Tuesday, February 25, 2003
Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal

Gun store robber sentenced

23-year-old ringleader receives between 15 1/2 to 45 years in prison

The ringleader of a gun store robbery that put numerous weapons in the hands of Las Vegas criminals was sent to prison Monday.

Ladontay Davis, 23, of Las Vegas, will spend between 15 1/2 to 45 years in prison for the August robbery at Craven's Gun Haven.

"The danger to the community you and your co-defendants posed to the community ... was overwhelming," District Judge John McGroarty told Davis Monday during sentencing.

According to authorities, Davis was the leader of a trio that robbed the now defunct gun store at 3620 W. Sahara Ave. Clark County prosecutor Phil Brown said Davis and two other men restrained the store's owner and then stole some 80 firearms, including assault rifles, machine guns and numerous handguns.

Brown said the robbers were members of the Piru Bloods street gang and that "they stole these weapons to arm this gang and to sell them on the street."

Many of the guns were recovered by police but some 25 are still unaccounted for. One has been linked to an armed robbery and others have been recovered from felons.

In January, Davis pleaded guilty to charges of burglary, conspiracy, kidnapping and robbery. In Davis' sentencing hearing Monday, Davis told the judge he was sorry for his actions.

"I'm only 23," he said. "I hope the court has mercy."

Defense attorney Brent Percival told the judge that Davis was the product of abusive parents and a broken home. Davis was a ward of the state at the age of 11, and Percival disputed Davis was the leader of the robbery gang.

But McGroarty said Davis' punishment had to be severe given the nature of the crime.

"Can you imagine all these guns ending up on the streets of Las Vegas to be used by gang members?" he asked.

In December, co-defendant Allen Jamal Ross, 19, was sentenced to 7 1/2 to 34 years in prison. The case against a second co-defendant is pending.