Fayette County Man Sentenced for Possession of Firearm by a Convicted Felon

LEXINGTON, Ky. – A Lexington man Davon S. Tooley, 37, was sentenced on Friday, by Chief U.S. District Judge Danny C. Reeves, to 145 months in prison, for two counts of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.

According to his plea agreement, on April 28, 2022, law enforcement officers were dispatched to a vehicle collision.  Upon arrival, officers discovered that one of the drivers, later identified as Davon Tooley, had fled the scene.  There, officers located a quantity of cocaine, marijuana, and a firearm. Tooley was later located and apprehended. A few months later, on July 7, 2023, law enforcement conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle driven by Tooley.  While speaking with Tooley, officers observed a firearm at Tooley’s feet. The firearm was seized. Tooley has admitted that on both occasions he was in possession of a firearm, knowing that he was a convicted felon and prohibited from possessing firearms.

Tooley has previous convictions for Manslaughter Second Degree and Tampering with Physical Evidence from 2010, in Jefferson Circuit Court.  Tooley was on parole at the time of both new offenses.

Under federal law, Tooley must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence.  Upon his release from prison, he will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for three years.

Carlton S. Shier, IV, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Shawn Morrow, Special Agent in Charge, ATF, Louisville Field Division; and Chief Lawrence Weathers, Lexington Police Department jointly announced the sentence.

The investigation was conducted by the ATF and Lexington Police Department.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Cynthia Rieker is prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States.

This case was prosecuted as part of the Department of Justice’s “Project Safe Neighborhoods” Program (PSN), which is a nationwide, crime reduction strategy aimed at decreasing violent crime in communities. It involves a comprehensive approach to public safety — one that includes investigating and prosecuting crimes, along with prevention and reentry efforts.  In the Eastern District of Kentucky, U.S. Attorney Shier coordinates PSN efforts in cooperation with various federal, state, and local law enforcement officials.

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