3-29-2023 12:53am

Coram Man Found Guilty Of Loaded Gun, Heroin Possession: Suffolk DA

Samantha Hespos Editor

Coram, NY

According to the DA, a 2021 traffic stop resulted in the discovery of a fully loaded pistol of .380 caliber under the seat of the man's car.

On Tuesday, Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond Tierney shared that a man from Coram was convicted of charges related to the possession of guns and drugs following a traffic stop in Medford in 2021.

When sentenced, Lavon Dawson, a 27-year-old resident of Coram, may be imprisoned for as long as 15 years because he was found guilty on Monday of possessing a weapon (an act classified as a class C felony) and two instances of possessing a controlled substance (which are classified as class B felonies).

In a press release, Tierney stated that this incident is an additional instance of the threats that law enforcement officials must confront. The encounter was a typical traffic stop, however, the authorities discovered a loaded illegal weapon. The accused believed that if they disposed of the dangerous drugs while making a run for it, they could get away without punishment. This effort to deceive the jury was unsuccessful, and the accused is now accountable for their actions.

On February 27, 2021, Suffolk police apprehended Dawson in Medford near Barbara Lane. Officials reported that Dawson, who was sitting in the front passenger seat of a vehicle, was requested to exit. Prosecutors claim that officers discovered a loaded .380 caliber gun directly under his seat after he disembarked.

According to the investigators, Dawson defied the orders of the officers who were attempting to arrest him and fled by vaulting over fences and sprinting through the backyards of multiple homes. As per officials, the law enforcement personnel chased Dawson persistently and caught him in a nearby residence's basement stairway where he was hiding.

Prosecutors stated that while pursuing Dawson, the officers found a plastic bag containing over 0.5 ounces of heroin beside his wallet on the ground. Moreover, the district attorney mentioned that apart from the firearm with ammunition, law enforcement officials discovered a digital scale and cutting substance in the vehicle that Dawson evaded.

According to the district attorney's office, Dawson served eight years in prison and was let go in July 2020 after being found guilty of committing first-degree robbery, which is classified as a class B violent felony, back in 2014.

Ian Fitzgerald is representing Dawson, and his sentencing has been set for May 11.