Delaware News

Gun Charges Lead To Prison Terms For Multiple Defendants

Department of Justice | Department of Justice Press Releases | Date Posted: Friday, March 16, 2018


Delaware DOJ Seal

A 37-year-old Newark man will spend the next 23 years in prison after sentencing by a Superior Court judge on weapons, identity theft, and reckless driving charges. Deputy Attorney General Marc Petrucci secured the sentence for Damien Roberts. In November 2016, New Castle County police officers found Roberts unresponsive inside of his car in the middle of the intersection of Route 40 and Brookmont Drive, with the car running and in gear. Officers broke a window to check on the welfare of Roberts, and then ordered Roberts out of the car after noticing a magazine for a firearm tucked under his leg. Roberts gave police a fake name after officers found a 40-caliber handgun in his pant leg. Roberts was barred from having a gun because of previous weapons and robbery convictions. A Superior Court judge sentenced Roberts for his January 2018 guilty plea to Possession of a Firearm by a Person Prohibited, Carrying a Concealed Deadly Weapon, Reckless Driving – Alcohol Related, and Identity Theft, to 23 years in prison, followed by 6 months of either home confinement or work release, then 18 months of probation. New Castle County Police Officers Det. Brian Shahan, Det. Daryl Haines, Det. Jennifer Escheman, Ofc. Paul Ruszkay and Sgt. Justin Breslin investigated the case. DOJ paralegal Donna Lee also assisted in the prosecution.

A social media video showing a 22-year old Bridgeville man with several guns led to a 5-year prison sentence. Deputy Attorney General Kevin Gardner secured the sentence after a guilty plea from Elijah Desir. In October 2017, Desir posted a Snapchat video showing himself with several guns, including holding what appeared to be an AK-47-style assault rifle. Desir cannot possess a gun because of a Reckless Endangering First Degree conviction in 2016. Desir pled guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Person Prohibited, and was immediately sentenced by a Superior Court judge to 5 years in prison followed by 1 year of probation.

Deputy Attorney General Mark Denney secured a prison sentence for a Wilmington man declared a habitual offender for his conviction on a weapons charge. In June 2017, a probation officer doing a curfew check on Terrance Jackson, 29, found Jackson outside of his home in the 2500 block of North Washington Street, which was a violation of his curfew. The curfew violation led to a search of Jackson’s home, which turned up a .357 magnum revolver. Jackson, prohibited from having a gun because of past violent felony convictions on drug and weapons charges, pled guilty in January 2017 to Possession of a Firearm by a Person Prohibited. A Superior Court Judge sentenced Jackson to 15 years in prison, with 18 months of probation re-imposed from a 2016 conviction for Drug Dealing Heroin.

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Gun Charges Lead To Prison Terms For Multiple Defendants

Department of Justice | Department of Justice Press Releases | Date Posted: Friday, March 16, 2018


Delaware DOJ Seal

A 37-year-old Newark man will spend the next 23 years in prison after sentencing by a Superior Court judge on weapons, identity theft, and reckless driving charges. Deputy Attorney General Marc Petrucci secured the sentence for Damien Roberts. In November 2016, New Castle County police officers found Roberts unresponsive inside of his car in the middle of the intersection of Route 40 and Brookmont Drive, with the car running and in gear. Officers broke a window to check on the welfare of Roberts, and then ordered Roberts out of the car after noticing a magazine for a firearm tucked under his leg. Roberts gave police a fake name after officers found a 40-caliber handgun in his pant leg. Roberts was barred from having a gun because of previous weapons and robbery convictions. A Superior Court judge sentenced Roberts for his January 2018 guilty plea to Possession of a Firearm by a Person Prohibited, Carrying a Concealed Deadly Weapon, Reckless Driving – Alcohol Related, and Identity Theft, to 23 years in prison, followed by 6 months of either home confinement or work release, then 18 months of probation. New Castle County Police Officers Det. Brian Shahan, Det. Daryl Haines, Det. Jennifer Escheman, Ofc. Paul Ruszkay and Sgt. Justin Breslin investigated the case. DOJ paralegal Donna Lee also assisted in the prosecution.

A social media video showing a 22-year old Bridgeville man with several guns led to a 5-year prison sentence. Deputy Attorney General Kevin Gardner secured the sentence after a guilty plea from Elijah Desir. In October 2017, Desir posted a Snapchat video showing himself with several guns, including holding what appeared to be an AK-47-style assault rifle. Desir cannot possess a gun because of a Reckless Endangering First Degree conviction in 2016. Desir pled guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Person Prohibited, and was immediately sentenced by a Superior Court judge to 5 years in prison followed by 1 year of probation.

Deputy Attorney General Mark Denney secured a prison sentence for a Wilmington man declared a habitual offender for his conviction on a weapons charge. In June 2017, a probation officer doing a curfew check on Terrance Jackson, 29, found Jackson outside of his home in the 2500 block of North Washington Street, which was a violation of his curfew. The curfew violation led to a search of Jackson’s home, which turned up a .357 magnum revolver. Jackson, prohibited from having a gun because of past violent felony convictions on drug and weapons charges, pled guilty in January 2017 to Possession of a Firearm by a Person Prohibited. A Superior Court Judge sentenced Jackson to 15 years in prison, with 18 months of probation re-imposed from a 2016 conviction for Drug Dealing Heroin.

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Related Topics:  , , , , ,


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.

Here you can subscribe to future news updates.