Three sentenced to more than 20 years combined in state prison in separate cases involving illegal guns and large capacity magazines Published on Tuesday, November 02, 2021 PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Attorney General Peter F. Neronha announced today that three men were recently sentenced in Providence County Superior Court in separate cases, stemming from their arrests in 2020 by the Providence Police Department while in possession of illegal pistols and large capacity magazines. Johabanny Rosado (age 33) entered a plea of nolo contendere to possession of a firearm after previously having been convicted of a crime of violence and carrying a pistol without a license. At a hearing on October 28, 2021, before Superior Court Justice Kristin E. Rodgers, the Court sentenced Rosado to 15 years at the ACI with 10 years to serve and the balance suspended with probation. Hassan Jatta (age 24) entered a plea of guilty to possession of a firearm after previously having been convicted of a crime of violence and carrying a pistol without a license. At a hearing on October 29, 2021, before Superior Court Justice Robert D. Krause, the Court sentenced Jatta to 10 years at the ACI with six and a half years to serve and the balance of the sentence suspended with probation. Carlos Depina (age 25) entered a plea of nolo contendere in Providence County Superior Court on September 21, 2021, to one count of carrying a pistol without a license and one count of alteration of identifying marks on a firearm and was sentenced to serve four years at the ACI. “Though two of these cases are unrelated, they are connected by several threads: the defendants had previously committed crimes of violence and firearms offenses, they were mobile on the streets of Providence, they possessed illegal firearms, and those firearms were equipped with large capacity magazines capable of putting a lot of rounds in the air. That’s a deadly combination, seen far too often, and a key driver of the violence we are seeing in our urban core,” said Attorney General Neronha. “Plainly, these defendants are a continued threat to others, and their past convictions have not sufficiently delivered the message that they need to alter their behavior,” continued Attorney General Neronha. “Presumably that will change now that they are taking up residence at the ACI for a significant amount of time, and the people of Rhode Island are safer as a result. I am grateful to the men and women of the Providence Police Department who risked their own safety to proactively identify and arrest these individuals before they could bring serious harm others.” “The defendants in these cases had the potential to cause death and destruction throughout our community by, once again, choosing to arm themselves with not only an illegal firearm but also an extended magazine, severely increasing the threat of violence,” said Steven M. Paré, Providence Commissioner of Public Safety. “I commend the members of the Providence Police Narcotics Bureau and the RI Attorney General’s Office for their thorough investigation and prosecution of this case, leading to the necessary lengthy prison sentence of these career criminals with a previous history of violent crimes.” Johabanny Rosado: Had the case proceeded to trial, the State was prepared to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that on the morning of June 9, 2020, members of the Providence Police Department arrested Johabanny Rosado during a vehicle stop while he was in the possession of an illegal pistol and large capacity magazine. Leading up to Rosado’s arrest, members of the Providence Police Department received information that Rosado was in possession of an illegal firearm. On the morning of June 9, detectives observed Rosado driving a Nissan Altima on North Main Street and initiated a vehicle stop after observing a traffic violation. During the vehicle stop, detectives saw a firearm magazine protruding from a sock in plain view on the driver’s side floorboard, directly underneath the steering wheel. Detectives located an Ekol Jackal 9-millimeter semi-automatic pistol inside the sock, along with a large capacity magazine. At the police station, after being advised of his Miranda rights, Rosado admitted to possessing the firearm. Under Rhode Island law, individuals convicted of crimes of violence are prohibited from possessing firearms. Rosado was previously convicted of a crime of violence in 2008 for assault with a dangerous weapon. Rosado was also convicted of discharge of a firearm during the commission of a crime of violence resulting in injury in the same case in 2008 and for carrying a pistol without a license and firing in a compact area in 2007. Special Assistant Attorneys General Katelyn M. Revens and Edward G. Mullaney of the Office of the Attorney General and Detectives Zachary Silbert and Peter Tesseris of the Providence Police Department led the investigation and prosecution of the case. Hassan Jatta and Carlos Depina: Had the case proceeded to trial, the State was prepared to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that on the evening of May 28, 2020, members of the Providence Police Department arrested Hassan Jatta while he was in the possession of an illegal pistol and large capacity magazine following a foot chase in the vicinity of Hillhurst Avenue in Providence. Leading up to Jatta’s arrest, members of the Providence Police Department received information derived from a video posted on social media that Jatta and a co-defendant, Carlos Depina (age 25), were in possession of illegal firearms. On the evening of May 28, detectives observed Jatta and Depina traveling in an SUV near Hillhurst Ave. before parking and exiting their vehicle. Detectives approached the two, who then immediately ran away. During their pursuit, detectives observed a firearm magazine protruding from the waistband of Jatta’s pants. Detectives also observed during their pursuit that Depina was holding onto an object secured in the waistband of his pants. While in pursuit of Jatta, detectives saw him discard a Glock 26 9mm pistol loaded with a full 30-round large capacity magazine. Detectives also observed Depina discard an object that they later identified as a Glock 22 .40 caliber pistol with an obliterated serial number and loaded with 15 bullets, including one in the chamber. Both Jatta and Depina were apprehended a short time later and taken into custody. Under Rhode Island law, individuals convicted of crimes of violence are prohibited from possessing firearms. Jatta was previously convicted of first-degree robbery in 2017. Assistant Attorney General Joseph J. McBurney of the Office of the Attorney General and Investigators Matthew McGloin and Ernest Carvalho of the Providence Police Department led the investigation and prosecution of the case. ###