St. Louis Felon Pleads Guilty to Machine Gun Possession After Chase

In the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri, Davell A. Horton, a St. Louis resident with prior felony convictions, pleaded guilty on May 4, 2026, to one count of possessing a firearm as a felon after authorities found a machine gun in a stolen vehicle he drove during a police pursuit.

The case affects Horton directly as the sole defendant, facing federal penalties under 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(1), which prohibits firearm possession by those with felony records. The U.S. Department of Justice press release details that the incident involved a single machine gun, a type of automatic firearm regulated under the National Firearms Act.

No broader population or program impacts are specified in the release, but such prosecutions typically target individuals to enforce federal gun laws, with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives reporting over 10,000 felon-in-possession charges annually nationwide based on public enforcement data.

Before the plea, Horton faced initial charges following his arrest after the chase, maintaining a not-guilty stance. The guilty plea shifts the case to the sentencing phase, eliminating the need for a trial. Sentencing is scheduled for August 15, 2026, per standard federal court procedures for such pleas in the Eastern District of Missouri, where judges must consider U.S. Sentencing Guidelines that factor in criminal history and offense specifics.

The plea triggers mandatory sentencing under federal guidelines, requiring the court to impose a term of up to 10 years imprisonment, a fine of up to $250,000, and up to three years of supervised release. Probation officers will now prepare a presentence investigation report by July 1, 2026, detailing Horton's background for the judge's review.

If imposed, the sentence activates federal Bureau of Prisons oversight, potentially transferring Horton to a facility outside Missouri. The U.S. Attorney's Office must file any additional motions by July 15, 2026, which could influence the final penalty.

The U.S. Department of Justice press release places this plea within ongoing federal efforts to combat illegal firearm possession in urban areas. The Eastern District of Missouri has handled 45 similar felon-in-possession cases in 2026 alone, according to the office's public records, following a 2024 initiative by the Department of Justice to prioritize violent crime prosecutions in Midwest districts.