Decatur Man Convicted of Unlawful Possession of a Firearm by a Felon

PEORIA, Ill. – A federal jury returned a guilty verdict on Thursday, December 9, 2021, against DeAngelo Banks, 31, of Decatur, Illinois, for unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon. Sentencing for Banks has been set for May 9, 2022, at 10:00 A.M. at the U.S. Courthouse in Urbana, Illinois.

During two days of testimony, the government presented evidence regarding Decatur Police Department officers’ traffic stop of Banks’s car in May 2020. Banks was the sole occupant and driver at that time. During the stop, officers located a loaded Glock Model 43 handgun in a hidden compartment where Banks had been sitting. As a previously convicted felon, Banks was prohibited from possessing a firearm.

Banks remains in the custody of the United States Marshals Service. At sentencing, Banks faces statutory penalties of up to ten years in the Bureau of Prisons.

The case investigation was conducted by the Decatur Police Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorneys William J. Lynch and Ronald L. Hanna represented the government at trial.