MINNEAPOLIS, MN – De’Voncea Lashoun Griffo, 24, of St. Paul, is facing federal sentencing after admitting to illegally possessing a firearm, a charge stemming from a March 7th traffic stop. The bust occurred while police were already tailing Griffo as a person of interest in a separate homicide investigation, according to court documents.
Officers with the St. Paul Police Department initiated a “felony stop” on a Chevrolet Equinox driven by Griffo after he left his apartment. Surveillance had focused on Griffo due to his connection to the ongoing homicide probe. When officers activated their emergency lights, Griffo quickly moved a cross-body bag from his person to the center console of the vehicle before being apprehended.
A subsequent search of the vehicle revealed the contents of the bag: a .45 caliber Glock pistol equipped with an extended magazine loaded with 23 rounds of ammunition. Griffo’s prior felony conviction makes any possession of firearms or ammunition a federal offense. The specific nature of that prior conviction was not disclosed.
Griffo pleaded guilty earlier today before Senior Judge Michael J. Davis in U.S. District Court to one count of possession of a firearm as a felon. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Minnesota, led by Andrew M. Luger, is prosecuting the case. A sentencing date has not yet been announced, but Griffo faces a potential prison term under federal guidelines.
The investigation, a joint effort between the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the St. Paul Police Department, highlights the continued focus on curbing gun violence by targeting individuals prohibited from possessing firearms. Assistant U.S. Attorney Hillary A. Taylor is handling the prosecution.
The Griffo case adds to a growing number of federal firearm offenses being prosecuted in Minnesota. The ATF’s St. Paul Field Division was instrumental in building the case, demonstrating the agency’s commitment to removing illegal weapons from the streets and holding those who violate federal gun laws accountable. The ongoing homicide investigation that initially drew police attention to Griffo remains active.
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