St. Paul Felon Indicted For Possessing A Nine-millimeter Pistol

MINNEAPOLIS—Earlier this week in federal court, a 23-year-old felon from St. Paul was indicted for possessing a nine-millimeter, semi-automatic pistol. On March 19, 2013, Virgil Lee Kirkwood was charged with one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm.

The indictment alleges that on December 6, 2012, Kirkwood possessed the pistol. According to a law enforcement affidavit filed in the case, officers learned that Kirkwood was in possession of a gun and looked for him in the area of the 700 block of Central Avenue in St. Paul, Minnesota. When officers approached, they found Kirkwood and he was detained on an outstanding Anoka County warrant for an unrelated burglary. The pistol was found inside a black sock hidden nearby.

Because he is a felon, Kirkwood, also known as Virgil Lee Crenshaw, is prohibited under federal law from possessing firearms or ammunition at any time. His prior Hennepin County convictions include second-degree burglary (2010), third-degree attempted burglary (2012), and other offenses. Because certain of these convictions constitute crimes of violence, Kirkwood is subject to the federal Armed Career Criminal Act. That act mandates a minimum of 15 years in prison for anyone subsequently convicted in federal court for being a felon in possession of a firearm or ammunition.

This case is the result of an investigation by the St. Paul Police Department, and the United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Allen A. Slaughter.

An indictment is a determination by a grand jury that there is probable cause to believe that offenses have been committed by a defendant. A defendant, of course, is presumed innocent until he or she pleads guilty or is proven guilty at trial.