Minneapolis Felon Indicted For Possessing .40-caliber Pistol

MINNEAPOLIS—Earlier today in federal court in St. Paul, a 36-year-old Minneapolis felon was indicted for possessing a .40-caliber, semi-automatic pistol. Demario Kentrell Booker was charged with one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm.

The indictment alleges that on November 20, 2012, Booker possessed the gun. Because he is a felon, he is prohibited under federal law from possessing a firearm at any time. Booker’s prior Hennepin County convictions include assault in the third degree (2004), assault in the fourth degree (2008), and prohibited person in possession of a firearm (2009).

According to a law enforcement affidavit filed in the current federal case, at approximately 2:00 a.m. on November 20, police noticed a vehicle cross the center line and fail to signal for a turn. In response, the officers activated their lights. The driver of the vehicle, later found to be Booker, sped away. Police pursued him, eventually bringing him to a stop in Robbinsdale. He was arrested after a brief scuffle. The pistol was found in the vehicle.

If convicted, Booker faces a potential maximum penalty of ten years in federal prison. All sentences will be determined by a federal district court judge. This case is the result of an investigation by the Minneapolis Police Department and the United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard A. Newberry.

An indictment is a determination by a grand jury that there is probable cause to believe that offenses have been committed by a defendant. A defendant, of course, is presumed innocent until he or she pleads guilty or is proven guilty at trial.