A Rhode Island man who was apparently caught on a social media photo with a gun, which was prohibited because he was a convicted felon, is getting state prison time. The Rhode Island Attorney General's Office says Willie Love of Woonsocket bought an illegal gun from someone involved in a trafficking scheme which became the subject of an investigation in 2020.
“There is no mystery regarding where violent crime is most likely to occur in Rhode Island, especially violent crime involving the use of illegal firearms, nor is there much mystery regarding what is driving it. Our ground zero is our urban core, where illegal guns are being used by criminals to settle scores or protect other criminal activity,” said Attorney General Neronha.
“To effectively address this threat to public safety, we must be able to proactively identify and target those who engage in such criminal activity, while recognizing that that activity – in many instances – crosses municipal boundaries,” continued Attorney General Neronha. “This multi-jurisdictional task force, comprised of both investigators and prosecutors, is having success identifying and apprehending violent offenders before they can harm others. I am grateful to all of the agencies involved for their partnership in this effort.”
Love pleaded no contest to carrying a pistol without a license and conspiracy to sell a concealable weapon without the proper paperwork. He was sentenced to two years behind bars with six years suspended.
(Photo by THOMAS FREY/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
Photo: Getty Images