Delaware News

Guilty Pleas On Gun Charges In Multiple Recent Cases

Criminal Division | Department of Justice | Department of Justice Press Releases | Date Posted: Friday, September 22, 2017


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Deputy Attorney General Allison Abessinio secured a guilty plea to a weapons charge from a Wilmington man. Brandon Gibson, 27, pled to Possession of a Firearm by a Person Prohibited in Superior Court. In March 2017, Wilmington Police officers on patrol in the 400 block of West 7th Street noticed Gibson talking to people inside a parked car. Gibson walked away as police approached, and purposely dropped a loaded .40 caliber handgun as he left. Gibson, barred from having a gun because of previous convictions for Assault and Robbery, faces a minimum mandatory 15-year prison term when sentenced as a habitual offender later this year.

A 20-year-old from Wilmington will spend the next 5 years in prison and is now classified as a habitual offender after pleading guilty to a gun charge. Deputy Attorney General John Taylor secured the plea to one count of Possession of a Firearm by a Person Prohibited from Teyquahn Teagle. Responding to a call about a man with a gun driving in the city in June 2017, Wilmington Police stopped a car in the 3400 block of Locust Street. Though denying he had a gun, when Teagle agreed to a search, officers found a loaded handgun in his waistband. Teagle, who is prohibited from having a gun due to a 2016 conviction for Carrying a Concealed Deadly Weapon, was immediately sentenced by a judge to 5 years in prison, followed by 18 months of probation.

A short police chase along I-95 north of Wilmington has led to an Iowa man to be sentenced to prison on drug, weapons, and traffic charges. In April 2015, a Delaware State Trooper attempted to stop a car driven by Eric Simmons, 42, of Des Moines, IA, along I-95 near the Marsh Road exit. Simmons initially made it seem like he was going to pull off of the highway, but failed to pull over and then continued to travel another two miles before finally stopping. The Trooper found a total of 40.75 grams of heroin in the car, along with 4 grams of marijuana, items used to package and distribute heroin, and a box with handgun ammunition. A Superior Court jury convicted Simmons of Drug Dealing (Tier 4 quantity of heroin), Aggravated Drug Possession (Tier 5 quantity of heroin), Possession of Ammunition by a Person Prohibited, Possession of Marijuana, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, Disregarding a Police Officer Signal, Turning Without Use of a Turn Signal, and Driving Without an Insurance Card. The jury could not reach a verdict on two weapons charges, but Simmons pled guilty to a single Possession of a Firearm During the Commission of a Felony. A Superior Court judge sentenced Simmons, a habitual offender, to 10 years in prison, followed by 6 months of either home confinement or work release, then 1 year of probation. Deputy Attorney General Barzilai Axelrod prosecuted the case.

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Guilty Pleas On Gun Charges In Multiple Recent Cases

Criminal Division | Department of Justice | Department of Justice Press Releases | Date Posted: Friday, September 22, 2017


Delaware DOJ Seal

Deputy Attorney General Allison Abessinio secured a guilty plea to a weapons charge from a Wilmington man. Brandon Gibson, 27, pled to Possession of a Firearm by a Person Prohibited in Superior Court. In March 2017, Wilmington Police officers on patrol in the 400 block of West 7th Street noticed Gibson talking to people inside a parked car. Gibson walked away as police approached, and purposely dropped a loaded .40 caliber handgun as he left. Gibson, barred from having a gun because of previous convictions for Assault and Robbery, faces a minimum mandatory 15-year prison term when sentenced as a habitual offender later this year.

A 20-year-old from Wilmington will spend the next 5 years in prison and is now classified as a habitual offender after pleading guilty to a gun charge. Deputy Attorney General John Taylor secured the plea to one count of Possession of a Firearm by a Person Prohibited from Teyquahn Teagle. Responding to a call about a man with a gun driving in the city in June 2017, Wilmington Police stopped a car in the 3400 block of Locust Street. Though denying he had a gun, when Teagle agreed to a search, officers found a loaded handgun in his waistband. Teagle, who is prohibited from having a gun due to a 2016 conviction for Carrying a Concealed Deadly Weapon, was immediately sentenced by a judge to 5 years in prison, followed by 18 months of probation.

A short police chase along I-95 north of Wilmington has led to an Iowa man to be sentenced to prison on drug, weapons, and traffic charges. In April 2015, a Delaware State Trooper attempted to stop a car driven by Eric Simmons, 42, of Des Moines, IA, along I-95 near the Marsh Road exit. Simmons initially made it seem like he was going to pull off of the highway, but failed to pull over and then continued to travel another two miles before finally stopping. The Trooper found a total of 40.75 grams of heroin in the car, along with 4 grams of marijuana, items used to package and distribute heroin, and a box with handgun ammunition. A Superior Court jury convicted Simmons of Drug Dealing (Tier 4 quantity of heroin), Aggravated Drug Possession (Tier 5 quantity of heroin), Possession of Ammunition by a Person Prohibited, Possession of Marijuana, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, Disregarding a Police Officer Signal, Turning Without Use of a Turn Signal, and Driving Without an Insurance Card. The jury could not reach a verdict on two weapons charges, but Simmons pled guilty to a single Possession of a Firearm During the Commission of a Felony. A Superior Court judge sentenced Simmons, a habitual offender, to 10 years in prison, followed by 6 months of either home confinement or work release, then 1 year of probation. Deputy Attorney General Barzilai Axelrod prosecuted the case.

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Graphic that represents delaware news on a mobile phone

Keep up to date by receiving a daily digest email, around noon, of current news release posts from state agencies on news.delaware.gov.

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