MINNEAPOLIS-A federal indictment unsealed late last week charges a 20-year-old Minneapolis man for being a felon in possession of a.22-caliber pistol. Marcus Rashad Davis was charged with one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm. The indictment, which was filed on Jan. 22, 2013, was unsealed following Davis’s initial appearance in federal court on March 28, 2013.
The indictment alleges that on June 15, 2012, Davis possessed the semi-automatic weapon. Because he is a felon, Davis is prohibited under federal law from possessing a firearm at any time. His prior Illinois convictions include manufacture/delivery of a controlled substance (2008), possession with intent to deliver cannabis (2008), and burglary of a vehicle (2011).
In the current federal case, Spencer faces a potential maximum penalty of ten years in 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 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.
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.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
