Joseph Antonio Davis
La Plata, MD – Joseph Antonio Davis, 23 of Hughesville, faced sentencing Tuesday, Aug. 9 before Charles County Circuit Court Judge H. James West on 13 counts ranging from first-degree burglary to four separate counts of possessing, selling, transfer and dispose of stolen regulated firearms.
“This is an above the guidelines case,” Charles County Assistant States Attorney Sarah K. Freeman told the court.
“The victims are not seeking restitution. They feel like getting $10 here, five dollars there would be harassment. Their main concerns are the firearms that were stolen.”
She said three handguns and one assault rifle were among the items taken.
Davis’ co-defendant, Christopher David, tried to sell one of them, she pointed out.
This was yet another case in which heroin was a factor, Freeman explained.
“The motivating factor: Co-defendant Christopher David got caught the week before with 50 grams of heroin in the hood of his car,” she said. “That car was parked out here in the court house parking lot. He owes his supplier, so they stole from the victim to get money.”
Freeman said David, Davis and Ryan Howard, unloaded a safe and the firearms.
“Then Davis takes his cut,” she stated. “Christopher David was trafficking heroin in St. Mary’s and Charles counties. Howard and Davis were the middle men. Heroin—we have people dying over it.”
Davis’ attorney, John McKenna said his client went from foster home to foster home as a child and that his mother had a substance abuse problem.
“To charge him with drug dealing just because he hangs with someone who does deal drugs is unfair,” McKenna asserted. “I feel a sentence below the guidelines is more appropriate than above the guidelines. This kid has been locked up since Oct. 27.”
Davis disagreed with the state’s statement that he dealt heroin.
“At no point did I sell heroin or have it in my possession,” he told the judge. “I want to get on the right track. It was the people I was hanging around with.”
But West said, as he has to defendants many times, that when you go into someone else’s home, that crosses a line.
“It is one of the more serious crimes we have here,” he said, “and here comes heroin. It strikes me that the ringleader is Christopher David. As ringleader, he was very instrumental in setting up the burglary. Certainly Mr. Davis is part of the ring.
“Certainly it is an above the guidelines case,” West added. “I have to create a sentence that reflects your position in the whole scheme.”
With that, the judge sentenced Davis to eight years for felony theft scheme, and tacked on five- and three-year concurrent sentences to the eight years he will serve.
He told the defendant his sentence was retroactive to Oct. 27, 2015 and that there would be no probation and no restitution.
Contact Joseph Norris at joe.norris@thebaynet.com
