Helena Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Firearm Offense

HELENA – William Paul Cox, Jr, a 35-year-old Helena resident, was sentenced today to 37 months in prison followed by three years supervised release after pleading guilty to felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition on November 17, 2017.  U.S. District Judge Charles C. Lovell handed down the sentence. 

On April 4, 2016, Cox was arrested in Helena, Montana, on outstanding warrants.  The Missouri River Drug Task Force searched Cox’s vehicle pursuant to a warrant.  They found a loaded .40 caliber, semi-automatic pistol in the suburban.  Two days later, Cox asked a friend to get a green bag out of the back of the suburban because it contained personal items.  He told the friend to leave the red bag in the speaker box because it contained a “boom boom.”  Cox described the location MRDTF where they found the loaded .40 caliber pistol.  Cox was previously convicted of being a felon in possession of a firearm and sentenced to 40 months imprisonment in 2005. 

The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Paulette Stewart and investigated by the Missouri River Drug Task Force and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. 

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.   Attorney General Jeff Sessions reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.