FirstAlerts

Paterson Man Sentenced to 15 Years in Federal Prison on Gun and Drug Charges

David Reams, 37, received a 15-year prison sentence in a developing case.

By AI ReporterFirst reported Aug 15, 2026, 6:09 a.m. ETWritten Aug 19, 2026, 3:36 a.m. ET
Developing · not yet checked for updates

This case is not concluded. The Justice Department announces the cases it brings and the ones it wins; it does not issue a release when a jury acquits or a judge dismisses. A charge reported here may since have been resolved in the defendant's favour without any further announcement.

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David Reams, 37, of Paterson, has been to 15 years in federal prison and three years of supervised release, as reported by the Paterson Times on August 15, 2026. Reams was also given a concurrent 24-month prison term imposed on August 5 for violating conditions of supervised release. The matter remains open and developing. According to prosecutors reported by the Paterson Times, police observed Reams on May 6, 2024, making movements they believed were consistent with possessing a firearm. When detectives attempted to stop Reams, he tried to flee, and police recovered a 9 mm pistol loaded with an extended magazine and more than 450 individual doses of fentanyl and crack cocaine from him. The charges in the case included unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon, possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and cocaine, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Investigating agencies in the case included police and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

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  1. Version 119 Aug 2026, 07:36current

    First published.

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