn of a home on Ward Street with many of its windows blown out. During their attempt to extract DENNIS from the vehicle, Newton firefighters discovered a .25 caliber pistol with an obliterated serial number, a magazine with 6 rounds of .25 caliber ammunition and approximately 125 grams of cocaine (including 75 grams of cocaine base, a/k/a “crack cocaine”).
At the plea hearing, the Court was advised that the parties had agreed that DENNIS has an extensive criminal record that qualified him as an Armed Career Criminal under federal firearms laws. The Court was also advised that the parties had agreed that the appropriate disposition of the case was for DENNIS to be incarcerated for 15 years to be followed by three years of supervised release.
Judge O’Toole scheduled sentencing for September 29, 2009 at which time he will decide whether to accept the parties sentencing recommendation. DENNIS faces up to life in prison, to be followed by up to five years of supervised release and a $ 250,000 fine.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Newton Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys of Loucks’ Organized Crime and Gang Strike Force Unit.
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