MAN ENTERS PLEA TO FELON IN POSSESSION OF FIREARM AND AGREES TO PLEAD TO LOCAL MURDER

A. Courtney Cox, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, today announced the plea of PERRY LEE FOULKS, age 22, of Pulaski, Illinois, to a two-count indictment charging possession of a weapon by a convicted felon in Pulaski County, IL. The plea took place in United States District Court at Benton, Illinois on June 4, 2009.

Based upon his plea, FOULKS faces up to 10 years imprisonment on each count, a $250,000 fine and not more than 3 years of supervised release following his prison sentence. Pursuant to his plea agreement with the government, FOULKS has also agreed to enter a plea of guilty in State Court, Pulaski County, Illinois, to the second degree murder of Trea Hannah which occurred on December 28, 2005, in Pulaski, County.

At the hearing on his change of plea, the defendant admitted to having been previously convicted of the felony offense of Residential Burglary in Alexander County, Illinois, and thereafter to having possessed a firearm on September 12, 2008, which he sold to an undercover informant, and then having possessed another firearm on February 23, 2009.

The defendant is detained by the U.S. Marshal pending his sentencing which is set for September 3, 2009 at 10:30 a.m.

Investigation of the case was handled by Special Agent Robert Nosbisch, Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael C. Carr in conjunction with the Pulaski County State’s Attorney, Donna White McCann.