Davine Boyce, Carjacking, Delaware 2019

WILMINGTON, DE – A brazen carjacking on the streets of Wilmington culminated in a ten-year federal prison sentence for 23-year-old Davine Boyce. Boyce was sentenced last week by Chief U.S. District Judge Colm F. Connolly after being found guilty of possessing a firearm used in the commission of the crime.

The incident unfolded December 1, 2019, when Boyce allegedly participated in a carjacking in downtown Wilmington. Within twenty minutes, Wilmington Police spotted the stolen vehicle and initiated a pursuit. What followed was a high-speed chase that ended with a crash and Boyce attempting to flee on foot. But he didn’t get far.

Officers apprehended Boyce, discovering a stolen Taurus Model G2C 9mm semiautomatic handgun tucked inside his hoodie. The weapon, investigators found, had an extended magazine and its serial number had been deliberately obliterated. Crucially, the court determined Boyce possessed or transferred the gun *during* the carjacking, a fact that significantly increased his sentencing guidelines.

This wasn’t Boyce’s first brush with the law. He was already prohibited from possessing a firearm due to a prior felony conviction. U.S. Attorney David C. Weiss made it clear: illegally possessing a firearm carries serious consequences. “Removing individuals from our community who illegally possess a firearm is critical to keeping the public safe,” Weiss stated.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) worked alongside the Wilmington Police Department on the investigation. ATF Chief Wilfredo Campos echoed Weiss’s sentiment, praising the collaborative effort and promising continued accountability for gun offenders in Wilmington. “This sentence is yet another powerful example of our strong collaborations… and the stiff consequences we work towards,” Campos said.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jennifer K. Welsh and Alexander P. Ibrahim secured the conviction and subsequent sentencing. Boyce’s ten-year sentence serves as a harsh reminder that gun violence, even when linked to other crimes, will be met with the full force of federal law. Court documents related to the case are available on the U.S. Attorney’s Office and District Court websites, and via PACER.

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