A man from Maryland admitted to unlawfully possessing a firearm as a convicted felon in Virginia on Tuesday.
Damontae James Garner, a 24-year-old resident of Silver Spring, Maryland, pleaded guilty on Tuesday, August 20, as confirmed by the Department of Justice (DOJ).
According to court documents, Garner was behind the wheel of a stolen Cadillac in Virginia on November 8, 2023, when a Virginia State Police trooper witnessed him making reckless lane changes. The trooper decided to initiate a traffic stop, but Garner chose to speed up instead.
Garner and an unidentified passenger were documented to have fled from the stolen car. They managed to cover a short distance on foot before being apprehended by state troopers.
Authorities discovered a backpack in the Cadillac containing a semi-automatic firearm with a 7.62 caliber. According to court documents, the weapon was loaded with 26 rounds of ammunition.
Garner confessed on Tuesday to owning the gun, acknowledging that it belonged to him. Being a convicted felon, possessing a firearm is illegal for him. On January 8, 2025, Garner is scheduled to receive his sentence, which could result in a maximum of 15 years of imprisonment.
