East Saint Louis Man Pleads Guilty To Firearm Offense

The Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, James L. Porter, announced today that James Antwon Johnson, 24, of East Saint Louis, Illinois, pled guilty to a firearm offense in the U.S. District Court in East Saint Louis, Illinois. Johnson was charged with Unlawful Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. The charge carries a maximum penalty of ten years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and three years of supervised release. Sentencing is set for September 13, 2016.

Court records indicate that on December 18, 2015, Johnson unlawfully possessed a 7.62 caliber, SKS-style, semi-automatic rifle and ammunition after having been previously convicted of the felony of the Unlawful Delivery of a Controlled Substance While Located within 1,000 Feet of a Park in Madison County, Illinois.

The case was investigated by the East Saint Louis Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney William E. Coonan and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Emily J. Wasserman.