- Reginald Duante Davis of Gainesville was convicted for possession of a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon following a traffic stop on April 12, 2024.
- Davis faces up to 15 years in federal prison and is scheduled for sentencing on October 20 in the Northern District of Florida court.
A federal jury has found a Gainesville man guilty of possessing a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon following a two-day trial in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida.
According to a Northern District of Florida U.S. Attorney’s Office press release sent on Friday, Reginald Duante Davis, 35, of Gainesville, was convicted of possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon.
“If we are to be effective in our mission to eliminate crime, it is absolutely necessary to incapacitate chronic offenders – like these defendants – with robust prosecutions and strict incarceration,” said U.S. Attorney John P. Heekin in the release. “My office remains committed to aggressively prosecuting serial criminals to remove them from our streets and keep our communities safe.”
According to evidence presented at trial, deputies with the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office conducted a traffic stop on April 12, 2024, after observing multiple traffic violations. Kelvin Wright was driving the vehicle and Davis was the front-seat passenger.
During a probable cause search of the vehicle, deputies recovered a loaded firearm from the center console. Both Davis and Wright were prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition because of multiple prior felony convictions. Investigators also determined that DNA from both men was present on various locations of the firearm.
Federal prosecutors said the conviction marks Davis’s second conviction for possession of a firearm or ammunition by a convicted felon.
Wright previously pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon. Both Davis and Wright face a maximum sentence of 15 years in federal prison.
Davis is scheduled to be sentenced at 11 a.m. on Oct. 20 before Chief U.S. District Judge Allen Winsor at the United States Courthouse in Gainesville.
The case was investigated jointly by the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christie Utt is prosecuting the case.
The prosecution is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide Department of Justice initiative focused on combating violent crime, dismantling cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and addressing illegal immigration through coordinated federal law enforcement efforts.