Levittown Man Who Led Middletown Township Police on High-Speed Chase Sentenced to 16 Years for Firearms and Narcotics Offenses

U.S. Attorney’s Office
Eastern District of Pennsylvania
2 November 2020

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney William M. McSwain announced that Dennis D. Davis, 34, of Levittown, PA, was sentenced to 16 years in prison and three years of supervised release by United States District Judge Mitchell S. Goldberg for firearms and narcotics offenses, stemming from an arrest after a dangerous and dramatic car chase in July 2017.

The defendant was convicted after trial in March 2020 of possession of a firearm by a felon and possession with intent to distribute crack cocaine. While driving in Bucks County in July 2017, Davis refused to pull over for Middletown Township Police, and a pursuit ensued. Davis continued to flee at high speed and caused a crash at a busy intersection near the border of Middletown and Bristol Townships. The defendant then fled on foot.

As he ran from police officers, Davis discarded a purse containing a firearm, drug paraphernalia, and crack cocaine. Police officers eventually caught Davis and took him into custody. The officers recovered the purse and its contents, and also found over $1,000 in cash in the defendant’s car. The government presented evidence at trial that included the physical evidence recovered at the scene, fingerprints from the gun, civilian eyewitnesses, and several law enforcement witnesses who participated in the chase and the defendant’s arrest.

“In choosing to flee from police and cause a car crash at a busy intersection, Davis showed complete disregard for the safety of innocent people,” said U.S. Attorney McSwain. “He also showed complete disregard for the law by illegally possessing a firearm and dangerous drugs. The streets of Bucks County are safer now that Davis will be behind bars for many years.”

“In possession of a loaded revolver and large quantity of crack cocaine, Dennis Davis decided to evade a lawful traffic stop,” said Michael J. Driscoll, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Philadelphia Division. “He ran because he wasn’t supposed to have that gun, wasn’t meant to be dealing drugs again, and didn’t want to go back to prison. Clearly, it didn’t work. We’re just fortunate no one was badly injured or killed as he recklessly fled that day. Getting guns, drugs, and dangerous criminals like Davis off the street is a priority for the FBI and our local law enforcement partners.”

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with assistance from the Middletown Township and Bristol Township police departments, and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael J. Rinaldi and former Assistant United States Attorney Melanie Babb Wilmoth.

Contact:
UNITED STATES ATTORNEY’S OFFICE
EASTERN DISTRICT OF PENNSYLVANIA
615 Chestnut Street, Suite 1250
Philadelphia, PA 19106

JENNIFER CRANDALL
Media Contact
215-861-8300

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