Madison Man Sentenced For Firearm Offenses

Stephen R. Wigginton, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, announced today that on April 13, 2015, Monte D. Perry, 26, Madison, IL, was sentenced for Transfer of a Firearm in Violation of the National Firearms Act and the Unlawful Possession of a Firearm by a Previously Convicted Felon. Perry received 33 months’ imprisonment on each count, to run concurrently; 2 years’ supervised release on each count, also to run concurrently; fined $50 on each count, for a total fine of $100, and ordered to pay a $200 special assessment. The defendant has been detained since his arraignment on the Indictment on September 26, 2014.

The charges arose from a controlled buy of a sawed-off shotgun from Monte Perry, who had been convicted of a felony offense in Madison County in 2009, on July 7, 2014, that had been arranged by agents with ATF using a confidential source for $350. The controlled buy was videotaped. During the buy, Perry is heard discussing the characteristics of the gun, clearly indicating that he knew that the shotgun had been sawed-off, and requesting additional money for the sawed-off shotgun because it was a semi-automatic shotgun rather than a pump. After being paid for the sawed-off shotgun, Perry wiped his prints from it before placing it in the backseat of the confidential source’s vehicle.

The barrel length of the shotgun was measured and determined to be 14 inches in length. Because the barrel length of the shotgun was less than 18 inches, it should have been registered to Perry in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record. A check of that database showed that that the weapon was not registered to Perry. Perry therefore violated the National Firearms Act when he transferred the unregistered firearm.

The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The case was assigned to Assistant United States Attorney Angela Scott.