Other defendants face prison time for weapons offenses
A 24-year old Wilmington man faces up to 55 years in prison after pleading guilty to a fatal shooting. Deputy Attorneys General Abigail Layton and Phillip Casale secured a guilty plea from Levi Blaylock, for Manslaughter, Possession of a Firearm During the Commission of a Felony, and Robbery Second Degree. In June 2015, Blaylock shot and killed 20-year-old Quiaire Nesmith of Wilmington in the 600 block of North Broom Street. The shooting occurred during a botched robbery attempt that Blaylock facilitated over the purchase of marijuana. Blaylock will be sentenced by Judge Diane Clarke Streett in December.
Deputy Attorney General Michael DegliObizzi secured a guilty plea from John Rice, 35, of Wilmington to Possession of a Firearm By a Person Prohibited and Possession of Ammunition By a Person Prohibited. In May 2016, Wilmington Police officers John Wicks and Connor Bartolo observed Rice riding a bicycle late at night, stopped him for a traffic violation and conducted a search of his person. The officers found a .38 Special revolver handgun, loaded with five live rounds of ammunition. Rice is prohibited from possessing or controlling a firearm due to prior violent felony convictions. Rice will be sentenced to prison time in November as an habitual offender.
Deputy Attorneys General Mark Denney and Michael DegliObizzi secured convictions after a jury trial in New Castle County Superior Court against Jayvon Stevenson, 20, of Wilmington, on two counts of Possession of a Firearm by a Person Prohibited, and two counts of Possession of Ammunition by a Person Prohibited. In March 2016, Wilmington Police officers stopped Stevenson’s car for a traffic violation in the 900 block of North Bennett Street. A search of the car turned up a loaded 9mm handgun, and a loaded .38 special revolver. Stevenson, who was on probation stemming from a conviction for shooting a woman last year, was sentenced by Judge Charles Butler and will now serve 10 years in jail, followed by probation.
Deputy Attorneys General Julie Finocchiaro and Timothy Maguire secured a guilty plea from 22-year-old Michael Kinlaw of Newark, to Possession of a Firearm By a Person Prohibited and Resisting Arrest. In May 2015, police observed Kinlaw and a co-defendant take part in a drug transaction in a parking lot in the 1500 block of Pulaski Highway in Bear. When trying to stop his car, Kinlaw led officers on a high speed chase, eventually ending in the Scotfield development off of Route 72 in Newark. After abandoning his car, Kinlaw threw a .32 caliber handgun in a neighborhood backyard while running from officers. Kinlaw, prohibited from having a gun because of a prior violent felony conviction for drug dealing, was sentenced by Judge John Parkins, Jr. to five years in prison, followed by two years of probation.
Deputy Attorneys General Mark Denney and Erika Flaschner secured a prison sentence for Dominique Tisinger, who was convicted following a bench trial in June on charges of Possession of a Firearm by a Person Prohibited, Possession of Ammunition by a Person Prohibited, Resisting Arrest, and Carrying a Concealed Deadly Weapon. In October 2015, police responded to a call about a man threatening people with a gun in the 1900 block of Lancaster Avenue. When police arrived in the area, they attempted to stop Tisinger, prohibited from having a gun because of violent felony convictions for Drug Dealing charges in 2012 and 2013, who was walking in the area of South Broom Street. As he ran from police, officers saw Tisinger throw something that turned out to be a loaded semi-automatic handgun. Tisinger was taken into custody a few blocks away. Tisinger was sentenced by Judge Vivian Medinilla to 10 ½ years in prison, followed by partial confinement and probation.