DENVER – Ronald Odean Bryant, age 22, of Denver, Colorado,
has been indicted on May 20, 2015 by a federal grand jury in Denver on charges
of being a felon in possession of a firearm and being a felon in possession of
ammunition, U.S. Attorney John Walsh and
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Denver Division
Special Agent in Charge Luke Franey announced.
Prior to the indictment, Bryant was charged by Criminal Complaint on May
15, 2015. On May 29, 2015 the court
ordered that both the original Complaint and the formal charging document, the
indictment, be unsealed. The defendant
is currently in state custody on unrelated charges. No date has yet been set for when Bryant will
be brought to federal court for his initial appearance.
According to court documents, including the original
affidavit in support of the Criminal Complaint, on May 11, 2015, at
approximately 11:30 p.m. uniformed officers in a marked Denver Police
Department patrol vehicle noticed a gold in color Range Rover, with severe
damage, including a heavily damaged windshield, damage to the headlight/bumper
area, with the turn signals not appearing to work. The break light on the driver’s side was not
functioning either. The car was pulled
over by the Denver Police patrol vehicle near the intersection of East Bruce
Randolph and North York Street.
When the officers approached the car they observed a female
driver, a male sitting in the front passenger seat, and two females in the back
seat. Each individual provided their
identification information. When the
officers checked the information, they determined that one of the females, and
the male, now identified as Bryant, provided false information. As officers approached the vehicle to discuss
the false information the car started to move forward as if it was about to
flee. The driver stopped the car after
being ordered by an officer to stop.
Bryant was then observed to have his hands in his lap, concealed by a
leather jacket. He was asked to step out
of the car. When he complied, he dropped
a plastic baggie of what appeared to be narcotics. It was later determined that the baggie
contained methamphetamine.
As Bryant was about to be frisked he fled on foot. Officers gave chase, but did not immediately
capture him. The Denver Police
Department established a perimeter, and summoned a Police K-9 to the
scene. Once the K-9 arrived and the area
within the perimeter was searched, Bryant was apprehended without
incident. When searched subsequent to
arrest a round of ammunition was found in Bryant’s pocket. An inventory search of the vehicle Bryant was
in revealed a Ruger .22 caliber pistol loaded with 7 rounds of ammunition. This firearm was located under the rear
seat. A small revolver was also located,
loaded with one round, in a beer box in the vehicle. Additional investigation determined that one
of the females in the vehicle had purchased the Ruger pistol for Bryant several
days earlier.
On May 14, 2015, agents and officers reviewed Bryant’s
criminal history. Anyone with a felony
criminal conviction is prohibited by both federal and state law of possessing a
firearm or ammunition. Bryant has been
identified as a CMG Blood. He has a prior
conviction in Denver District Court for possession of a Schedule II Controlled
Substance. Bryant is currently on
probation in that case.
Bryant has been charged with one count of being a felon in
possession of firearm or ammunition, and one count of being a felon in
possession of ammunition. If convicted,
the defendant faces not more than 10 years in federal prison, and up to a
$250,000 fine on each of the two total counts.
“This case is an example of the close partnership between
the Department of Justice, the ATF and the Denver Police Department to combat
gun violence on our streets,” said U.S. Attorney John Walsh. “Working together with all levels of law
enforcement and the community itself, we are making significant progress in
those efforts, and will continue to move forward effectively.”
“ATF and our partners will continue to pursue felons who
possess firearms and endanger members of the community,” said ATF Denver
Division Special Agent in Charge Luke Franey.
Denver Police Chief Robert White said: “The significant arrest of an individual like
Ronald Bryant goes a long way toward making our community safer and addressing
violent crime. With zero tolerance for
violent crime and a collaborative effort between law enforcement and the
community, we can make communities safer and Denver a better place to live.”
This case was investigated by Denver Police Department and
the ATF, as part of Project Safe Neighborhood, an initiative which includes the
Denver, Aurora and Lakewood Police Departments working in concert with the ATF
and the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
The defendant is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney
Peter McNeilly.
The charges contained in the indictment are allegations, and
the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
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