Davion Rivers, Possession of Firearm by Convicted Felon, Florida 2020

Tampa, Florida - Jury Finds Davion Rivers Guilty of Firearm Possession

A federal jury has found Davion Rivers (27, Bradenton) guilty of possessing a firearm as a convicted felon in a case that highlights the dangers of gun violence in our communities. Rivers faces a minimum mandatory sentence of 15 years, and up to life, in federal prison for the crime, which is punishable under the law because of his previous convictions.

According to testimony presented at trial, on August 10, 2020, law enforcement officers encountered Rivers when they responded to a call for service. Rivers yelled at the officers and pushed one of them. An officer saw that Rivers had a firearm in his pocket after the push. The officer tased Rivers and recovered the firearm from his pocket. The firearm was a Taurus Judge, a revolver that can fire shotgun shells, and which had five spent shell casings in the cylinder. Officers later secured a search warrant for Rivers’s phone and found that it contained a text message thread where Rivers had negotiated and agreed to buy the firearm.

As a previously convicted felon, Rivers is prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition under the law. This conviction serves as a reminder of the importance of enforcing laws that protect our communities from gun violence.

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Bradenton Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Charlie D. Connally and David W.A. Chee.

The case was prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.

Davion Rivers is set to face a sentencing hearing, although the exact date has not been set yet. This conviction is a significant step towards reducing gun violence in our communities, and we will continue to work tirelessly to enforce laws that protect our citizens.

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Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-mdfl/pr/jury-convicts-six-time-convicted-felon-possessing-firearm