Kalamazoo, MI – Deshay Malory, 30, of Kalamazoo, will spend the next decade in federal prison after being sentenced to 120 months for possessing a stolen, loaded firearm while peddling cocaine, just one week after allegedly firing at a vehicle carrying two adults and two children. The brazen act, caught on surveillance footage, took place in a Kalamazoo parking lot on April 4, 2022, and nearly turned tragic.
According to federal prosecutors, Malory opened fire on the car, striking the passenger door. Miraculously, no one was injured. But the incident didn’t deter Malory. A week later, Kalamazoo police found him at a convenience store clutching the stolen pistol and two baggies of cocaine. A search of his vehicle turned up additional plastic bags and a digital scale coated with white residue, solidifying the drug trafficking charge.
U.S. Attorney Mark Totten didn’t mince words, stating, “Malory’s actions put innocent lives in danger…all shootings cause harm. The sudden crack of gunfire drives people to live in fear.” Judge Jane M. Beckering agreed, handing down the maximum sentence allowed under federal law, citing the “seriousness of the offense” and the need for a “lengthy sentence.”
The case was built through a collaborative effort between the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Kalamazoo Valley Enforcement Team, and the Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety. Deputy Chief Dave Boysen of the Kalamazoo DPS declared the sentencing a victory, stating it would “send a message that gun violence will not be tolerated in Kalamazoo.”
This prosecution falls under the umbrella of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a Department of Justice initiative aimed at reducing violent crime through partnerships between federal, state, and local law enforcement. The DOJ relaunched PSN in 2017, prioritizing the targeting of violent criminals and fostering community-based solutions.
Assistant United States Attorney Patrick J. Castle prosecuted the case. Malory, a convicted felon, now faces a decade behind bars, a consequence of his reckless disregard for public safety and his continued involvement in criminal activity. The ATF continues to investigate illegal firearms trafficking in the region, seeking to disrupt the flow of weapons to those who would do harm.
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Key Facts
- Agency: ATF
- Category: Weapons|Violent Crime|Drug Trafficking
- Source: Official Press Release
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