Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives

CHICAGO — Two federal judges have sentenced DESHAWN DANZELR, 28, of Chicago to a combined eight years in federal prison for possessing a handgun with an extended magazine and a “switch” that converted the firearm into a fully automatic machinegun.

Less than six months after his discharge from prison on supervised release for a federal contempt conviction, Chicago Police Officers stopped Danzler while driving in the Auburn-Gresham neighborhood of Chicago. Danzler, who had a handgun hidden in his crotch, attempted to flee and struggled with the officers for over two minutes before the officers recovered the firearm. Danzler pled guilty to one count of unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon in October 2022.

At the time of his sentencing, Danzler had four previous felonies, including the contempt of court conviction. In 2015, a rival gang member shot Danzler in the head, wrist, and thigh, and killed Danzler’s neighbor. Danzler could identify the shooter but did not cooperate in the police investigation. Four years later, Danzler refused to testify about the shooting in a federal grand jury investigation and was convicted of criminal contempt of court in proceedings before U.S. District Court Judge Ronald A. Guzman.

A sentence of 62-months was imposed by U.S. District Court Thomas M. Durkin on February 24, 2023 for the firearms charge. On April 6, 2023 Danzler was back in court before Judge Guzman for sentencing on his supervised release violation. Judge Guzman sentenced Danzler to 37-months to run consecutive to the sentence given by Judge Durkin, for a total of eight years and three months of imprisonment.

The sentences are announced by Morris Pasqual, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; Christopher Amon, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; and Eric Carter, Acting Superintendent of the Chicago Police Department. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Mulaney and Albert Berry III.

“Although he was a victim in the 2015 shooting, that is no longer a basis for lenience” argued Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Mulaney in the government’s sentencing memo. “Rather than find other ways to protect himself, defendant squandered the ‘last chance’ that Judge Guzman gave to him. By carrying a machinegun on supervised release, and resisting the officers’ efforts to recover it safely, defendant demonstrated that he is a danger to the community.”