Minneapolis Felon Pleads Guilty To Possessing A .22-caliber Pistol

MINNEAPOLIS—Yesterday in federal court in St. Paul, a 23-year-old Minneapolis man pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a .22-caliber pistol. On June 3, 2013, Marcus Rashad Davis specifically pleaded guilty to one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm. Davis, who was indicted on January 22, 2013, entered his plea before United States District Court Judge Susan Richard Nelson.

In his plea agreement, Davis admitted that on June 15, 2012, he possessed the semi-automatic weapon. He was arrested after running from police, who were responding to a report of a man with a gun. Because he is a felon, Davis is prohibited under federal law from possessing a firearm at any time. His prior convictions include manufacture/delivery of a controlled substance (2008), possession with intent to deliver cannabis (2008), and burglary of a vehicle (2011), all in Illinois.

For this current offense, Davis faces a potential maximum penalty of ten years in prison. Judge Nelson will determine his sentence at a future hearing, yet to be scheduled.

This case is the result of an investigation by the Minneapolis Police Department and the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard Newberry.

The case was charged federally through Project Exile Minneapolis. That law enforcement initiative was launched on July 22, 2010, as part of a city-wide effort to reduce gun violence. Through Project Exile, the Minneapolis Police Department and the ATF work together to apprehend serial criminals for violations of gun laws. Then, the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office teams up with the U.S. Attorney’s Office to determine where those offenders will most effectively be prosecuted – state or federal court. Those determinations are based on the offenders’ criminal histories and current charges, among other factors. To date, the U.S. Attorney’s Office has brought charges against more than a dozen serious habitual criminals through Project Exile Minneapolis.