A Queens jury today cleared a man who was accused of stealing guns from a precinct’s lockers — even selling one cop’s stolen gun back to the NYPD.
Ronald DeShields, 34, was found not guilty after a month-long trial, during which prosecutors claimed he sneaked into the 103rd Precinct last January, swiped a cache of cop paraphernalia, and then sold one weapon to the 90th Precinct in Brooklyn for $100 as part of the “Cash for Guns” program.
Prosecutors could not prove that DeShields — who has a long record of impersonating cops and firefighters — actually stole the guns, mace, handcuffs and holsters out of a cop’s locker.
“There were too many holes in the case,” said one juror who requested that his name not be used.
DeShields videotaped himself selling Capt. Charles Minch’s stolen gun to cops at the Williamsburg station house.
But people who turn in weapons to the “Cash for Guns” program can’t be prosecuted.
No print was found on the gun he turned in and the second stolen weapon was never found.
Prosecutors claimed that one of his fingerprints was on the locker, but they never showed it in court.
“There wasn’t enough evidence to find him guilty,” said a female juror.
DeShields’ lawyer questioned why fingerprints weren’t double checked against those on file from his prior arrests to ensure that investigators had a true match to the one latent print found on Minch’s locker.
“It was very rewarding and satisfying that a jury listened and heard that the police fabricated evidence,” said DeShields’ attorney, Jeff Chabrowe.
The jurors deliberated for three days before acquitting him on all nine counts — including criminal possession of a loaded firearm.
DeShields was sent back to Riker’s Island — where he has been for 20 months — to await another trial in Brooklyn where he is charged with possession of a cop’s bulletproof vest, said Chabrowe, who will also defend him in that case.
Police spokesman Paul Browne said, “DeShields has a pending case in Brooklyn for a stolen bullet-resistant vest, and an impersonation case pending in Manhattan case for making phone calls to the news media while on Rikers Island pretending variously to be NYPD Internal Affairs investigators and a corrections official.”