Golden Valley Felon Sentenced for Possessing Two Semi-Automatic Handguns

A 40-year-old felon from Golden Valley was sentenced Wednesday after pleading guilty in March to possessing a semi-automatic pistol.

Lashawn Kenyatta Nicks pleaded guilty in federal court to one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm. 

On Wednesday, U.S. District Court Judge Patrick J. Schiltz sentenced Lashawn Kenyatta Nicks to 84 months in federal prison on one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm.

Nicks was indicted on November 2, 2010, and pleaded guilty on March 7, 2011.
In his plea agreement, Nicks admitted that on October 1, 2009, he possessed two pistols: the .10-caliber semi-automatic referenced above as well as a nine-millimeter.

Being a convicted felon, Nicks was prohibited from possessing firearms at any time.  His prior felonies include convictions in Hennepin County for attempted aggravated robbery in 1994 and second-degree assault in 1999.

Guns were seized by police during the execution of a search warrant at Nicks’ apartment in 2009.  The search was a result of a tip that lead to an investigation conducted by the and the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

The Justice Department credits Project Safe Neighborhoods for the cooperative effort.  PSN is an initiative launched in 2001 to promote a multi-jurisdictional, comprehensive approach to reducing gun crime in America.