DENVER – Following a one-week trial, a jury found Perry Wayne Suggs, Jr., age 32, of Colorado Springs, Colorado, guilty of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition, announced U.S. Attorney Jason Dunn and ATF Denver Field Division Special Agent in Charge Debbie Livingston.  Suggs appeared at the trial in custody, and was remanded after the jury relayed their verdict.  The trial was before U.S. District Court Judge William J. Martinez.

Suggs was indicted by a federal grand jury in Denver on February 21, 2018.  The federal grand jury then returned a superseding indictment on April 19, 2018.  The trial started on March 25, 2019, and concluded today, March 28, 2019, with the guilty verdict.  The defendant is scheduled to be sentenced by Judge Martinez on August 28, 2019.  He faces not more than 10 years in federal prison, and up to a $250,000 fine. 

According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, on January 3, 2018, Colorado Springs Police Officers were dispatched to a shots fired call where a man in a BMW fired at a pedestrian crossing the street.  Officers interviewed a mother and daughter who had witnessed the shooting.  They had the make and model of the car, as well as its license plate number.  The pedestrian had nothing in his hands and was legally crossing an intersection when an individual in a black BMW pointed a firearm at the pedestrian’s legs and fired.  The driver then fled.  A witness took a picture of the car’s license plate and then pointed out the shell casing in the intersection, which was retrieved by the officers.

The victim called 911 and was interviewed by the police officers.  Based on the victim’s information as well as that of the witnesses, officers learned the black BMW was registered to Perry Suggs, Jr., the defendant, who lived in Colorado Springs.  It was determined that Suggs was a member of the Gangster Disciples street gang who had at least one felony conviction and was likely to possess firearms.  It is against federal law for felons to possess firearms.

Officers executed a search warrant at Suggs’ residence as well as the BMW.  There were two firearms in plain view inside a vehicle at his residence, including a black handgun and a black semi-automatic rifle.  Ultimately officers found a Glock handgun and an AR-15 style rifle as well as ammunition.  A test using the NIBIN database (National Integrated Ballistic Information Network) as well as a full forensic examination, confirmed that the Glock recovered by officers matched the shell casings found at the scene.

“The defendant was a danger to the Colorado Springs community,” said U.S. Attorney Jason Dunn.  “Thanks to the hard work of law enforcement and prosecutors, the defendant will now have to answer for his crime,”. 

“This case is a prime example of technology and skilled investigators coming together to find the person responsible for acts of violence,” said ATF Denver Special Agent in Charge Debbie Livingston.  “I am proud of our partnerships that made this case possible.”

This matter was investigated by the Colorado Springs Police Department and the ATF with the assistance of the Colorado Springs Metro Crime Lab.  The defendant was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Emily Treaster and Hetal J. Doshi. 

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN).  Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts.  PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.