United States Attorney
District Of South Carolina

July 1, 2004

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT PERSON: Nancy C. Wicker
(803) 929-3000

3 PLEAD GUILTY IN FIREARMS TRAFFICKING CASE

COLUMBIA, South Carolina ---- United States Attorney J. STROM THURMOND, JR., stated today that CHARLES DAVIS, JR., a/k/a "Chuck," age 49, CHANDRA JUNE DAVIS, a/k/a "Chandra June Keller," age 26, and JAMES SINGLETON, III, age 27, all of Columbia, South Carolina, all pled guilty June 30, 2004, in federal court in Columbia, South Carolina, to various federal firearm violations.

CHARLES DAVIS, JR., a/k/a "Chuck" pled guilty to the charge of conspiracy to illegally transport guns in interstate commerce, to make a false statement to a licensed firearms dealer in connection with the purchase of a firearm, and to possess firearms in furtherance of drug crimes, a violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 371. CHARLES DAVIS, JR., a/k/a "Chuck," also pled guilty to three (3) charges of making or aiding and abetting the making of a material false statement to a licensed firearms dealer in connection with the purchase of firearms, a violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 922(a)(6) and 924(a). Additionally, CHARLES DAVIS, JR., a/k/a "Chuck," pled guilty to the charge of being a felon in possession of a firearm and to the charge of transferring or selling firearms to out of state residents, violations of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 922(g)(1), 924(a)(2), 924(e), 922(a)(5), 924(a)(1)(D) and 2.

CHANDRA JUNE DAVIS, a/k/a "Chandra June Keller, the wife of Charles Davis, Jr., pled guilty to the charge of conspiracy to illegally transport guns in interstate commerce, to make a false statement to a licensed firearms dealer in connection with the purchase of a firearm, and to possess firearms in furtherance of drug crimes, a violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 371.

CHANDRA JUNE DAVIS, a/k/a "Chandra June Keller" also pled guilty to two (2) charges of making a material false statement to a licensed firearms dealer in connection with the purchase of firearms, a violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 922(a)(6) and 924(a). Additionally, CHANDRA JUNE DAVIS, a/k/a "Chandra June Keller," pled guilty to the charge of transferring a firearm to a felon, a violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 922(d)(1) and 924(a)(2).

JAMES SINGLETON, III pled guilty to two (2) charges of making a material false statement to a licensed firearms dealer in connection with the purchase of a firearm, a violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 922(a)(6) and 924(a) and to the charge of transferring or selling firearms to out of state residents, a violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 922(a)(5), 924(a)(1)(D) and 2.

Senior United States District Judge Matthew Jr. Perry of Columbia accepted the pleas and will impose sentence on each defendant after he has reviewed the presentence reports, which will be prepared by the U.S. Probation Office.

Evidence presented at the change of plea hearing established that in 2003, agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) in New York began an investigation after 2 crime guns, recovered at various times by the New York Police Department, were traced and found to have been purchased from firearm stores in Columbia, South Carolina. ATF NY, along with ATF South Carolina, discovered that CHARLES DAVIS, JR., a/k/a "Chuck," CHANDRA JUNE DAVIS, a/k/a "Chandra June Keller," JAMES SINGLETON, III, Tasha Stannetta Baxter (who was charged in the federal indictment, along with the other co-defendants, but who is awaiting trial. It should be noted that charges in the Indictment against Tasha Stannetta Baxter are merely accusations and that she is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty) and Tammy Roseborough (who was also charged in the federal indictment, along with the other codefendants, but who is awaiting trial. It should be noted that charges in the indictment against Tammy Roseborough are merely accusations and that she is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty), were responsible for the purchase of 15 firearms from November 2001 through 2003. Already two of the 15 firearms were recovered by police in the New York area after being used in a crime.

Evidence presented at the change of plea hearing established that the investigation revealed that CHARLES DAVIS, JR., a/k/a "Chuck," and CHANDRA JUNE KELLER, a/k/a "Chandra June Keller," recruited and paid the other individuals to purchase the firearms for them. Those firearms, which were purchased at various firearm stores and gun shows in the Columbia area were then transported to New York, where they were exchanged for marijuana, which was brought back to South Carolina. When purchasing the firearms, the individuals answered a question on ATF Form 4473, stating that they were the actual purchaser of the firearm, when in fact they were not, as they purchased the firearm for and at the direction of CHARLES DAVIS, JR., a/k/a "Chuck," and CHANDRA JUNE KELLER, a/k/a "Chandra June Keller." Therefore, the individuals "straw purchased" the firearms for CHARLES DAVIS, JR., a/k/a "Chuck," and CHANDRA JUNE KELLER, a/k/a "Chandra June Keller." Additionally, CHARLES DAVIS, JR., a/k/a "Chuck," attempted to purchase firearms on two occasions and answered a question on ATF Form 4473, stating that he did not have a prior felony conviction, when in fact he did. Each time, after a background check, he was denied purchase of the firearm, but had another person purchase it soon thereafter.

Mr. Thurmond stated the maximum penalties are as follows:

Conspiracy - 18 U.S.C. §371 - a maximum term of imprisonment of five (5) years, a fine of $250,000.00 and a term of supervised release of not more than 3 years in addition to any term of imprisonment, plus a special assessment of $100.00; and
Making a material false statement to a licensed firearms dealer in connection with the purchase of a firearm - 18 U.S.C. §§ 922(a)(6) and 924(a)(2): a maximum term of imprisonment of ten (10) years, a fine of $250,000.00 and a term of supervised release of 3 years, along with a special assessment of $100.00.

Felon in possession of a firearm - 18 U.S.C. §§922(g)(1) and 924(a)(2) - a maximum term of imprisonment of ten (10) years, a fine of $250,000 and a term of supervised release of not more than three (3) years in addition to any term of imprisonment, plus a special assessment of $100.00. If defendant has at least 3 prior convictions for a violent felony or serious drug offense- 18 U.S.C. § 924(e)(1) - a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of fifteen (15) years and a maximum term of imprisonment of life, a fine of $250,000 and a term of supervised release of not more than five (5) years in addition to any term of imprisonment, plus a special assessment of $100.00.

Sale/Transfer of Firearm to Out of State Resident - 18 USC §§922(a)(5), 922(a)(1)(A) and 924(a)(1)(D) - maximum term of imprisonment of five (5) years, a fine of $250,000 and a term of supervised release of not more than three (3) years in addition to any term of imprisonment, plus a special assessment of $100.00.

Sale/Transfer of Firearm to a Felon - 18 USC §§922(d) and 924(a)(2) - maximum term of imprisonment of ten (10) years, a fine of $250,000 and a term of supervised release of not more than three (3) years in addition to any term of imprisonment, plus a special assessment of $100.00.

The case was investigated by agents of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) of South Carolina and New York, as part of the joint federal, state and local Project CeaseFire initiative, which seeks to prosecute aggressively individuals who unlawfully use, possess or transfer firearms. Assistant United States Attorney Stacey D. Haynes of the Columbia office handled the case.

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