Virginia Beach Man Sentenced to Fourteen Years in Prison on Gun Charges

NORFOLK, Va. – Leonard Clarence Davis, 43, of Virginia Beach, Va., was sentenced today in Norfolk federal court to nine years in prison for transferring 16 unregistered machine guns, and to five years in prison for possession of a firearm after having been convicted of a felony. The sentences are to run consecutively.

Neil H. MacBride, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, made the announcement after Davis was sentenced by United States District Senior Judge Robert G. Doumar. Davis previously pled guilty to the charges on December 20, 2011.

According to court records, Davis and co-defendant Christopher Aaron Phillips were the targets of a joint investigation in the fall of 2011. During the investigation, Davis and Phillips sold 26 fully automatic machine guns and 65 homemade pipe bombs to an undercover Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) agent in a series of undercover purchases that took place in September and October of 2011. At the conclusion of the investigation, agents and police detectives executed federal search warrants and arrest warrants on October 28, 2011, at Davis’ residence on Sunstream Parkway, and Phillips’ place of business, Combat Weapons’ Coatings on Pleasure House Drive, both located in Virginia Beach. Davis’ co-defendant Phillips pled guilty in federal court to one count of conspiracy to transfer machine guns on May 8, 2012. His sentencing is scheduled for September 6, 2012.

This case was investigated by the ATF; the Chesapeake Police Department; and Naval Criminal Investigative Services. Assistant United States Attorney Sherrie S. Capotosto is prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States.

A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia at http://www.justice.gov/usao/vae. Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia at http://www.vaed.uscourts.gov or on https://pcl.uscourts.gov.