Federal Jury Convicts Colorado Springs Man for Illegal Possession of Stolen AR-15

DENVER – A federal jury sitting in Denver convicted a Colorado Springs man of receipt, storage, and/or possession of a stolen firearm and for being a felon in possession of ammunition, announced United States Attorney Jason R. Dunn, Denver FBI Special Agent in Charge Dean Phillips and ATF Denver Special Agent in Charge Debbie Livingston.  Demontrae Wilson, age 23, was convicted in United States District Court on January 31, 2019, of the two above-mentioned felony offenses.  He was acquitted on a third count of being a felon in possession of a firearm.

Evidence presented at trial demonstrated that Wilson had been involved in an altercation between two vehicles, which resulted in shots being fired.  During that incident, he was shot in the head with an AR-15 round, but survived with loss of vision in one eye and other complications.  After the incident, in March 2018, law enforcement agents in Colorado Springs watched Wilson and his associates get into a car that they began to follow.  The car abruptly changed direction to avoid the officers, who then conducted a traffic stop.  Officers found Wilson in the front passenger seat of the car, which was registered in his name.  Inside his car, officers found military grade AR-15 ammunition, a military grade ballistic vest (with damage from two bullet rounds in the chest area) and a stolen AR-15 under a blanket.  Another passenger was carrying a handgun.  Wilson had previously been convicted of a felony and was not allowed to possess any firearm or ammunition. 

Sentencing is scheduled for May 2, 2019, at 10:00AM before United States District Court Judge Raymond P. Moore. 

This case was investigated by the Colorado Springs Police Department, the Colorado Springs Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the ATF Denver Field Division.  The prosecution was coordinated by the FBI Gang Task Force in Colorado Springs.  Assistant United States Attorneys Jason St. Julien and Garreth Winstead handled the prosecution. 

CASE NUMBER:           18-cr-0263-RM

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