Federal Jury Convicts St. Louis Man for Being a Felon in Possession of a Firearm

St. Louis, MO – Merwin Smith, 41, of St. Louis, MO, was convicted by a jury today in U.S. District Court in St. Louis for one count of felon in possession of a firearm.  Smith’s trial took place before U.S. District Court Judge John Ross who set a sentencing hearing for June 13, 2019.

According to testimony at trial, on July 17, 2016, Normandy, Missouri police were investigating a property crime at 2:00 a.m. when they observed Smith commit a traffic violation and hurriedly pull his vehicle into a driveway, striking a car that was already parked in the driveway.  A Normandy Police Department Officer, in marked car and uniform, next observed Smith exit the vehicle, lean back in, and observed Smith throw a dark object out of the car’s passenger window. Following a brief search, the officer located a fully loaded .45 caliber pistol that landed on an adjacent sidewalk with scrape marks consistent with the firearm striking concrete.  Smith has a prior felony conviction for unlawful use of a weapon.

Smith faces a penalty of up to 20 years imprisonment and a fine of $250,000 or both. In determining the actual sentences, a judge is required to consider the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, which provide recommended sentencing ranges.

The case was investigated by the Normandy Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives.  This case was handled by Assistant United States Attorneys Rodney Holmes and Cassie Wiemken.