Davell A. Horton, a 29-year-old man from St. Louis County, pleaded guilty on May 4 in U.S. District Court to being a felon in possession of a firearm after police found him with a fully automatic handgun following a pursuit involving a stolen vehicle.
The case highlights ongoing efforts by law enforcement and federal prosecutors to address violent crime and illegal firearms possession in the region.
According to court documents, Horton was driving an Infiniti G37 without license plates on July 15, 2024, when officers from the St. Louis County Police Department identified the vehicle as matching the description of a stolen car. When police attempted to stop him, Horton fled at high speed through north St. Louis County before crashing into a light pole. Both Horton and his passenger attempted to flee on foot; the passenger dropped a handgun while escaping, and Horton left behind a .45-caliber Glock modified with an auto sear that enabled fully automatic fire.
Horton was under supervised release at the time due to an earlier conviction for carjacking for which he had been sentenced in January 2021 to more than five years in prison. He now faces up to fifteen years of imprisonment when sentenced on August 10.
The case is part of Operation Take Back America, described as "a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime." The initiative brings together resources from programs such as Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhoods.
The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Missouri advances community well-being by working with entities to prevent crime and improve quality of life, according to the official website. The office investigates and prosecutes federal crimes such as terrorism and fraud while enforcing civil rights throughout its jurisdiction covering forty-nine counties across eastern Missouri. It operates under the United States Department of Justice using facilities including Thomas F. Eagleton U.S. Courthouse in St. Louis and Rush H. Limbaugh Sr. U.S. Courthouse in Cape Girardeau. According to its official website, it collaborates closely with law enforcement agencies across these counties.
