Syracuse Man Charged with Federal Firearms Violation

SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Ricardo Davis, 28, of Syracuse, New York, was charged in an indictment filed yesterday for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon, announced United States Attorney Richard S. Hartunian. Davis has been charged as an Armed Career Criminal because the indictment alleges he has three or more previous convictions for serious drug offenses.

The charge filed against Davis carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in prison and a maximum sentence of life imprisonment; a fine of up to $250,000; and a term of supervised release of up to 5 years. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors.

Davis appeared today in U.S. District Court in Syracuse, New York, before United States Magistrate Judge Thérèse Wiley Dancks and was ordered detained without bail pending further proceedings in the case.

The charges in the indictment are merely accusations. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.

This case is being investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Syracuse Police Department, and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicolas Commandeur with assistance from the Onondaga County District Attorney’s Office.