ST. LOUIS – A St. Louis man appeared in federal court Tuesday and admitted to carrying two guns, one of which was stolen, while fleeing from police in a stolen vehicle.
Prosecutors with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Missouri said 31-year-old Eric Davis pleaded guilty to one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm.
According to the plea agreement, St. Louis police officers spotted a Jeep Cherokee moving without a license plate on May 4, 2021. The SUV blew past a stop sign at Minerva and Hamilton avenues, and police gave chase.
Officers tried to stop the Jeep in a parking lot, but Davis sped off even after police deployed a spike strip.
Davis ran a red light at Kingshighway Boulevard and Dr. Martin Luther King Drive and collided with another vehicle, injuring that driver. Police arrested Davis at the scene.
Investigators confirmed the Jeep had been stolen less than 48 hours earlier. They found a stolen AR-style pistol on the backseat and a .357-caliber Glock 32 under the passenger seat. Both weapons had large-capacity magazines.
Police learned Davis had several prior felony convictions and bench warrants for his arrest.
Davis will be sentenced on March 13, 2023. He faces up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. If Davis is ruled to be an armed career criminal, he could face 15 years to life imprisonment.