WHITE PLAINS, NY — Preet Bharara, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced the arrest and charge against Raheem Jones for possession of a gun after a shooting in New Rochelle, New York that resulted in a victim being shot three times. Jones was arrested Tuesday by the Westchester County Department of Public Safety and was presented before United States Magistrate Judge Paul E. Davison yesterday and detained.
U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara said: “Raheem Jones has been charged with the federal crime of being a felon in possession of a firearm. As alleged, Jones showed a blatant disregard for public safety when he possessed the gun in a car from which multiple shots were fired, in broad daylight on a busy street in New Rochelle, hitting a victim three times. Because of Westchester law enforcement’s quick response, this allegedly violent criminal is now off of the street. I want to thank the Westchester County District Attorney’s Office for their cooperation in this case, as well as the investigative work of the FBI, the Westchester County Department of Public Safety and the New Rochelle Police Department.”
As alleged in the Complaint:
On September 15, 2015, around lunchtime, there was a shooting in the vicinity of Clinton Avenue in New Rochelle. The shots were fired from the front passenger window of an SUV into another car, hitting an individual in the second car approximately three times. The individuals in the SUV fled, leading to an area-wide search for the SUV. Shortly thereafter, an officer with the Westchester County Department of Public Safety located an SUV matching the description of the vehicle used in the shooting, and attempted to pull that SUV over.
The SUV stopped momentarily, and then fled at a high rate of speed. The officer pursued the SUV in his patrol car. When the SUV slowed and the man sitting in the front passenger seat of the SUV jumped out of the car, carrying a backpack, the officer pursued that man, later identified as Jones, on foot. After a short chase, Jones, who had thrown the backpack nearby, was detained outside of a building. Law enforcement officers found a Smith and Wesson .38 caliber revolver inside of the backpack.
Jones, 26, of Mount Vernon, was charged with possession of a gun after having committed a felony, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison. The statutory maximum penalty is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant would be determined by the judge.
Mr. Bharara praised the outstanding investigative work of the FBI, the Westchester County Department of Public Safety, the Mount Vernon Police Department, and the New Rochelle Police Department.
This case is being handled by the Office’s White Plains Division. Assistant United States Attorneys Anden Chow and Sarah Krissoff are in charge of the prosecution.
The charges contained in the Complaint are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.