---
title: "Will a Rhode Island gun charge be prosecuted in federal court?"
description: "It can be. The U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Rhode Island regularly adopts cases that begin as state arrests, particularly felon-in-possession cases under 18 U.S.C. § 922(g), straw..."
url: https://bankandmunns.com/faq-items/will-a-rhode-island-gun-charge-be-prosecuted-in-federal-court/
date: 2026-09-30
modified: 2026-09-30
author: "Bank and Munns"
type: avada_faq
lang: en
---

# Will a Rhode Island gun charge be prosecuted in federal court?

It can be. The U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Rhode Island regularly adopts cases that begin as state arrests, particularly felon-in-possession cases under 18 U.S.C. § 922(g), straw purchases under § 932, and gun charges tied to drug distribution. Federal adoption is more likely when you have prior felony convictions, when multiple guns or an obliterated serial number are involved, or when the arrest came out of a task force investigation. Federal exposure is higher, with a 15-year maximum for felon in possession and a 15-year mandatory minimum under the Armed Career Criminal Act for people with three qualifying priors. A plea in Superior Court does not always prevent a federal case, so the decision about how to resolve the state charge has to account for what the U.S. Attorney is likely to do. This is one reason to hire a lawyer who tracks both systems.