Metro-East Man Charged With Firearm Offense

Stephen R. Wigginton, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, announced today that on September 2, 2015, Anthony M. Williams, 33, East St. Louis, IL, was arraigned on an Indictment charging him with the Unlawful Possession of a Firearm by a Previously Convicted Felon. Williams’ trial is scheduled for October 26, 2015. Williams was ordered held without bond pending trial.

The indictment alleges that, on April 10, 2015, Williams unlawfully possessed an FEG, .9mm pistol, after having been previously convicted of Unlawful Possession of a Weapon by a Felon in St. Clair County, Illinois.

The penalty for the Unlawful Possession of a Firearm by a Previously Convicted Felon is a term of imprisonment of not more than ten years, a fine up to $250,000, or both, and a term of supervised release of not more than three years.

An indictment is merely the method by which federal charges are lodged. A defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

The case was investigated by the Illinois State Police’s Metro-East Police Assistance Team. The case is assigned to Assistant United States Attorney Angela Scott.