Philadelphia Man Convicted at Trial of Gun, Drug Offenses

PHILADELPHIA – First Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Arbittier Williams announced that Salim Davis, 34, of Philadelphia, PA was convicted at trial of one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm, one count of possession of a firearm in connection with a drug trafficking offense, one count of possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance, and one count of aiding and abetting the making of a false statement to a federal firearms licensee.

At trial, the government presented evidence that, on December 29, 2017, at approximately 3:25 p.m., an off-duty Philadelphia Police Inspector was driving his unmarked police car in the area of 2500 Island Avenue when he heard gunshots.  Minutes later, he observed defendant Salim Davis and another man carrying firearms while walking in an alleyway near the Inspector’s car.  The Inspector commanded that they stop and put their hands up, but Davis fled and discarded his jacket.  Police eventually caught up with Davis, placed him in custody, and recovered from him money, a bottle containing 72 Alprazolam pills, and several loose pills in Davis’s pocket.  In addition, upon picking up Salim’s discarded jacket, officers recovered a Smith & Wesson, .40 caliber, semi-automatic handgun loaded with 10 live rounds.  Police later determined that the weapon they recovered was purchased by a third party on Davis' behalf at Double Action, a federal firearm licensee, in Yeadon, PA.

“This guilty verdict is another important step towards protecting our communities from drug and gun offenders who bring violence to our communities,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Williams. “The United States Attorney’s Office, with our law enforcement partners, will aggressively investigate, prosecute, and hold these offenders accountable. We deeply appreciate the cooperation of all of our federal, state, and local partners in defending our communities and bringing Davis to justice.”

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.   The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.

The case was investigated by ATF and the Philadelphia Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kate Driscoll.