O'Fallon Man Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison for Being a Convicted Felon in Possession of a Firearm

Kevin Lamar Smith, 28, of O’Fallon, Illinois, was sentenced to 15 years in federal prison for Unlawful Possession of a Firearm by a Previously Convicted Felon, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, Stephen R. Wigginton, announced today. Following his prison sentence, Smith will be on federal supervised release for 5 years. Smith was also ordered to pay a $100 special assessment and a $150 fine. Smith has been in custody since his arrest on November 17, 2013.

"As I have demonstrated, prosecution of gun crimes is a priority of mine. Guns in the hands of convicted felons will only lead to an increase in the violence which plagues the citizens of Southern Illinois. I hope that this very long and well-deserved sentence will help send the message persons who defy the law by illegally possessing firearms – you will be caught and you will be sent to federal prison for a very, very long time." said United States Attorney Wigginton.

Court documents establish that on November 17, 2013, O’Fallon officers received a complaint that Smith was in possession of a firearm. Later that same day, O’Fallon officers located the vehicle being driven by Smith and attempted a traffic stop. While the officers were following Smith, who was traveling at a high rate of speed through a residential area, Smith told his passenger to throw the gun out of the vehicle. The firearm was recovered from the front yard of a homeowner and determined to be a fully loaded .45 caliber Hi-Point semiautomatic pistol. Smith and his passenger were arrested. The passenger of the vehicle was interviewed and stated that Smith had the Hi-Point semiautomatic firearm when he got into car and that he had seen Smith with the firearm on two other occasions. He also stated that Smith told him to throw the gun out of the vehicle while the police were following them.

Court documents further establish that Smith was a previously convicted felon, having been convicted in 2009 of residential burglary in the Circuit Court of St. Clair County, Illinois.  That conviction, as well as other findings made by the Court mandated the 15 year sentence.

The investigation was conducted by the O’Fallon Police Department and successfully prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ali Summers.