Cahokia Man Sentenced For Firearm Offense

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Mautaveus T. Ayers, 18, of Cahokia, Illinois, was sentenced in federal district court in East St. Louis, Illinois, on February 27, 2014, to 34 months in prison, to be followed by three years supervised release, a $100 special assessment, and a $250 fine, for unlawful possession of a firearm by a previously convicted felon, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, Stephen R. Wigginton, announced today.

Court proceedings revealed that on April 17, 2013, a patrolling officer in Cahokia, Illinois, observed a vehicle driven by Ayers commit a traffic violation and fitting the description of a car involved in a shooting earlier that day. The officer activated his lights in an attempt to stop the vehicle, but Ayers continued driving. A short chase followed with Ayers eventually stopping in an apartment complex parking lot. Ayers ran upon exiting the vehicle, but stopped after the officer drew his weapon. Ayers was placed under arrest. The police car’s dash camera recorded Ayers making statements on his cell phone to an unknown individual about his arrest and instructing the individual to retrieve a weapon from his home he had hidden under his sink. Ayers consented to a search of his home the following day, where a shotgun was recovered underneath his kitchen sink.

This investigation was conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Cahokia Police Department. Special Assistant United States Attorney Neal C. Hong prosecuted the case.