A gang member who handled a gun linked to a number of serious crimes has been jailed for eight years.Kofi Dill, 32, was arrested at his residence in East Gate Lane, Pembroke, by armed police on the afternoon of December 22, 2010.Prosecutor Cindy Clarke said officers went to the scene “as a result of information received concerning a firearm”.A Rexio RJ Series .38 Calibre Special revolver was found about 20 metres east of Dill’s residence, in a drawstring backpack on a wall.Ms Clarke said Dill’s DNA was found on the weapon. She described him as “a person who is rising through the ranks of the 42nd gang”.Dill pleaded guilty on Monday to handling the firearm.The same gun was mentioned in Supreme Court in June during the trial of 42 gang member David Cox. Cox was eventually convicted of the shooting murder of Parkside and Middletown gang associate Raymond (Yankee) Rawlins.The trial heard Cox murdered Mr Rawlins along with a second gunman, who has not been caught by the police. The second gunman used the same Rexio gun Mr Dill has admitted handling.The Cox trial heard that, besides being one of two weapons used to kill Mr Rawlins last August, the gun was used in the attempted murder of Jeremiah Dill on October 4, 2010, on Parsons Road, Pembroke, a shooting on October 16, 2010 on Overview Hill, Pembroke and the attempted murder of Jari Fischbacher on November 24, 2010 on Spanish Point Road, Pembroke.No mention of the gun’s links to other cases was made by prosecutor Ms Clarke during Dill’s sentencing hearing, and Dill is not charged in connection with any of those cases.Puisne Judge Carlisle Greaves mentioned the weapon had earlier come up during a “very high profile case”. However, he said that since the prosecution were not relying on that background information, he would not take it into account.Ms Clarke recommended that Dill be given an eight-year sentence, as the maximum sentence for the crime is 17 years and he deserved a 50 percent discount for his guilty plea.Defence lawyer Charles Richardson agreed.Dill has a string of previous convictions, including manslaughter, assault and drug possession.He was charged jointly with a woman, 22-year-old Thayja Simons, from Sandys. Ms Clarke said the Crown would not pursue the case against Ms Simons, so the judge told her she was free to leave court.