Steelville Man Pleads Guilty to Felon in Possession of a Firearm

St. Louis, MO – Johnathan K. Esparza, 27, of Steelville, MO, pleaded guilty to felon in possession of a firearm stemming from a police chase from Illinois into Missouri.  Esparza appeared in federal court this afternoon before U.S. District Judge John A. Ross who accepted his plea and set his sentencing date for March 13, 2020. 

According to court documents, on September 21, 2018, Brooklyn, Illinois Police Officers responded to a call regarding shots fired from a Nissan vehicle.  As Brooklyn police officers attempted to bring the vehicle to a controlled stop, the driver of this vehicle accelerated and drove at a high rate of speed from Illinois into Missouri.  Officers observed Esparza, the front seat passenger, throw a pistol out of the window of the vehicle in St. Louis and were able to recover and seize the pistol.  The Nissan was eventually stopped and Esparza was apprehended.  A computer check revealed that he was a convicted felon. 

Esparza faces a maximum sentence of ten years in prison and a fine of not more than a $250,000.  He may be subject to a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years and a maximum sentence greater than described.  In determining the actual sentences, a Judge is required to consider the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, which provide recommended sentencing ranges.

The Brooklyn, Illinois Police Department and St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department investigated this case.  Assistant United States Attorney Steven Muchnick is handling the case for the U.S. Attorney’s Office.