East St. Louis Man Sentenced For Firearm Offense

Corey A. Cotton, 33, of East Saint Louis, IL, was sentenced on May 2, 2013, in federal 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.

Cotton was sentenced to 71 months in prison, three years’ supervised release, a $100 special assessment, and a $200 fine. Cotton, who previously pled guilty on December 14, 2012, also agreed to the forfeiture of the firearm. The charges stem from a September 27, 2011, incident when law enforcement officials attempted to conduct a traffic stop on Cotton in East St. Louis. Initially, Cotton sped off. After coming to a stop several blocks away, he exited the vehicle, fleeing from officers on foot. While running from officers, Cotton discarded a firearm in a wooded area, which was recovered by pursuing officials.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Daniel T. Kapsak.