Joshua Leroy Cooper Sentenced To Serve 140 Months In Prison For Federal Firearms Offenses

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Joshua Leroy Cooper, 32, of Knoxville, Tenn., was sentenced on Aug. 29, 2016, by the Honorable Thomas W. Phillips, U.S. District Court Judge, to serve 140 months in federal prison.

Cooper pleaded guilty in April 2016 to possessing firearms and ammunition as a previously convicted felon. The firearms were discovered as a result of a search warrant executed at Cooper’s residence by the Knoxville Police Department because of narcotics purchases at his home. One of the recovered firearms had been reported stolen. Cooper was previously convicted of aggravated robbery, aggravated assault, and aggravated child abuse and neglect of a child six years or less, making it illegal for him to possess firearms or ammunition. In addition to the federal charges, charges related to this investigation are also pending against Cooper in Knox County Criminal Court.

Agencies involved in this investigation included the Knoxville Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Jennifer Kolman, Assistant U.S. Attorney represented the United States.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods ("PSN"), a comprehensive national strategy that creates local partnerships with law enforcement agencies to effectively enforce existing gun laws. It provides more options to prosecutors, allowing them to utilize local, state, and federal laws to ensure that criminals who commit gun crime face tough sentences. PSN gives each federal district the flexibility it needs to focus on individual challenges that a specific community faces.

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