Spring Valley parolee convicted after loaded 9mm found in car during tinted windows stop
NEW CITY, NY – A Spring Valley man on parole for a prior felony gun conviction was found guilty this week after a five-day bench trial that centered on a traffic stop, a foot chase, and a loaded pistol recovered from the front passenger area of a vehicle, prosecutors said.
Rockland County District Attorney Thomas E. Walsh II said Keimoni Spinks, 27, was convicted Tuesday in Rockland County Court before Judge Kevin F. Russo of Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Second Degree and Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Third Degree. The verdict was delivered Tuesday, January 20, following the bench trial.
Prosecutors said the case began on July 29, 2024, around 11:45 a.m., when a Ramapo police officer stopped a vehicle for excessively tinted windows. Authorities said Spinks, seated in the front passenger seat, ran from the vehicle on foot while the driver stayed at the scene.
A search of the vehicle led to the recovery of a 9mm semi-automatic pistol inside a bag on the floor of the front passenger side, prosecutors said. The firearm was loaded with seven rounds of ammunition, including one round in the chamber.
The district attorney’s office said video surveillance captured the passenger fleeing and a Spring Valley police officer identified Spinks. Prosecutors said Spinks was on parole stemming from a 2018 Orange County felony conviction for Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Second Degree.
Spinks was later apprehended at a hotel in Spring Valley and taken into custody, prosecutors said. The district attorney’s office said evidence later confirmed Spinks’ DNA was present on the bag that contained the gun.
After the verdict, Spinks was remanded to the Rockland County Jail without bail. Sentencing is scheduled for Tuesday, April 22.
The investigation was conducted by the Ramapo Police Department and the Spring Valley Police Department with assistance from the Rockland County Sheriff’s Office, the New York State Lab, and the Forensic Investigation Center. The case was prosecuted by Senior Assistant District Attorney Melissa Fabi and Senior Assistant District Attorney Michael Thompson.
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Key Points
- Keimoni Spinks, 27, of Spring Valley was convicted of second- and third-degree criminal weapon possession after a five-day bench trial
- Prosecutors said a loaded 9mm pistol was found in a bag on the front passenger floor after a tinted windows traffic stop in Ramapo
- Sentencing is set for Tuesday, April 22, and Spinks was remanded to jail without bail after the verdict
