Centreville Man Sentenced For Firearm Offense

Michael A. Cooper, 27, of Centreville, IL, was sentenced on March 1, 2013, in United States District Court in East St. Louis, on one count of 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.

Cooper was sentenced to 72 months in prison, three years of supervised release, fined $500 and ordered to pay $100 special assessment. He also forfeited the firearms. Cooper, who had previously pled guilty, admitted that he had possessed several guns, knowing that he was a convicted felon and that it was illegal for him to possess the guns.

Court documents revealed that on October 21, 2011, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant for a bedroom in a residence occupied by Cooper. During the search of the dwelling, firearms were discovered and seized.

Prior to October 21, 2011, Cooper had been convicted of a felony.

The investigation was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Metropolitan Enforcement Group for Southwestern Illinois.

This was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Daniel T. Kapsak.