East St. Louis Man Sentenced To Prison For Possession Of A Firearm By A Convicted Felon

The United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, Stephen R. Wigginton, announced today that an East St. Louis, Illinois, man was sentenced on September 9, 2013, to a prison term in federal court for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.

Leon Johnson, 24, was sentenced in federal court in East St. Louis to 48 months in prison, to be followed by 3 years of supervised release, a $100 special assessment, and a fine of $200, following his plea of guilty, on May 20, 2013, to an Indictment charging him with Possession of a firearm by a Convicted Felon. The charge relates to an incident that occurred on June 5, 2012, in East St. Louis, Illinois, when law enforcement agents conducted a search of a residence pursuant to an arrest warrant. When agents proceeded to the basement of the residence, they observed Johnson lying on the couch. As the agents approached Johnson, they stepped on a fully loaded semiautomatic firearm, underneath some clothing and within one foot of Johnson. Johnson was previously convicted of aggravated unlawful use of a weapon on March 2, 2010 in St. Clair County, Illinois. The sentencing judge also ordered forfeiture of the firearm.

The case resulted from the efforts of the WAVE (Working Against Violent Elements) Task Force, which focuses its efforts on combating violent crime in East St. Louis, Washington Park, and surrounding communities. The WAVE Task Force receives financial support through the Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) initiative, a nationwide federal program which endeavors to address gun-related violence.

The case was investigated by members of the WAVE Task Force, the United States Marshals Service, the Illinois State Police, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. The case was prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Jungmin Lee.