A Hibbing man with a history of felony convictions is facing fresh charges for drug trafficking and violating firearms laws, U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger announced. Phillip Lamount Davis, 53, was hit with an indictment after authorities allegedly found him in possession of fentanyl, cocaine, methamphetamine, and a firearm. Evidence suggesting he was peddling the drugs, and also packing heat.
The indictment follows a November 2022 bust where Davis was allegedly caught with narcotics, as well as a follow-up incident in June 2023 when he was once again found to illegally possess a firearm. Due to his rap sheet in Illinois, federal law strictly prohibits him from ever having firearms or ammo. Yet, Davis is accused of brazenly disregarding these restrictions, racking up two counts for possessing a firearm as a felon, and an extra for having one smack in the middle of a drug trade hustle.
According to court documents, Davis's alleged criminal cocktail includes one count of methamphetamine distribution, one count of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, and one count of possession with intent to distribute meth and cocaine, coupled with the firearms charges. The U.S. Attorney's smorgasbord of charges against Davis follows a thorough investigation led by the Lake Superior Violent Offenders Task Force, with a hand from the St. Louis County Attorney’s Office.
With the charges laid out, Davis had his first day in court yesterday, facing U.S. Magistrate Judge Leo I. Brisbois, and he'll have to show face again for a detention hearing come January 16, 2024, in Duluth. While the charges have piled up, it's important to remember that an indictment is not a guilty verdict. Davis remains innocent till the court decides otherwise because that’s how the scales of justice are supposed to balance out. For now, Assistant U.S. Attorney Carla J. Baumel is the one tasked to try to turn the indictment into a conviction.
