U.S. Department of Justice

United States Attorney
Southern District of Illinois

Southern District of Illinois

www.justice.gov/usao/ils

For Immediate Release

October 22, 2012

EAST ST. LOUIS MAN FACES OVER 15 YEARS FOR WEAPONS CHARGES

Mario Pelly, 23, from East St. Louis, IL, was sentenced on October 22, 2012, in District Court in East St. Louis, IL, following a guilty plea entered May 5, 2012, to a seven count indictment charging him with Conspiracy to Interfere with Commerce by Threats or Violence, Interference with Commerce by Threats or Violence, Theft from a Federal Firearms Licensee, Use of a Firearm During and in Relation to a Crime of Violence, Illegal Receipt of a Firearm by Person Under Indictment, False Statement to a Federal Officer and Sale of a Stolen Firearm, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, Stephen R. Wigginton, announced today.

The violations took place on September 8, 2009, in Madison County, IL, and stemmed from Pelly’s involvement in the armed robbery of the Bel Aire Pawn Shop in Collinsville, IL, in which numerous firearms, including assault rifles, money, and jewelry were stolen. Pelly was sentenced to 188 months in prison, 5 years of supervised release, was ordered to pay $19,150.70 in restitution and ordered to pay a $700 special assessment.

The investigation was conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Madison County Sheriff’s Department. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Deirdre A. Durborow.

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