California convicted felon who jumped from bridge on I-195 in Providence sentenced to prison after 14 guns seized

PROVIDENCE, R.I. – A California convicted felon who leaped into the Providence River in an effort to evade arrest in February 2022, shortly after members of the East Providence Police Department Special Investigations Unit (SIU) watched him place a suitcase containing fourteen firearms in the trunk of a vehicle, was sentenced today to six-and-half years in federal prison, announced United States Attorney Zachary A. Cunha.

According to information presented to the court, on February 17, 2022, SIU surveillance observed James Darosa, 30, exit an East Providence residence and place the gun-laden suitcase in the trunk of a rideshare vehicle, and then board the vehicle as a passenger. A short time later, East Providence Police initiated a traffic stop of the vehicle.

As officers approached, Darosa got out of the rear passenger door and jumped off a bridge into the Providence River. With assistance from Providence Police and Rhode Island State Police, Darosa was located along the shoreline and arrested. The suitcase that Darosa had placed in the trunk of the vehicle was found to contain fourteen guns – thirteen handguns, four of which were reported stolen and one of which had an obliterated serial number, and one semi-automatic rifle.

On January 5, 2023, Darosa pleaded guilty to a federal charge of being a felon in possession of firearms. He was sentenced today by U.S. District Court Judge William E. Smith to 78 months in federal prison, to be followed by three years of federal supervised release.

The case in U.S. District Court in Providence was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney G. Michael Seaman.

United States Attorney Cunha thanked the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Providence Police Department, and the Rhode Island State Police for their investigation and assistance in this matter.