Federal Jury Convicts Chicago Man of Illegally Possessing Firearms

CHICAGO — A convicted felon who sold guns out of his garage in the Auburn Gresham neighborhood of Chicago has been found guilty of illegally possessing firearms.

On July 23, 2014, JAMEL DAVIS participated in a gun transaction involving two .38-caliber revolvers in the garage of his home in the 7600 block of South Seeley Avenue in Chicago.  Davis was previously convicted of a felony and was not legally authorized to possess the firearms.

The case against Davis arose during the course of a larger federal investigation that has removed more than 100 guns from the streets of Chicago.  The probe involved controlled firearm sales to cooperating individuals.

The jury on Wednesday convicted Davis, 28, of illegal possession of a firearm by a felon.  The conviction carries a maximum sentence of ten years in prison.  U.S. District Judge Sara L. Ellis scheduled a sentencing hearing for March 14, 2017.

The verdict was announced by Zachary T. Fardon, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; and George Lauder, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Chicago Field Division of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

Evidence at trial revealed that Davis provided one of the firearms to an individual in the garage of Davis’ home.  Unbeknownst to Davis, the individual was cooperating with law enforcement and had surreptitiously recorded the transaction.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nicole Kim and Carol Bell.