On December 14, 2012, Corey Cotton, a thirty-three year old East St. Louis, IL, man pled guilty in Federal District Court, in East St. Louis, to 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. Cotton is scheduled for sentencing on April 5, 2013, at which at which time he faces a maximum potential sentence of 10 years’ in prison and a fine of up to $250,000, not more than 3 years of supervised release after his prison term, and a mandatory special assessment of $100. Cotton also agreed to the forfeiture of the firearm.

Facts brought out in open court were that on September 27, 2011, law enforcement officials attempted to conduct a traffic stop on a vehicle driven by Cotton in East St. Louis, Illinois. As officers approached Cotton’s car, he sped away, came to a stop several blocks away, exited the vehicle, and fled from these officers on foot. While fleeing from officers, Cotton discarded a firearm in a wooded area. Cotton was apprehended shortly thereafter by officers and the firearm was recovered.

This case was investigated by the Working Against Violent Element (WAVE) Task Force, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

This case is assigned to Assistant United States Attorney Daniel T. Kapsak for prosecution.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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