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Press Release

Wayne County Man Charged With Firearm Offense

For Immediate Release
U.S. Attorney's Office, Southern District of Illinois

Alvin L. Ewing, II, 50, of Fairfield, Illinois, has been charged in United States District Court in Benton with being a felon in possession of a firearm, announced Stephen R. Wigginton, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois. The indictment, returned by a Federal Grand Jury on October 7, 2014, stemmed from Ewing’s arrest by an Illinois State Police trooper following a traffic stop on. During this stop, a Bushmaster .223 caliber semi-automatic rifle was found concealed on the motorcycle Ewing was driving.

An indictment is a formal charge against a defendant. Under the law, a defendant is presumed to be innocent of a charge until proved guilty beyond a reasonable doubt to the satisfaction of a jury.

The indictment also alleges that Ewing committed this offense after conviction of at least three violent felonies or serious drug offenses within the meaning of federal law. If convicted, Ewing faces a minimum mandatory sentence of 15 years to life in federal prison, a $250,000, and a term of 5 years of supervised release to follow incarceration.

Following a hearing held today, Ewing was denied bond on the federal charges and remanded to the custody of the United States Marshal to await further proceedings. Ewing’s next scheduled court appearance is December 4th at 10:30 a.m. for a final pre-trial conference at the United States District Courthouse in Benton. A trial date of December 15th at 9:00 a.m. has also been set.

The case was investigated by the Carmi office of the Southern Illinois Drug Task Force and the Illinois State Police (District 19) with the assistance of the Grayville Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney James M. Cutchin.

Updated February 19, 2015